Maxim Behar: "The Euro Is Like Hot Water – Once You Have It, You Don’t Want Anything Else"

Host: Mr. Behar, how do you interpret President Radev’s statements and the protests against the euro?

Maxim: Over the past few months, this debate seems almost comical to me. The opponents of the euro are louder, more present, but it all resembles a debate over whether we should bathe in hot or cold water. Once you have hot water, you don’t want to go back to cold. Bulgaria has been under a currency board since 1997. The lev is fixed to the euro. In reality, we are already in the eurozone.

Host: But what about inflation? The President says real inflation is higher than officially reported.

Maxim: Inflation exists everywhere. But using it as an argument against the euro is misleading. If we compare Bulgaria to Croatia – after adopting the euro, inflation in Croatia was lower than ours, and we haven’t even adopted it yet. That speaks volumes. Inflation in Bulgaria over the last three years was significantly higher – and we’re still using the lev. That only proves that the euro isn’t the cause of rising prices.

Host: The protests are ongoing. Public dissatisfaction is real.

Maxim: Of course. Protests are part of democracy. But I haven’t heard a single serious economic argument against the euro – just fears, no facts. There is no communication campaign from the government. You can’t implement such a fundamental change without speaking to the people. We have a duty to clearly explain the benefits and address concerns.

Host: President Radev suggests a referendum. Are you against that?

Maxim: Absolutely. This is a highly specialized topic. You can't reduce it to emotional voting. What we need is information, debate, expert analysis. If people vote without proper knowledge, we risk falling for myths and disinformation. Imagine voting on complex issues that require economic expertise – would that lead to informed decisions? I don’t think so.

Host: Are politicians using this issue to gain political points?

Maxim: Definitely. That’s common globally – the louder you shout, the more attention you get. But that doesn’t lead to solutions. In Bulgaria, we often lack strategic vision. Now we have a chance. The European Commission gave us a positive assessment. That’s the big news. We must look ahead. Bulgaria needs vision, direction – not scandals.

Host: What should the institutions do, in your opinion?

Maxim: They need to launch a clear, professional, large-scale information campaign – and it should have started long ago. The state must speak to people in a language they understand, offer real explanations instead of staying silent. When there is no communication, there’s distrust. And that is the biggest mistake so far.

For Maxim Behar, the euro is an irreversible process, where political scandals have no place. Now is the time for vision, not division. It’s time for Bulgaria to become a full and natural part of Europe – with its currency as well.

Watch the full interview here.