News

23 September 2025

Deputy Ombudsman Maria Filipova and a team of experts from the institution will hold a reception meeting for citizens in the town of Samokov. It will take place on 30 September 2025, at 2 p.m. at the BTA Press Club – 1 Zahari Zograf Square, 2nd floor, office No. 6 (in the building of the Paisii Hilendarski Municipal Library).

Citizens will be consulted on site on all issues for which they need advice or assistance – social and health rights, property rights, consumer cases – electricity, water, mobile operators, etc.

Telephone numbers for pre-registration of citizens for the reception:

02/ 81 06 955, 0896 760 007 - Ombudsman's reception desk;

0885 757 587 - Samokov Municipality and on site at the security desk - 34 Makedonska Street.

During the reception day, an information campaign entitled "Pensions in euros" will be held, organized by the Ombudsman and the National Social Security Institute for elderly people, mainly from small towns in the country. The main goal of the initiative is to advise pensioners on all issues related to the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2026, including the recalculation of pensions in euros and how to recognise counterfeit banknotes so that they do not fall victim to fraudsters.

During these meetings, brochures and booklets provided by the Ministry of Finance and the Bulgarian National Bank will be distributed, containing detailed information and samples of euro banknotes and coins, so that elderly people can familiarize themselves with the new currency and its features. They show the conversion of change at the official exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.95583 levs. To make it easier for elderly people who use mobile phones, by scanning the QR code printed on the leaflets, they will be able to convert levs into euros and stotinki into euro cents in real time.

The campaign was organized after reports were received at the Ombudsman Institution, which made it clear that the revaluation process was causing concern among many third-age citizens.