Different Voices

Date: 27/01/2000

• “What interests us is what is the normal evolution of the euro compared with the dollar- a little bit higher, a little bit lower, is not important for us.” Economics Commissioner Pedro Solbes insisting that whether the euro traded near parity with the US dollar was not a key issue.
• “We can assume that as we near the introduction of notes and coins, the anti-Europe side will predict chaos and disaster. We can assume that because of that opposition, some of which will be aggressive, emotional and ugly, the people of Britain will remain unsure about the euro.” British Foreign Office Minister Keith Vaz predicting a fierce battle ahead over whether the UK should join the single currency.