Opponents of Bulgaria's euro switchover burn effigies of EU leaders at rally

In front of the building of the central bank of Bulgaria is a protest against the country's transition from the national currency - the Bulgarian lev - to the euro. This was reported on February 22 by Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

It is noted that the protest was organized by the Renaissance party, the action was also joined by other political forces opposed to Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone.

"They insist on holding a broad public discussion on the consequences of the introduction of the euro [in Bulgaria]," BNT said in a statement.

The protesters burned effigies with the faces of European Finance Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup President Pascal Donahue. Later, protesters also threw red paint on the building of the European Commission office in Sofia.

"Gendarmerie arrived at the scene, there are injured and detainees," BNT added.

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Earlier, on February 6, Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova said the Balkan state was in a protracted political crisis. She noted that the extraordinary elections to the Bulgarian parliament in the fall of 2024 became the seventh since 2021. In addition, she said, the EU's anti-Russian sanctions have seriously hit Bulgaria's economy.