Bulgarian nationalists march against euro currency adoption – DW – 05/31/2025
Fears that the it will harm the economy, coupled with a mistrust of institutions has led many to oppose the euro. Disinformartion campaigns have muddled the debate over Bulgaria's economic transition.
Thousands gathered in Bulgaria's capital Sofia and other major cities on Saturday to reject the country's plans to adopt the euro, the latest move by the eastern European country to strengthen its status in the European Union.
Critics of the move are demanding that the government call for a referendum over whether the country should abandon the lev and adopt the euro as its currency.
It comes months after Bulgaria, along with Romania, were admitted to the Schengen area.
Demonstrators in Sofia carried flags of the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party. A large banner read "The battle for the Bulgarian lev is the last battle for Bulgaria."
Civic groups and nationalist parties organized the protest, leading the march singing patriotic songs and shouting slogans like "The future belongs to sovereign states."
Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007 and remains its poorest member, is expected to get approval from Brussels in June to adopt the euro.
Disinformation campaigns stoke fear
Fears that the euro will harm Bulgaria's economy, coupled with a mistrust of institutions after years of instability, has led many to oppose the upcoming changes.
Several recent surveys showed nearly half of those questioned said they were opposed to Bulgaria joining the eurozone.
Some people, particularly those in small towns and rural areas, are reluctant to adopt the single currency, with some of them having never traveled abroad and not used to international transactions.
Disinformation campaigns from home and abroad have sought to stoke fears that the economic changes will bring more poverty.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 but kept using its own currency, the lev Image: Valentina Petrova/AP Photo/picture alliance
Bulgarian president rejects euro
Among those who are against the adoption of the euro as currency is Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.
He had proposed the referendum on the currency earlier this month, citing public concerns over inflation and purchasing power.
Radev also said the government had not implemented needed measures to allow the "most vulnerable" to withstand the shock of euro adoption.
The pro-European majority in Bulgaria's parliament rejected the referendum proposal, accusing Radev of acting on behalf of Russia.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
High-tech Hajj: More safety but less privacy, spirituality? – DW – 06/03/2025
Saudi authorities will use drones, AI and other tech for safety at this year's Hajj pilgrimage. But this increases other risks — for data privacy, hackers and of turning a spiritual journey into a "cyber experience." This year, it's drones featuring thermal imaging and robots handing out religious advice.A decade ago , it was all about the miracle of the mobile phone. And a century or so ago, the motor car was the highest of high-tech used during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The Hajj, one of the largest gatherings of humans on Earth, is meant to be undertaken by every adult Muslim once in their lifetime. It will begin in Saudi Arabia on June 4 and end June 9. During those days, up to 2 million pilgrims from over 180 countries will take part in a number of different religious ceremonies in Mecca. But having so many people moving around in one comparatively small area has led to problems in the past. Thousands of pilgrims were killed in stampeding crowds in 1990 and 2015. Last year over 1,300 died due to extreme heat; pilgrims often walk up to 65 kilometers a day in 40-to-50 degrees Celsius heat. There have also been fires, protests, suicides, collapsing buildings and infectious diseases at the Hajj, as well as more everyday problems like people getting lost or having health problems. Last year extreme heat caused death and injury at the Hajj, where three-quarters of pilgrims are aged between 35 and 64 Image: Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo/picture alliance No wonder then that the Saudi authorities are trying to use technology to improve how they control crowds and cater to their visitors. This year, Saudi Arabia will use drones with thermal imaging as well as artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to ensure that only those who have Hajj permits are allowed in. Last year's many deaths were mostly of pilgrims who didn't have official permission to be there and therefore couldn't access services like air-conditioned shelter in the extreme heat. Can high tech boost safety? To avoid overcrowding, Saudi Arabia's Nusuk website, also a mobile phone application, allows attendees to register to enter certain areas at allotted times. The Nusuk system includes an electronic identity card and a smart wristband, which hold information on the user's identity, travel plans, finances, health and accommodation, among other things. The Nusuk card must be carried throughout the pilgrimage and is used to access transport and other services. Some of the wristbands have location tracking, monitor the wearer's blood oxygen levels and heart rate, and can even be used to call for medical help. Other technological advances at this year's Hajj include robots to guide visitors around religious sites and to hand out water, Korans or offer advice in 11 languages. There are also newly paved, more reflective (and therefore cooler) streets, paths that minimize vibration for walking comfort, and a special white pilgrim's gown made from futuristic fabric that keeps the wearer up to 2 degrees Celsius cooler. All the technology, surveillance and advanced algorithmic calculation is meant to make the event safer and the chance of tragic accidents less likely. But as the amount of technology grows, so too do concerns about data privacy, state surveillance and potential cybercrime. "All of these technologies are mandatory and those who refuse them are not allowed to perform the pilgrimage," explains Zeinab Ismail, a researcher and editor at the Lebanon-based digital rights organization, SMEX. "All of this, combined with Saudi Arabia's personal data protection law, which only partially aligns with international standards and contains concerning provisions and loopholes, raises increasing concerns about the safety and privacy of pilgrims' data." Saudi officials have argued that privacy concerns must outweigh safety at such a huge event. Last year 1.8 million pilgrims from over 180 countries came to Saudi Arabi for the Hajj Image: Saudi Press Agency/dpa/picture alliance "Regardless of the [Saudi government's] justification, what worries me the most — and irrespective of the technology itself — is the fact that this technology is being deployed in a country where rule of law is weak, there's no transparency and no [state] accountability," argues Marwa Fatafta, policy director for the Middle East and North Africa at international digital rights organization, Access Now. It would be difficult to audit the technologies for problems and even harder for individuals to question their use, Fatafta told DW. "For the people who are going to the Hajj pilgrimage, they're not in any position to push back and say, 'I don't want to give my biometric data'," she continued. "So just the general context means that the door is wide open for abuse." The high speed train to Mecca can carry over 300,000 people daily Image: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images 'Contact us'? Reading the Nusuk app's terms and conditions, information about how long pilgrims' personal data can be kept is vague and even contradictory. DW e-mailed Saudi Arabia's National Data Management Office and the supervising Saudi Data and AI Authority to ask for more information on this. Both organizations publish e-mail addresses for the public to use if they have questions or want to make a complaint. Two DW e-mails received no response. Another bounced back with the message: "Recipient's mailbox is full." Since 2023, Saudi Arabia has had a personal data protection law — but as Ismail pointed out, "the current legal framework … allows legislation to be interpreted or manipulated in ways that may serve state interests over human rights." It's not just potential misuse of millions of pilgrims' data by local authorities causing concern. Higher dependence on technology to monitor and control Hajj pilgrims also means more vulnerability in general, as there are more places for hackers to attack. And Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are already some of the biggest victims of cybercrime. The first platform Saudi Arabia used for registering pilgrims, Motawif, was run by a private company and unexpectedly sent spam to users. The state-run Nusuk app replaced it in 2022. The following year, cybersecurity experts found data submitted to Nusuk for sale on illicit websites that deal in stolen personal data. Less religion, more cyber New technology has also brought another worry: Is all that high tech taking away from the once-in-a-lifetime spiritual relevance of the Hajj? A 2018 study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK suggested it might be. Pilgrims interviewed for the study complained about others taking selfies at holy sites, talking on the phone while performing rituals and behaving like tourists rather than pious visitors. "Smartphones are the fourth devil in Hajj," one interviewee said, referring to a ritual featuring three representations of the devil. Last June, hackers stole the personal information of around 168 million people in Iran from a Hajj-related organization in that country Image: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images Some even complained all the technology was making the journey too easy. Where once pilgrims walked between holy sites, now they ride a high-speed train. And where once they stayed in simple tents, now they're accommodated in 10,000 air-conditioned, fire-resistant tents. "Since the Hajj has become 'high-tech,' the fundamental spirituality of the pilgrim's experience is arguably being transformed into something more akin to a 'cyber experience'," the UK researchers wrote. Traditionally the Hajj is meant to be all about simplicity, spiritual purity and contemplative worship, they explained. As with every other kind of digital technology, high tech at the Hajj had its benefits and disadvantages, they concluded. Edited by: Jess Smee
DW
9 hours ago
- DW
Ukraine claims explosive attack on Russia's bridge to Crimea – DW – 06/03/2025
06/03/2025 June 3, 2025 Russian rocket attack on Ukraine's Sumy kills 3 Ukraine said a deadly Russian artillery attack on Sumy Tuesday 'deliberately' targeted civilians Image: AFP Three people were killed and 25 others, including children, were injured in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy, in a Russian artillery attack, according to statements from the city council and the health ministry. "Eight of the wounded are in serious condition, and three of them are children," the ministry said in a statement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault underscored that Moscow has no intentions of halting the three-year war. "The Russians brutally struck Sumy — directly targeting the city, ordinary streets — with rocket artillery," Zelenskyy said. "That's all you need to know about Russia's 'desire' to end this war," the Ukrainian president wrote in a post on Telegram. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had seized control of Andriivka in the Sumy region as its troops continues to advance. Ukraine has not yet confirmed losing the settlement, which is located more than 20 kilometers from the regional capital of Sumy.
DW
10 hours ago
- DW
Polish presidential election outcome a blow to government – DW – 06/02/2025
Right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential runoff by a whisker. The result is a bitter blow for Donald Tusk's pro-European government. Poland's State Election Commission announced on Monday morning that the right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki had received 50.89% of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, putting him marginally ahead of his liberal-conservative, pro-European rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, on 49.11%. Nawrocki will be inaugurated in August, succeeding President Andrzej Duda, who, after two terms in office, was no longer able to run for president. Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian from Gdansk, was nominated by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. PiS presented Nawrocki as a non-partisan, independent "citizens' candidate" although his campaign was paid for and organized by the party and his program aligned with that of PiS. "We have succeeded in uniting the entire patriotic camp," said Nawrocki, who went on to say that a "Poland without migrants" was his political objective. "We won because we were right," added PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Supporters of the Confederation Liberty and Independence party, which has an ultranationalist and an economic libertarian wing, also voted for Nawrocki. Most supporters of Grzegorz Braun, a hard-right, antisemitic politician, backed Nawrocki at the ballot box, too. Bitter blow for the government Trzaskowski was the candidate of the liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The 53-year-old mayor of Warsaw was also backed by other parties in the ruling coalition, the Third Way (TD) and the New Left. His surprising defeat is a major blow for Tusk's government. During his election campaign, Nawrocki made no bones of the fact that he intends to continue President Duda's policy of obstructing the government. In the 18 months since Tusk returned to power, Duda has often used his veto powers to block government reforms, especially those relating to the restoration of the rule of law. The outcome of the election is a massive blow to the government of Donald Tusk (right) Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/AFP/Getty Images "Nawrocki will apply the handbrake in terms of domestic policies and will make life difficult for the government," political scientist Barbara Brodzinska-Mirowska told broadcaster TVN on Sunday evening. Where does Nawrocki stand on key foreign policy issues? It is also likely that Nawrocki will narrow the government's room to maneuver in terms of foreign policy. According to the constitution, the Polish president is not only commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he also has a say in foreign policy. Nawrocki's stance on core foreign policy issues clashes with those of the government. During his election campaign, he spoke out against Ukraine joining NATO and in favor of attaching conditions to the country's EU accession. In terms of security, the president-elect favors relying on the US, is a euroskeptic and mistrusts Berlin. He also wants to continue efforts to get Germany to pay war reparations to Poland. "Poland is facing the Hungarian scenario," said sociologist Robert Sobiech, who warned that with Nawrocki, Poland will distance itself from Europe, as Hungary has under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that PiS could — together with the ultra-right Confederation Liberty and Independence party — return to power in 2027. An emotional roller coaster Both candidates were on an emotional roller coaster from the moment the polling stations closed at 9 p.m. CET. The first exit poll indicated that Trzaskowski (50.3%) had a wafer-thin lead over Nawrocki (49.7%). Mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski (pictured here casting his vote on Sunday) came a very close second Image: Petr David Josek/AP/picture alliance "We've won!" declared Trzaskowski, who promised to start implementing his program "like a torpedo" and pledged to extend a hand to all those who voted for his opponent. But the euphoria in his team didn't last long. Another poll released two hours later, which included the results from some polling stations, reversed the predicted outcome. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski. Numerous scandals did not stop Nawrocki In recent months, the media have made a series of major accusations against Nawrocki, who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) since 2021. He was accused of having had ties to people in the hooligan scene and the criminal underworld and of having bought a social housing apartment from a destitute, alcohol-dependent man by dishonest means. Nawrocki admitted taking part in a pre-arranged mass brawl between the fans of two rival football clubs. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski Image: Muhammet Ikbal Arslan/Anadolu/picture alliance The online platform ONET claimed that while working for a security company as a student, Nawrocki organized prostitutes for guests at a luxury hotel in Sopot on the Baltic coast. But none of these reports derailed Nawrocki's bid for the presidency. Writer Slawomir Sierakowski spoke of the "boomerang effect," explaining that the "intrusive highlighting" of these stories in the media actually strengthened a feeling of solidarity with the candidate. Jacek Nizinkiewicz of the newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Monday called the outcome a "political earthquake." "Things will not calm down after the election. Poland has been so deeply divided for two decades that the new president will not fill in these trenches," wrote Nizinkiewicz. "It is to be feared that the opposite will be the case." This article was originally published in German.
