Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has proposed declaring December 31, 2025, and January 2, 2026, as one-time non-working days to facilitate the country’s transition to the euro, the finance ministry said on Thursday.
The proposal, published on the government’s public consultation portal, aims to ease the administrative and financial adjustments expected during the currency switch scheduled for the start of 2026.
Petkova made the announcement after attending, for the first time, a regular Eurogroup meeting as an observer in Luxembourg. Until now, Bulgaria — which is preparing to join the euro area — has participated in Eurogroup sessions only in an inclusive format, together with finance ministers from all EU member states.
The meeting discussed economic prospects for the eurozone, fiscal trends among member countries, and preparations for the annual G20 and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington later this month.
Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, has committed to adopting the euro once it meets all convergence criteria. The government has said it expects to complete the process in early 2026.