Euro marks 20 years

PARIS, Jan 1, ( AFP) - The euro on Saturday marked 20 years since people began to use the single European currency, overcoming initial doubts, price concerns and a debt crisis to spread across the region.

Euro banknotes and coins came into circulation in 12 countries on January 1, 2002, greeted by a mix of enthusiasm and scepticism from citizens who had to trade in their Deutsche marks, French francs, pesetas and liras.

The euro is now used by 340 million people in 19 nations, from Ireland to Germany to Slovakia. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are next in line to join the eurozone in the next few years -- though people are divided over the benefits of abandoning their national currencies.

The idea of creating the euro first emerged in the 1970s as a way to deepen European integration, make trade more simple between member nations and give the continent a currency to compete with the mighty dollar.

Officials credit the euro for helping Europe avoid an economic catastrophe during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Clearly, Europe and the euro have become inseparable,” European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde wrote in a blog post. “And for young Europeans, who have only ever known the single currency, it must be almost impossible to imagine Europe without it,” she wrote.

The red, blue and orange banknotes were designed to look the same everywhere, with illustrations of generic Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance architecture to ensure no country was represented over the others. “After 20 years, it's time to review the look of our banknotes to make them more relatable to Europeans of all ages and backgrounds,” Lagarde said.