Small business owners in Bulgaria brace for switch from lev to euro in 2026

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Small business owners in Bulgaria brace for switch from lev to euro in 2026  European Union officials gave the green light in June for Bulgaria to become the 21st member of the eurozone, a key Brussels project aimed at deepening the ties between member countries.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/16/small-business-owners-in-bulgaria-fear-change-from-the-lev-to-the-euro-as-date-nears  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00The Terzyev family opened the first organic store in Haskovo, Bulgaria, more than 10 years ago.

00:08The small business has already weathered several crises and now it faces a new challenge,

00:14the transition from the left to the euro.

00:17Starting today, Nikola Terzyev begins labeling products with a new currency, but he does so with unease.

00:25In the past month, there has been a noticeable rise in supplier practices, he says.

00:30The fear of bankruptcy is real.

00:33What we really see is that the prices are increasing.

00:37The price of Bulgaria is the biggest problem.

00:41The biggest problem is that the prices are increasing.

00:44Because the things are very simple.

00:46When prices are increasing and the price of the population does not increase,

00:50which is the reality in our lives,

00:52what happens is that the prices are increasing.

00:55When prices are increasing, you sell more.

00:57The biggest concerns are about January next year,

01:00when both currencies will be in circulation for one month.

01:04It is very good that the chaos is coming.

01:06At the beginning of January,

01:07all the people who are coming from January,

01:09we have to go to the euro,

01:10and we have to find the prices in the euro.

01:12We have to change the prices in the euro,

01:16which means that we have to go to banks.

01:18And now we have to work,

01:19and now we have to change the prices.

01:20And now we have to change the prices.

01:21And now we have to change the prices.

01:22Just physically,

01:23I just can't imagine how this exercise is going to happen.

01:25While fears remain,

01:26some of the organic stores customers don't view shopping in euros negatively.

01:31I am very happy that Bulgaria will accept the euro.

01:34I hope that it will help economically it to help the country.

01:39I have no worries.

01:40The inflation is not related to the euro.

01:43The inflation is related to other things.

01:45I hope that everything will go well,

01:50and there will not be artificial features of some of our prices.

01:55Residents of Ascubur are not rushing to exchange their money.

01:59What are the euro?

02:00No.

02:01I don't have such a lot.

02:03It's absurd.

02:04At this stage,

02:05I think I will be optimistic for my own thoughts,

02:07and I believe that it will not happen.

02:09We will keep the best. Absolutely.

02:11Starting August 8th,

02:13all retail prices must be displayed in both currencies.

02:17All banks must exchange LEVs until the end of 2026.

02:21The Bulgarian National Bank will exchange banknotes and coins from LEV to euro for an unlimited period.

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