Feature: Bulgaria switches to euro amid hope, worry, last-minute scramble
SOFIA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- In a dimly lit supermarket, an elderly man stood at the checkout counter, his gnarled hands rummaging through his wallet for familiar lev coins. When the cashier handed him shiny new euro coins in return, he examined them carefully, a mix of curiosity and apprehension etched across his face. At midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, Bulgaria officially stepped into the eurozone.
From Aug. 8, 2025, m