About: euro Archives

Slovakia's prime minister, president and parliament speaker pledged yesterday (23 October) to keep to a pro-European path, a day after its Czech neighbours became the latest central European ex-Communists to elect a populist taking a hard line on the EU.

In his speech on the State of the Union, Jean-Claude Juncker insisted on the extension of the eurozone, but not on its deepening. He fears the two-speed Europe defended by Emmanuel Macron. EURACTIV France reports.

The Czech Republic wants to be in the EU’s “core”, but without the common currency. Prague wants to focus on common defence instead. EURACTIV.cz reports.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, the architect of German reunification, died on Friday (16 June), the mass-selling newspaper Bild reported. He was 87.

Bulgaria has a long way to go before it is ready to adopt the euro but allowing Sofia into the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM-2) will be an acknowledgment of the Balkan country's reform efforts, its finance minister said today (2 June).

The Czech Republic should not adopt the euro because it would "bring nothing good," former finance minister Andrej Babis, the front-runner in October's general election, said in an interview today (1 June).

Italy's central bank warned today (31 May) that leaving the eurozone would not solve the country's economic problems, as two major parties campaign to drop the common currency before an election that may come as soon as this autumn.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday (14 May) said she would want Scotland to be a European Union member but not adopt the euro if it ever became independent.

The political disarray in France’s mainstream parties is encouraging debate about Frexit. The possibility is alarming economists, who fear it would cause a “cardiac arrest” in global finance and make life harder for the poor. EURACTIV France reports.

Germany will press G20 members to sign off on a set of principles including free trade at this week's meeting of the group's financial leaders, in what the Trump Administration may perceive as a challenge to its more protectionist stance.

*She is controlled and cautious, a physicist from East Germany who takes her time making decisions and has never relished the attention that comes from being Europe's most powerful leader.

Bulgarian interim Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov said his cabinet may nominate a EU Commissioner following the 26 March elections, if its results would not allow the fast forming of a government.

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the two front-runners in the French presidential race, both chose Lyon to officially launch their presidential campaigns at the weekend (4 February). Europe emerged as the central issue in the race to the Elysée Palace. Euractiv France reports.

Eurozone countries should retreat from the euro single currency and return to a "common currency" structure, French National Front leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday (4 January), evoking the era of the ECU basket of currencies.

The euro, used by nearly 340 million people each day in 19 countries, marked its 15th birthday on 1 January without celebration. A Eurobarometer report published in December shows little enthusiasm for the currency in non-eurozone countries.

A quarter of a century after the summit in the Dutch town of Maastricht that gave birth to the euro, the EU will mark the anniversary today (9 December) with little fanfare as it battles a wave of crises.

The European Parliament gave some leeway to Spain and Portugal on Thursday (6) before an expected suspension of EU funds takes place, as MEPs decided to continue their assessment by calling their finance ministers

Former Italian president, prime minister and central bank governor Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who played a key role in guiding the country into the European single currency, has died, the government said on Friday (16 September).

Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star movement, buoyed by its big gains in local elections, used its
resurgent strength to press demands for a national a referendum on whether to keep the euro.

Stanley Johnson, father of Brexiteer-in-chief Boris, has said that there is no majority in the UK parliament to deliver Brexit after a Leave vote in the referendum.

Germany's Constitutional Court confirmed on Tuesday (17 May) it has received a complaint against the European Central Bank's monetary policy, as reported by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper at the weekend.

Politicians left and right have begun calling for a ban on large-denomination banknotes and restrictions on cash payments as a means of fighting crime, money laundering and terrorism. Their argument is flawed, writes Guillaume Lepecq.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned today (15 January) that restoring borders in response to the refugee problem could kill off the internal market.

If there is a symbol of British ambivalence to Europe then it may be the euro itself.