Bulgaria became the 21st member of the euro zone on Thursday, despite opposition from about half its electorate, leaving a small group of countries in the 27-member European Union yet to adopt the single currency.
While public support for the euro is relatively strong in some of the remaining states, eurosceptic parties in governing coalitions and parliaments are expected to slow any further expansion of the currency bloc in the near term.
HUNGARY
About 72% of Hungarians support adopting the euro, according to an October–November Eurobarometer survey for the European Commission, the highest level of backing among the remaining EU countries.
However, Hungary has the EU’s highest debt as a share of economic output outside the euro zone, and efforts to cut budget deficits since the COVID-19 pandemic have stalled amid heavy pre-election spending.
Even if Hungary meets the formal entry criteria, joining the euro zone would require a parliamentary supermajority. Orban, who opposes deeper EU integration, has enshrined the forint as the national currency in the constitution.
ROMANIA
Romania faces challenges in reducing the EU’s largest budget deficit, meaning it could take several years before it has a realistic chance of joining the euro zone.
Public support for the euro stands at 59%, according to Eurobarometer. But amid high inflation, fiscal tightening and the rise of far-right forces ahead of elections in 2028, the issue has largely faded from public debate.
POLAND
In Poland, where public support for the euro is at 45%, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski has said the government is not working toward adoption, adding that the EU’s largest economy outside the euro zone is “happy to have our own currency”.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the main opposition Law and Justice party, has said anyone seeking to introduce the euro is “a mortal enemy of Poland”.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Public support for the euro in the Czech Republic is at 30%, the survey showed, and the government has no plans to take steps toward adoption.
With national debt levels well below most euro zone members, critics argue that entry could expose the country to financial risks tied to more heavily indebted states.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis, once supportive of the euro, has since shifted his party toward nationalist and eurosceptic positions and now proposes enshrining the Czech crown in the constitution.
SWEDEN
Only one small party openly supports euro adoption. The populist Sweden Democrats, the second-largest group in parliament whose backing is crucial for the right-wing minority government, oppose it.
Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but a 2003 referendum rejected the euro by 56% to 42%. Public support has since risen to 39%, down from opposition levels above 80% during the 2012–2013 euro zone debt crisis.
DENMARK
Denmark is the only EU member with a formal opt-out from adopting the euro, allowing it to remain outside the currency bloc even if it meets all entry criteria. Public support for euro adoption stands at 33%.