Better soon than never

The economic advantages of entering the euro zone have long been known, but a Demoseuropa - Centre for European Strategy report claims that Poland should adopt the euro for political reasons. The center predicts that the euro zone will become "a union within the Union" and could dictate policy to others with regard to tax levels or interest rates. As the report states, it is a question of being "a policymaker or staying outside as a policy-taker."

Economic reasons cannot be overlooked. "Adopting the single currency will eliminate the exchange-rate risk. Business will be more predictable," said the president of Demoseuropa, Paweł Świeboda. He added that those who take loans in foreign currencies would benefit from euro adoption, as today they pay a different amount every month. Farmers and others getting EU funds should also support euro adoption. As the report states, due to exchange-rate fluctuations, Polish farmers didn't feel the growth in direct payments in 2005 over 2004.

The government's reluctance to adopt the euro doesn't surprise Świeboda. "It results from their attitude towards the EU and the outside world in general," he claims.

Member of the European Parliament Dariusz Rosati thinks that Poland should hurry to enter the euro zone. "The more stable our economy is, the fewer the benefits of adopting the euro," he claims, adding that the advantages are most strongly felt at earlier stages of economic development.