“Croatia has worked hard to become the 20th member of the eurozone, and they have succeeded,” Lagarde said this morning. “It shows that the euro is a very attractive currency, providing stability among its members.”
With entry into the Eurozone, the Supervisory Board of the ECB also expands by one seat: starting today, the governor of the Croatian central bank, Boris Vujcic, will also sit at that table.
Less fortunate
Two other Balkan countries that want to try their luck in the Eurozone have so far been unsuccessful. For example, the political situation in Romania plays an important role and Bulgaria is not entrusted with having a stable economy with a corresponding banking system in 2024.
If countries want to join the EU, one of the conditions is that the joining member eventually adopts the euro as its national currency. However, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Sweden don’t seem to care much. Even Denmark, which has already signed a clause for the full introduction of the euro, does not seem to want to bow.