Die Rote Fahne Austria: Bulgaria, Call for Solidarity in the Struggle against the Euro

Hereby we publish an unofficial translation of an article published on Rote Fahne.

We publish an important call for solidarity from the organization Movement 23. September in Bulgaria, concerning the resistance of the Bulgarian population against the implementation of the Euro.

Protests and resistance against the implementation of the Euro, or the entry into the Eurozone, have been rising in Bulgaria for several years. An important event was held in the summer of 2022 by Rote Fahne and Movement 23. September in Sofia. After many large protests, which were initially set aside, the European Commission has now decided that Bulgaria will enter the Eurozone in 2026.

Von der Leyen states that the Euro is a “materialized symbol of European strength and unity.” For the Bulgarian working class and the population, this “strength” means rising costs, wage cuts, migration, and an increasing undermining of their sovereignty. The Bulgarian population is rightly resisting the implementation of the Euro.

The struggling masses of Bulgaria are facing increasingly harsh repression. The rulers of Bulgaria, in collaboration with the imperialists of the EU, are clearly attempting to impose the Euro against the will of the Bulgarian population. Over 600,000 signatures have been collected demanding a referendum (10% of the population with the right to vote). Even according to bourgeois media, more than half of Bulgaria, 54.9%, rejects the imposition of the Euro, while only 34.4% support it.

Our friends and comrades from Movement 23. September are calling for solidarity and report increasing repression against protesters and arrests. We support this call, share it, and will certainly do our best to send a signal of solidarity to the Bulgarian population. This resistance against the Euro has significance beyond Bulgaria’s borders; it is an important part of the struggle against the plans of the EU imperialists, as well as against oppression, exploitation, militarization, and warmongering!

[own translation]

A call for international solidarity with the struggle of the Bulgarian people against the euro

The imperialist structures of the EU are seeking expansion in the context of the upcoming full-scale war against Russia.

Over the last few years, the comprador ruling class in Bulgaria has been doing everything possible to get the country into the eurozone in order to do the will of its Western masters. The planned date for this is 1 January 2026. This will happen against the will of the vast majority of the Bulgarian people. Even official sociology admits that about two thirds of Bulgarians are against this move. It is obvious to everyone that this will lead to further impoverishment of the working class and even greater dependence of Bulgaria on Western corporations and institutions.

There is a large-scale opposition to the euro in the country. With the efforts of the entire nation, over 600 000 signatures have been collected demanding a referendum on this issue. This means that every tenth adult Bulgarian has signed this petition. However, the Bulgarian authorities, subservient to imperialism, refuse to hold such a referendum because they know in advance what the reaction of the people will be. Propaganda, censorship and repression are intensified.

However, the resistance continues. Almost daily protests are held in all places of Bulgaria. Tens of thousands of people attend the largest protests in the capital Sofia. At some of these protests, tensions and clashes with the police have occurred. Protesters have been arrested and detained for weeks for opposing the euro.  However, the repression is not paying off for the Bulgarian people and the resistance continues.

In this connection, we would like to appeal to all anti-imperialists around the world to stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Bulgarian people against the EU’s dictates and the forced entry of the country into the euro area. If the Bulgarian people manage to fight for their freedom and avoid the adoption of the euro as a result of popular resistance, this would be a major defeat for imperialism that would have global significance for the struggle of the peoples of the world. We therefore call on everyone who feels for the cause of the struggle against oppression and the dictates of the EU to express solidarity with the struggle of the Bulgarian people against the euro in a way that is appropriate to the conditions in the country concerned. You can then send us photos and videos to show that the Bulgarian people are not alone. They need solidarity at this difficult time. The peoples of the world are brothers and have common interests in the context of the struggle against imperialism.

Solidarity is our weapon! United we will win!

23 September Movement, Bulgaria