European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a joint statement with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on 28 May 2026, praised Bulgaria's smooth transition to the euro and urged continued reforms to unlock suspended EU funding. Von der Leyen highlighted that Bulgaria has already received nearly EUR 3.3 billion under NextGenerationEU and stressed the need to maintain reform momentum ahead of the August 2026 deadline to unlock further resources.
Von der Leyen commended progress on anti-corruption, notably the establishment of an independent Anti-corruption Commission and the reorganisation of the Prosecutor General's office. She said these reforms could unlock almost EUR 370 million in suspended funding. The Commission President also discussed energy sector reform, including strengthening the clean energy part of state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, supported by EUR 1.2 billion in NextGenerationEU investments for clean energy. She pledged Commission support via the Just Transition Fund to ensure the clean energy transition benefits all regions.
On the next long-term EU budget (MFF), von der Leyen called for a comprehensive agreement by end of 2026. She also addressed geopolitics, reaffirming commitment to a diplomatic solution in the Middle East and highlighting Bulgaria's role in collective defence on the Eastern Flank, with over EUR 3.2 billion in support under the SAFE programme. A loan agreement with Bulgaria is ready to be signed at any time.
The statement marks the first high-level EU-Bulgaria meeting since Bulgaria adopted the euro in January 2026. No prior coverage of this meeting exists in recent records.
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