Bulgaria will have to pay 600 million euros in membership fees to the European Stability Mechanism in the next 5 years, and in return, it will be able to count on about 8.5 billion euros in financial assistance in case of need, informs BNT. For the first time today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev participated in the annual meeting of the European Stability Mechanism in Luxembourg, after the country became a member of the institution. According to Donev, the funds for the membership fees are provided for in the state budget, which will be ready by the end of June, and in early July will be submitted for approval to the National Assembly.
The European Stability Mechanism is an international financial institution of the eurozone countries. It was created in 2012 after the eurozone crisis, which seriously affected some of the countries such as Greece, Ireland and Spain. The main objective of the mechanism is to ensure financial stability within the monetary union. When necessary, it provides member states with low-interest loans on favorable terms, as well as technical assistance and expertise, and the countries receiving support must implement reforms and conduct sound fiscal policies. With the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2026, Bulgaria was legally obliged to join the mechanism.