Bulgarian Village Faces Euro Transition Challenges Without Basic Services

As Bulgaria adopts the euro, small settlements lacking post offices, ATMs, and other essential services face a particularly difficult transition. One such place is the village of Emen in Veliko Tarnovo region, home to roughly twenty elderly residents.

Emen lacks public transport, a post office, and a bank, leaving its residents to rely on the principle of “everyone for themselves and however they can manage.” The village, a local tourist destination with several guesthouses, also has no mobile phone coverage, and reliable internet remains a luxury. For its permanent residents, the euro is largely an unknown currency.

Meteorologist Krasimir Stoilov, now retired at 66, explained the practical difficulties. To exchange his savings into euros or collect his pension, he must travel not to Veliko Tarnovo but to the nearer town of Pavlikeni, 17 kilometers away. He is skeptical about a smooth transition: “It's total poverty - this village is dying. Those who have relatives will rely on them; those who don’t - may God help them. In practice, I’m left without funds. The closest place that can save me is Pavlikeni, where I can go to an ATM. That’s 17 kilometers away. To get there, I need money for diesel or gasoline.”

The village has a single shop, which operates only for an hour or two a day and has yet to stock euros. Shopkeeper Ivanka Yordanova is not concerned about initially receiving leva from elderly customers and giving change in euros. She explained, “There are few people here who shop, about 20. On Mondays and Fridays, we deliver bread. The exchange rate is in front of me, I divide it by 1.95583, and it works out exactly. People buy basic necessities – bread, milk, and a bit of sausage. I have salt, sugar, vinegar, oil, lyutenitsa, a few candies. I’m not worried about giving the change. Scams may happen. Just like they’re tricked with leva, they’ll be tricked with euros. There’s no guarantee.”

The village mayoral deputy, Vladimir Stoyanov, has not considered training residents about possible scams or counterfeit euro banknotes. “I don’t believe it. I haven’t even thought about training them. We’re 23 people here, we all know each other. Who is going to trick whom?” he said.

Regional authorities have indicated that mayors in villages without post offices will provide transport to municipal centers for exchanging leva to euros. In Emen, however, Stoyanov said this is impractical: “What transport should I organize? I’ll have to drive one or two people in my car. The people are elderly, everyone has managed to get by, everyone has made their own arrangements. I pay with a card, and I will make sure to have just a small amount of Bulgarian leva.”

Stoyanov himself can manage, as he receives his salary and pension via card. The shop in Emen does not have a card payment terminal, meaning residents pay in cash. For the elderly, the first exposure to euros will likely come with their January pensions. How they will convert their savings, much of which has been kept aside as cash for emergencies or funeral expenses, remains uncertain.

Emen’s situation highlights the practical challenges small Bulgarian villages face in the transition from leva to euros, especially where basic infrastructure and services are lacking.

Source: BTA