SOFia, Bulgaria (AP) — Police in the Bulgarian capital clashed with nationalist protesters on Saturday, demanding that government scraps plan to introduce the country into the eurozone.
Approximately 1,000 protesters gathered in front of the Sofia office of the European Commission, the European Union's administrative division, and began throwing red paint and firecrackers on the building. The door finally flapped up.
Firefighters were sent to the scene, and police reinforcements pushed the protesters back. Police said several demonstrators were arrested, but some officers were injured during the clash.
The protest, organized by the pro-Russian nationalists of the Bazrazdane Party, began on Saturday outside the headquarters of the National Bank of Bulgaria.
Protesters demanded that the government resign, waving the national flag and party flag, chanting the national currency “no for the euro” and “yes for the Bulgarian Lev.”
“I am here to protect the people of Bulgaria and Bulgarian,” Vazrazdane leader Costadin Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists.
He said his party is calling for a referendum to decide 20 people enter the eurozone.
“If there's no referendum, we'll block the work of the Parliament,” said Kostadinov, the third largest party in the assembly.
Bulgaria, who joined the EU in 2007, has been plagued by political instability over the past few years. The new government, established last month, has made eurozone membership an important priority.
However, not everyone is sure Bulgaria is ready to join the Eurozone. On the one hand, there are economists who argue that there is no acceptable economic condition to participate in the eurozone. They are also not ready to adopt a single currency.
However, the government, supported by other pro-European parties in Parliament, emphasizes the political importance of adoption as another step towards deepening European integration amid growing geopolitical tensions.
In an attempt to divert the country from this objective, pro-Russian nationalists use disinformation as an effective tool to spread fear among people, and prepare for a more intense battle. It's there.
