Институционалните условия за членство в еврозоната и защо пътят е по-важен от неговата цел

The conditions for Bulgaria's admission to the Eurozone are examined in detail, emphasizing and analyzing the presence of different conditions - those that are formally described and are related to objective quantitative criteria and those that are not formalized and are related to the functioning of the Bulgarian institutions. Very often in public debates, formal criteria are discussed, and informal criteria remain in the background. The chapter seeks answers to the following questions. Is it possible that Bulgaria will meet resistance to joining the Eurozone, because of such informal criteria? Is the set date of 1 January 2024 for the adoption of the euro realistic? Is it possible that the period of participation in ERM II, before admission to the Eurozone, will turn out to be significantly longer than expected? Is there a risk of such a scenario materializing, and should attempts be made to control and reduce such risk, if it exists? The presentation is based on a comparative analysis between Bulgaria and other EU countries.