The demand for euros in Bulgaria has surged by about 50% compared to the same period last year, financial expert Max Baklayan told the Bulgarian National Radio. This sharp increase, he said, comes in the wake of positive assessments in the convergence reports and is compounded by the seasonal trend of Bulgarians buying euros for travel. As a result, some currency exchange offices are facing shortages of euro banknotes and are struggling to meet the spike in demand. Baklayan noted that many