The village of Kurtovo Konare hosted one of the first local community dialogues on the advantages and challenges of adopting the euro in Bulgaria. Held at the local community center “Lyuben Karavelov – 1897”, the event brought together 30 active citizens – ranging from skeptics to supporters of the Eurozone and Bulgaria’s future membership – to discuss face-to-face the potential effects of introducing the common European currency in the country. More than 1,000 people followed the discussion live online – an indicator of the growing demand for accessible information driven by genuine questions, human concerns, and a desire for understanding.
The event’s keynote speaker was Dr. Georgi Ganev, Program Director for “Economic Perspectives” at the Center for Liberal Strategies and a macroeconomist. In an open, candid, in-depth, and constructive dialogue with local residents and thousands of online viewers, the forum addressed dozens of questions, of which: the short and medium-term impacts of euro adoption on the national financial system, prices and incomes, the broader economy, municipalities, and households. Mechanisms for public oversight and civic engagement in curbing risks of speculation and fraud during the transition period were also discussed.
The feedback data show that at the end of the event 3 out of 4 participants felt very well or rather well informed about the way the euro is being introduced in the country and 7 out of 10 respondents felt that the discussion contributed largely or to a great extent.
The event is part of an initiative by the Open Society Institute – Sofia, marking the organization’s 35th anniversary. The initiative aims to build an experimental model for direct and media-based public communication, focused on revitalizing public discourse as a foundation of social capital and fostering reasoned, informed public attitudes and relationships concerning key national issues that will shape the future of generations of Bulgarians.
As part of this initiative, the Open Society Institute – Sofia welcomes partnerships to organize similar civic conversations in other communities, both on the topic of euro adoption and on other important issues on Bulgaria’s social and civic agenda. If you are interested in participating or organizing a dialogue, please contact us at info@osi.bg.
