Poles fear single currency would damage economy
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
28.10.2011 08:03
Following EU leaders agreeing new measures to fight the debt crisis this week, a new poll finds that opinion continues to turn against adopting the single European currency in Poland.
Fifty three percent of respondents told the OBOP pollsters that accession to the Eurozone will be unfavourable for Poland.
Sixty five percent think that adopting the euro will have a negative impact on their household and 49 percent said they thought the single currency would have a negative effect on the Polish economy.
Only 22 percent thought the euro would be positive for the economy, 11 percent that it would have no effect and 18 percent answered “don't know”.
When the ruling Civic Platform party first came to power in 2007 the government said that they aimed to join the Eurozone by 2012, but the finance crisis and debt levels forced Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski to delay the plans.
Sentiment in Poland has gradually turned against adopting the single currency. A poll in 2010 by CBOS found in April 2010 said they were in favour of ditching the zloty: in March 2011 only 32 percent they were in favour of adopting the euro with 60 percent against.
President Bronislaw Komorowski said this week that Poland still aimed to take up the European single currency in the future, but that “nobody in their right mind” would do so today. (pg)