>>513103612
Not yet, but they're switching to the euro soon.
It's genuinely sad to watch a country with such a long, rich history throw away such a significant part of their culture.
The prostitution issue has cleared up a lot. When I first came to Bulgaria in 2009, you could drive through the backroads and every few kilometers you'd see some young girl pop out of the woodline as you passed by. Now there are VERY few street hookers. I'm not sure if it's because they're whoring online or because they're just not doing it as much but the difference is visible.
The roads have improved significantly, the standard of living has changed wildly, and the quality of life for the next generation is much higher now than it was for my wife's generation.
All in all, I think Bulgaria is on a positive track, but switching to the euro is a disgusting prospect to me. It's akin to throwing away a piece of your culture when you erase the history on the currency.