Civil dialogue about the euro revived a small Bulgarian village

On June 25, 2025, the local community center "Lyuben Karavelov - 1897" became the epicenter of a large-scale civic forum dedicated to the upcoming currency transformation in Bulgaria. The event attracted 30 active participants with different perspectives on the Euro-integration processes.

The lead expert of the discussion was Dr. Georgi Ganev - an established macroeconomist and program director from the Center for Liberal Strategies. His presence guaranteed the high quality and professionalism of the conversation, which was simultaneously accessible to the online audience.

More than 1000 people followed the live broadcast, which eloquently demonstrated the serious public interest in the euro topic. The participants discussed many critical aspects - from financial mechanisms to potential risks in currency conversion.

Experts thoroughly examined the short-term and medium-term effects on the national economy, including the impact on prices, incomes, municipal budgets, and households. Special attention was paid to prevention against speculative actions and possible fraud during the transition period.

The results of the feedback were extremely encouraging. Nearly 75% of participants declared that they feel well-informed about the process of introducing the euro. Over 70% described the discussion as extremely useful and informative.

The initiative is part of a large-scale project by the Open Society Institute - Sofia, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary. The goal is to restore full civic dialogue and build a modern communication platform for public participation.

The organizers emphasized their openness to future partnerships and continuation of similar civic conversations in various Bulgarian communities. All interested parties can contact [email protected].

This experimental model of direct communication demonstrates the potential for building an informed and engaged civil society capable of understanding and supporting significant national transformations.