Greece this week launched a tough budget…

Date: 12/11/1998

...aimed at enabling it to qualify for economic and monetary union by 2001. The government is forecasting a budget deficit of 1.9&percent; of gross domestic product for next year and average inflation running at 2.4&percent;, both of which would be enough to earn Athens its ticket to the euro zone. “The 1999 budget is Greece's EMU entry budget,” said Finance Minister Yannos Papandoniou. “It is the last step towards Greece's participation in the common European currency.”