Claims online frame Bulgaria's mass protests as driven by anti-EU sentiment, but the reality is more complex.

Sofia

Recent protests in Bulgaria, involving tens of thousands of participants including many young people, have been inaccurately portrayed online as anti-EU movements. Reports from within the country clarify that the demonstrations are primarily driven by concerns over corruption and demands for governmental transparency and accountability.

Online claims that Bulgaria has cancelled its plans to join the Eurozone have also been debunked. Official sources confirm that the country is still on track to adopt the euro on 1 January 2026, despite divided public opinion on the issue.

Misleading online claims oversimplify Bulgaria's government crisis

Is Bulgaria's youth protesting en masse against the EU? For weeks, tens of thousands of Bulgarians, many of them young people, have been mobilising across the country's main cities. Online posts have spread multiple misleading explanations for the protests. Some have gone as far as portraying them as anti-EU, falsely claiming that Bulgaria's planned Eurozone entry has been cancelled. But reports from Bulgaria show that the situation is more complex. Much of the anger expressed by protesters appear to focus on long-standing issues of corruption and political interference. Speaking to the Cube, protester and secondary school student Martin Atanasov said the strikes were not anti-EU by nature, bringing together people with diverse views and centred on demands for transparency, trust and responsible government. Some online posts claim that the government's fall was a victory against leftism. However, BTA News, the country's national news agency, reported that the protest's message was clear. Resignation. Pivsky and Borisov out of power. Both Borisov, head of the largest ruling centre-right party, and Pivsky, a party leader, have been accused of corruption. They deny wrongdoing. A survey conducted by Bulgaria's Ministry of Finance shows public opinion is divided on joining the euro. Nearly half of Bulgarians oppose adopting the single currency, while a similar share support it. However, contrary to online claims, Bulgaria has not abandoned its Eurozone plans. The European Commission says the country is still set to adopt the euro on 1 January 2026. For more investigations and fact-checks, head to Euronews.com.

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