(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – While most of the recent discussions related to Poland’s political life have centred on the upcoming presidential election, the country has to make a major decision related to the adoption of the euro. Last month, there was little consensus on whether replacing the zloty should happen soon.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – While most of the recent discussions related to Poland’s political life have centred on the upcoming presidential election, the country has to make a major decision related to the adoption of the euro. Last month, there was little consensus on whether replacing the zloty should happen soon.
In April 2010, two-in-five Poles (41%) said they supported the adoption of the euro as the national currency, while half (49%) voiced opposition. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had established 2015 as the target date for the euro to replace the zloty.
The reticence from Poles may come from two factors. A weaker zloty allowed Poland to avoid recession, and made it the only member of the European Union (EU) whose economy expanded in 2009. Now, with the Greek crisis fresh in the minds of respondents, the idea of the country joining the eurozone is not palatable.
Poland’s main politicians seem concerned about the effect the single currency may have on the country. While the anti-euro stance of former prime minister and Law and Justice Party (PiS) presidential candidate Jaroslaw Kaczynski is well documented, the frontrunner in the race—Civic Platform (PO) contender Bronislaw Komorowski—intends to postpone the country’s adoption of the euro until the "European economy expands faster than Poland."
The presidential election in Poland is scheduled for Jun. 20. Komorowski may have enough support to secure a first round victory.
The euro has been used in 12 EU countries since January 2002. At the time, Britain, Denmark and Sweden were the only EU members that did not adopt the currency. Slovenia began using the euro in 2007, Cyprus and Malta in 2008, and Slovakia in 2009.
A survey in Britain found that only nine per cent of respondents would vote in favour of the adoption of the euro.
