Poll: Support among Bulgarians for adoption of the euro drops to just less than half
Fifty-three per cent of Bulgarians believe that the euro has been good for the countries that already use the common currency, but only 49 per cent favour its introduction in Bulgaria, according to the results of a Flash Eurobarometer, released on June 7.
The results of the 2019 poll show that support for the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria has lost two percentage points since 2018, while opposition has gained a percentage point.
Forty-five per cent of Bulgarians said that introduction of the euro would have positive consequences for the country while 47 per cent said that the consequences would be negative, the Flash Eurobarometer poll found,
Seventy-eight per cent of Bulgarians polled so that they were concerned that there would be abusive price-setting during the changeover from the lev to the euro.
Fifty-one per cent thought that adoption of the euro would mean Bulgaria lost part of its identity, while 47 per cent believed that it would mean Bulgaria losing control over its economic policy.
Seventy-one per cent of Bulgarians held that the country was not ready to adopt the euro, while 23 per cent thought it was.
Eighteen per cent wanted the euro adopted as soon as possible, 39 per cent “after a certain time”, 17 per cent “as late as possible” and 22 per cent “never”.
The Flash Eurobarometer was conducted in the seven euro area member states that are legally committed to adopting the euro: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
Most respondents in EU counries that have yet to adopt the euro thinks that the common currency has had a positive impact on those countries that already use it, according to the results of the Flash Eurobarometer.
In total, 56 per cent of respondents across the seven member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden) share this view, up one percentage point over 2017 and up a total of four percentage points since 2016.
This view is strongest in Hungary (70 per cent), Romania (62 per cent), Poland (54 per cent) and Bulgaria (53 per cent).
Almost half also believe that introducing the euro would have positive consequences for their own country (45 per cent, -1) and for them personally (47 per cent, no change).
In total, 55 per cent would like the euro to become their currency as soon as possible or after some time (+2), vs. 42 per cent who would prefer this to take place as late as possible or never (-2).
A majority of respondents in Hungary (66 per cent), Romania (61 per cent) and Croatia (49 per cent) are in favour of introducing the euro. Seventy-seven per cent of the population in these seven member states has already used euro banknotes or coins (+1 percentage point since last year).
Forty-nine per cent feel well informed about the single currency (+1) and 81 per cent think that they would personally manage to adapt to the replacement of the national currency by the euro (+2).
A Standard Eurobarometer released in December 2018 showed that 75 per cent of the population in the euro area are now in favour of the euro, the highest level since the introduction of the single currency.
(Photo: Miroslav Saricka/freeimages.com)
