Dimitar Radev: The Lev is part of Bulgaria’s memory, the Euro-sign of belonging

"Bulgaria is Europe, and Europe is Bulgaria", Bulgarian National Bank Governor Dimitar Radev said on the eve of the introduction of the euro.

In a video address, the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank emphasized that no one is taking away the lev—it remains part of Bulgaria’s history and part of the nation’s collective memory.

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"The euro does not interrupt this story. It continues it. This moment does not call for excitement. It calls for clarity- and the calm confidence that belonging, memory, and the future can move forward together. ‘GOD PROTECT BULGARIA’—these words appear on the newest European coins. And that says enough. The euro is not just an economic solution, not merely a currency - it is a sign of belonging: that your place is not on the periphery, but in a space of shared rules, trust, and responsibility", Dimitar Radev said hours before the official transition to the single European currency.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov