The Czech Republic is bound to adopt the euro in the future and to join the eurozone once it has satisfied the euro convergence criteria by the Treaty of Accession since it joined the European Union (EU) in 2004. The Czech Republic is therefore a candidate for the enlargement of the eurozone and it uses the Czech koruna as its currency, regulated by the Czech National Bank, a member of the European System of Central Banks, and does not participate in European Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II).
Although the Czech Republic is economically well positioned to adopt the euro, following the European debt crisis there has been considerable opposition among the public to the adoption of the euro currency. [1] There is no target date by the government for joining the ERM II or adopting the euro. [2] The cabinet that was formed following the 2017 legislative election did not plan to proceed with euro adoption within its term, [3] and this policy was continued by the succeeding cabinet formed after the 2021 election. [4] However, by the start of 2024, President Petr Pavel called on the government to take concrete steps in adopting the euro. [5]
The European Union membership referendum in 2003 approved the country's accession with 77.3% in favour, and in 2004 the Czech Republic joined the EU. [6]
Since joining the EU in May 2004, the Czech Republic has adopted fiscal and monetary policies that aim to align its macroeconomic conditions with the rest of the European Union. Initially, the Czech Republic planned to adopt the euro as its official currency in 2010, however evaluations in 2006 found this date to be unlikely and the target date was postponed indefinitely. [7] In February 2007, the Finance Minister said 2012 was a "realistic" date, [8] but by November 2007 this was said to be too soon. [9] In August 2008, an assessment said that adoption was not expected before 2015 due to political reluctance on the subject. [10] However, in October 2009, the then Finance Minister, Eduard Janota, stated that 2015 was no longer realistic. [11] In June 2008, the Central bank governor Zdeněk Tůma speculated about 2019. [12]
In late 2010 a discussion arose within the Czech government, partially initiated by then President Václav Klaus, a well known eurosceptic, over negotiating an opt-out from joining the eurozone. Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas later stated that no opt-out was required because the Czech Republic could not be forced to join the ERM II and thus could decide if or when to fulfil one of the necessary criteria to join the eurozone, an approach similar to the one taken by Sweden. Nečas also stated that his cabinet would not decide upon joining the euro during its term. [13] [14]
The European debt crisis further decreased the Czech Republic's interest in joining the eurozone. [15] Nečas said that since the conditions governing the eurozone had significantly changed since their accession treaty was ratified, he believed that Czechs should be able to decide by a referendum whether to join the eurozone under the new terms. [16] One of the government's junior coalition parties, TOP09, was opposed to a euro referendum. [17] [18]
In April 2013, the Czech Ministry of Finance stated in its Convergence Programme delivered to the European Commission that the country had not yet set a target date for euro adoption and would not apply for ERM II membership in 2013. Their goal was to limit their time as an ERM II member, prior to acceding to the eurozone, to as brief a period as possible. [19] On 29 May 2013 Miroslav Singer, the Governor of the Czech National Bank (the Czech Republic's central bank) stated that in his professional opinion the Czech Republic will not adopt the euro before 2019. [20] In December 2013, the Czech government approved a recommendation from the Czech National Bank and Ministry of Finance against setting a formal target date for euro adoption or joining ERM II in 2014. [21]
Miloš Zeman, who was elected President of the Czech Republic in early 2013, supports euro adoption by the Czech Republic, though he also advocates a referendum on the decision. [22] [23] Shortly after taking office in March 2013, Zeman suggested that the Czech Republic would not be ready for the switch for at least five years. [24] Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, from the Social Democrats, stated on 25 April 2013, prior to his party's election victory that October, that he was "convinced that the government that will be formed after next year's election should set the euro entry date" and that "1 January 2020 could be a date to look at". [25] [26] Shortly after being sworn into the new Cabinet in January 2014, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek stated that the country should join the eurozone as soon as possible. [27] The opposition TOP 09 had also run on a platform in the 2013 parliamentary election, that called for the Czech Republic to adopt the euro between 2018 and 2020. [28] In line with this, the governor of the Czech National Bank, having an advisory role towards the government about the timing of euro adoption, described 2019 as the earliest possible euro entry date. [29]
In April 2014, the Czech Ministry of Finance clarified in its Convergence Programme delivered to the European Commission, that the country had not yet set a target date for euro adoption and would not apply for ERM-II membership in 2014. Their goal was to limit their time as an ERM-II member, prior to acceding to the eurozone, to as brief a period as possible. Moreover, it was the opinion of the previous government that: "the fiscal problems of the eurozone, together with continued difficulty to predict the development of the monetary union, do not create a favorable environment for the future adoption of the euro." [30]
Zeman stated in June 2014 that he hoped his country would adopt the euro as soon as 2017, arguing that adoption would be beneficial for the Czech economy overall. [31] The opposition ODS party responded by running a campaign for Czechs to sign an anti-euro petition, handed over to the Czech Senate in November 2014, but viewed by political commentators as not having any impact on changing the government's policy to adopt the euro in the medium-term without holding a referendum on it. [32]
In December 2014, the Czech government approved a joint recommendation from the Czech National Bank and Ministry of Finance, against setting a formal target date for euro adoption or joining ERM-II during the course of 2015. [33] In March 2015, the ruling Czech Social Democratic Party adopted a policy of striving to gather political support to adopt the euro by 2020. [34] In April 2015, the coalition government announced it had agreed to not set a euro adoption target and not to enter ERM-2 until after the next legislative election scheduled for 2017, making it unlikely that the Czech Republic will adopt the euro before 2020. In addition, the coalition government agreed that if it wins re-election it would set a deadline of 2020 to agree on a specific euro adoption roadmap. [35] In June 2015, finance minister Andrej Babiš suggested a nonbinding public referendum on euro adoption. [36] The Andrej Babiš' Cabinet that was formed following the 2017 legislative election never planned to proceed with euro adoption within its term. [3]
Petr Fiala's cabinet that emerged from the 2021 legislative election, maintained the predecessor cabinets' intention not to adopt the euro within its term, calling the adoption "disadvantageous" for the Czech Republic. [4] The position not to set a target date for euro adoption and not to apply for ERM-II membership, was however only supported by one of the five ruling cabinet parties (ODS), while all the other four parties supported to start a euro adoption process. [37] Czech President Petr Pavel announced in his New Year's speech for 2024, that he supported the Czech Republic to take imminent concrete steps towards adopting the euro. [38]
In February 2024, the Czech government then appointed a commissioner for euro adoption, economist Petr Zahradnik, to oversee efforts to adopt the euro and communicate the beneficiary prospects to the Czech public. [39] Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) however immediately called a five-party coalition summit in response, as his party still disagreed with the idea to start preparing for ERM-II membership now, and hoped the government instead could negotiate and reach a new joint position on this issue - more closely aligned with the viewpoint of ODS. [40] The Czech minister for European affairs, Martin Dvořák, at the other side proposed a timeline of joining ERM-II before the general elections in late 2025 and adopting the euro on 1 January 2030. [41] The coalition summit resulted in a new common government policy on the issue, first cancelling the post of the recently appointed euro adoption commissioner, and then instead ordering an expert panel advice by October 2024 on the merits of joining ERM-II. The government will now await the report of the expert panel, before taking any further decisions about ERM-II membership or euro adoption. [42] In November 2024, Fiala announced that the decision on the eventual adoption of the euro would not be taken before the end of his government, hence postponing the decision after the next parliamentary election , in October 2025. [43]
Selected chain stores in the Czech Republic accept payments in euros, and return change in Czech koruna. [44]
Starting 1.1.2024, companies are legally allowed to keep their accounts and pay taxes using Euros if they choose to do so.
The following are polls on the question of whether the Czech Republic should abolish the koruna and adopt the euro.
Date (survey taken) | Date (when published) | Yes | No | Undecided | Conducted by |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2004 | October 2004 | 39% | 55% | 7% | Eurobarometer [45] |
September 2005 | November 2005 | 33% | 58% | 9% | Eurobarometer [46] |
December 2005 | January 2011 | 44% | 56% | 0% | STEM [47] |
April 2006 | June 2006 | 56% | 35% | 9% | Eurobarometer [48] |
June 2006 | January 2011 | 46% | 54% | 0% | STEM [47] |
September 2006 | November 2006 | 44% | 47% | 9% | Eurobarometer [49] |
November 2006 | January 2011 | 47% | 53% | 0% | STEM [47] |
March 2007 | May 2007 | 46% | 46% | 8% | Eurobarometer [50] |
September 2007 | November 2007 | 42% | 48% | 10% | Eurobarometer [51] |
May 2008 | July 2008 | 42% | 48% | 10% | Eurobarometer [52] |
May 2009 | December 2009 | 50% | 44% | 6% | Eurobarometer [53] |
September 2009 | November 2009 | 37% | 54% | 9% | Eurobarometer [54] |
May 2010 | July 2010 | 39% | 58% | 3% | Eurobarometer [55] |
September 2010 | January 2011 | 30% | 70% | 0% | STEM [47] |
September 2010 | December 2010 | 36% | 61% | 2% | Eurobarometer [56] |
January 2011 | 2011 | 22% | 78% | 0% | STEM [47] |
May 2011 | August 2011 | 26% | 69% | 5% | Eurobarometer [57] |
November 2011 | July 2012 | 13% | 82% | 5% | Eurobarometer [58] |
April 2012 | July 2012 | 13% | 81% | 6% | Eurobarometer [59] |
April 2013 | June 2013 | 14% | 80% | 6% | Eurobarometer [60] |
April 2014 | June 2014 | 16% | 77% | 7% | Eurobarometer [61] |
April 2015 | May 2015 | 24% | 69% | 7% | CVVM [62] |
April 2015 | May 2015 | 29% | 70% | 1% | Eurobarometer [63] |
April 2016 | May 2016 | 17% | 78% | 5% | CVVM [64] |
April 2016 | May 2016 | 29% | 70% | 1% | Eurobarometer [65] |
April 2017 | May 2017 | 21% | 72% | 7% | CVVM [66] |
April 2017 | May 2017 | 29% | 70% | 1% | Eurobarometer [67] |
April 2018 | May 2018 | 20% | 73% | 7% | CVVM [68] |
April 2018 | May 2018 | 33% | 66% | 1% | Eurobarometer [69] |
April 2019 | May 2019 | 20% | 75% | 5% | CVVM [70] |
April 2019 | June 2019 | 39% | 60% | 1% | Eurobarometer [71] |
June 2020 | July 2020 | 34% | 63% | 3% | Eurobarometer [72] |
May 2021 | July 2021 | 33% | 67% | 0% | Eurobarometer [73] |
April 2022 | June 2022 | 44% | 55% | 2% | Eurobarometer [74] |
April 2023 | June 2023 | 45% | 55% | 1% | Eurobarometer [75] |
May 2023 | July 2023 | 22% | 73% | 5% | CVVM [76] |
May 2024 | June 2024 | 49% | 50% | 1% | Eurobarometer [77] |
The 1992 Maastricht Treaty originally required that all members of the European Union join the euro once certain economic criteria are met. The Czech Republic meets two of the five conditions for joining the euro as of June 2022 [update] ; their inflation rate, not being a member of the European exchange rate mechanism, and the incompatibility of its domestic legislation are the conditions not met.
Assessment month | Country | HICP inflation rate [78] [nb 1] | Excessive deficit procedure [79] | Exchange rate | Long-term interest rate [80] [nb 2] | Compatibility of legislation | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Budget deficit to GDP [81] | Debt-to-GDP ratio [82] | ERM II member [83] | Change in rate [84] [85] [nb 3] | |||||
2012 ECB Report [nb 4] | Reference values | Max. 3.1% [nb 5] (as of 31 Mar 2012) | None open(as of 31 March 2012) | Min. 2 years (as of 31 Mar 2012) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2011) | Max. 5.80% [nb 7] (as of 31 Mar 2012) | Yes [86] [87] (as of 31 Mar 2012) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2011) [88] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2011) [88] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 2.7% | Open | No | 2.7% | 3.54% | No | ||
3.1% | 41.2% | |||||||
2013 ECB Report [nb 8] | Reference values | Max. 2.7% [nb 9] (as of 30 Apr 2013) | None open(as of 30 Apr 2013) | Min. 2 years (as of 30 Apr 2013) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2012) | Max. 5.5% [nb 9] (as of 30 Apr 2013) | Yes [89] [90] (as of 30 Apr 2013) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2012) [91] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2012) [91] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 2.8% | Open | No | -2.3% | 2.30% | Unknown | ||
4.4% | 45.8% | |||||||
2014 ECB Report [nb 10] | Reference values | Max. 1.7% [nb 11] (as of 30 Apr 2014) | None open(as of 30 Apr 2014) | Min. 2 years (as of 30 Apr 2014) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2013) | Max. 6.2% [nb 12] (as of 30 Apr 2014) | Yes [92] [93] (as of 30 Apr 2014) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2013) [94] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2013) [94] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 0.9% | Open(Closed in June 2014) | No | -3.3% | 2.21% | No | ||
1.5% | 46.0% | |||||||
2016 ECB Report [nb 13] | Reference values | Max. 0.7% [nb 14] (as of 30 Apr 2016) | None open(as of 18 May 2016) | Min. 2 years (as of 18 May 2016) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2015) | Max. 4.0% [nb 15] (as of 30 Apr 2016) | Yes [95] [96] (as of 18 May 2016) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2015) [97] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2015) [97] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 0.4% | None | No | 0.9% | 0.6% | No | ||
0.4% | 41.1% | |||||||
2018 ECB Report [nb 16] | Reference values | Max. 1.9% [nb 17] (as of 31 Mar 2018) | None open(as of 3 May 2018) | Min. 2 years (as of 3 May 2018) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2017) | Max. 3.2% [nb 18] (as of 31 Mar 2018) | Yes [98] [99] (as of 20 March 2018) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2017) [100] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2017) [100] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 2.2% | None | No | 2.6% | 1.3% | No | ||
-1.6% (surplus) | 34.6% | |||||||
2020 ECB Report [nb 19] | Reference values | Max. 1.8% [nb 20] (as of 31 Mar 2020) | None open(as of 7 May 2020) | Min. 2 years (as of 7 May 2020) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2019) | Max. 2.9% [nb 21] (as of 31 Mar 2020) | Yes [101] [102] (as of 24 March 2020) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2019) [103] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2019) [103] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 2.9% | None | No | -0.1% | 1.5% | No | ||
-0.3% (surplus) | 30.8% | |||||||
2022 ECB Report [nb 22] | Reference values | Max. 4.9% [nb 23] (as of April 2022) | None open(as of 25 May 2022) | Min. 2 years (as of 25 May 2022) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2021) | Max. 2.6% [nb 23] (as of April 2022) | Yes [104] [105] (as of 25 March 2022) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2021) [104] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2021) [104] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 6.2% | None | No | 3.1% | 2.5% | No | ||
5.9% (exempt) | 41.9% | |||||||
2024 ECB Report [nb 24] | Reference values | Max. 3.3% [nb 25] (as of May 2024) | None open(as of 19 June 2024) | Min. 2 years (as of 19 June 2024) | Max. ±15% [nb 6] (for 2023) | Max. 4.8% [nb 25] (as of May 2024) | Yes [106] [107] (as of 27 March 2024) | |
Max. 3.0% (Fiscal year 2023) [106] | Max. 60% (Fiscal year 2023) [106] | |||||||
Czech Republic | 6.3% | None | No | 2.3% | 4.2% | No | ||
3.7% (exempt) | 44.0% |
The euro is the official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the euro area or, more commonly, the eurozone. The euro is divided into 100 euro cents.
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros. The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse, which means that each coin has a variety of different designs in circulation at once. Four European microstates that are not members of the European Union use the euro as their currency and also have the right to mint coins with their own designs on the obverse side.
The euro area, commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 20 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (€) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU policies.
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) is a system introduced by the European Economic Community on 1 January 1999 alongside the introduction of a single currency, the euro as part of the European Monetary System (EMS), to reduce exchange rate variability and achieve monetary stability in Europe.
The euro convergence criteria are the criteria European Union member states are required to meet to enter the third stage of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and adopt the euro as their currency. The four main criteria, which actually comprise five criteria as the "fiscal criterion" consists of both a "debt criterion" and a "deficit criterion", are based on Article 140 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Lithuania, as an EU member state, joined the eurozone by adopting the euro on 1 January 2015. This made it the last of the three Baltic states to adopt the euro, after Estonia (2011) and Latvia (2014). Before then, its currency, the litas, was pegged to the euro at 3.4528 litas to 1 euro.
While the Hungarian government has been planning since 2003 to replace the Hungarian forint with the euro, the government has not set a target date and the forint is not part of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. In 2023, György Matolcsy, governor of the Hungarian National Bank and former Minister of the National Economy stated that adoption of the Euro by Hungary could take place "perhaps around 2030 or a bit later", calling it "club of the rich" and saying that at that time, in Hungary, "the economy is unprepared for it".
Latvia replaced its previous currency, the lats, with the euro on 1 January 2014, after a European Union (EU) assessment in June 2013 asserted that the country had met all convergence criteria necessary for euro adoption. The adoption process began 1 May 2004, when Latvia joined the European Union, entering the EU's Economic and Monetary Union. At the start of 2005, the lats was pegged to the euro at Ls 0.702804 = €1, and Latvia joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, four months later on 2 May 2005.
Poland does not use the euro as its currency. However, under the terms of their Treaty of Accession with the European Union, all new Member States "shall participate in the Economic and Monetary Union from the date of accession as a Member State with a derogation", which means that Poland is obliged to eventually replace its currency, the złoty, with the euro.
Bulgaria plans to adopt the euro and become the 21st member state of the eurozone. The Bulgarian lev has been on a currency board since 1997, with a fixed exchange rate initially against the Deutsche Mark and subsequently its replacement the euro. Bulgaria's target date for introduction of the euro was 1 January 2025. However, the 2024 ECB convergence report concluded that Bulgaria did not meet the convergence criteria due to high inflation, so this timeline has been delayed. The Bulgarian National Bank and several Bulgarian politicians have expressed their desire to join as soon as possible, and project that inflation will be low enough by the end of 2024. If Bulgaria adopts the euro, it will become the second national currency of the country after the lev, which was introduced over 140 years ago. The fixed exchange rate is 1.95583 lev for 1 euro.
Romania's national currency is the leu. After Romania joined the European Union (EU) in 2007, the country became required to replace the leu with the euro once it meets all four euro convergence criteria, as stated in article 140 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. As of 2023, the only currency on the market is the leu and the euro is not yet used in shops. The Romanian leu is not part of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, although Romanian authorities are working to prepare the changeover to the euro. To achieve the currency changeover, Romania must undergo at least two years of stability within the limits of the convergence criteria.
Sweden does not currently use the euro as its currency and has no plans to replace the existing Swedish krona in the near future. Sweden's Treaty of Accession of 1994 made it subject to the Treaty of Maastricht, which obliges states to join the eurozone once they meet the necessary conditions. Sweden maintains that joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II, participation in which for at least two years is a requirement for euro adoption, is voluntary, and has chosen to remain outside pending public approval by a referendum, thereby intentionally avoiding the fulfilment of the adoption requirements.
The euro came into existence on 1 January 1999, although it had been a goal of the European Union (EU) and its predecessors since the 1960s. After tough negotiations, the Maastricht Treaty entered into force in 1993 with the goal of creating an economic and monetary union (EMU) by 1999 for all EU states except the UK and Denmark.
The United Kingdom did not seek to adopt the euro as its official currency for the duration of its membership of the European Union (EU), and secured an opt-out at the euro's creation via the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, wherein the Bank of England would only be a member of the European System of Central Banks.
Denmark uses the krone as its currency and does not use the euro, having negotiated the right to opt out from participation under the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. In 2000, the government held a referendum on introducing the euro, which was defeated with 53.2% voting no and 46.8% voting yes. The Danish krone is part of the ERM II mechanism, so its exchange rate is tied to within 2.25% of the euro.
Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, which is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor the Eurozone; it does not have a formal monetary agreement with the EU either. However, it is one of the two territories that has unilaterally adopted the euro in 2002 as its de facto domestic currency and legal tender.
The enlargement of the eurozone is an ongoing process within the European Union (EU). All member states of the European Union, except Denmark which negotiated an opt-out from the provisions, are obliged to adopt the euro as their sole currency once they meet the criteria, which include: complying with the debt and deficit criteria outlined by the Stability and Growth Pact, keeping inflation and long-term governmental interest rates below certain reference values, stabilising their currency's exchange rate versus the euro by participating in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, and ensuring that their national laws comply with the ECB statute, ESCB statute and articles 130+131 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The obligation for EU member states to adopt the euro was first outlined by article 109.1j of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which became binding on all new member states by the terms of their treaties of accession.
The international status and usage of the euro has grown since its launch in 1999. When the euro formally replaced 12 currencies on 1 January 2002, it inherited their use in territories such as Montenegro and replaced minor currencies tied to pre-euro currencies, such as in Monaco. Four small states have been given a formal right to use the euro, and to mint their own coins, but all other usage outside the eurozone has been unofficial. With or without an agreement, these countries, unlike those in the eurozone, do not participate in the European Central Bank or the Eurogroup.
Croatia adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2023, becoming the 20th member state of the eurozone. A fixed conversion rate was set at 1 € = 7.5345 kn.
"The conditions under which the Czech citizens decided in a referendum in 2003 on the country's accession to the EU and on its commitment to adopt the single currency, euro, have changed. That is why the ODS will demand that a possible accession to the single currency and the entry into the European stabilisation mechanism be decided on by Czech citizens," the ODS resolution says.