Bon anniversaire! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!
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It’s been 20 years. In many ways, it feels like it was yesterday. I also remember the excitement of the first introduction to the euro – banknotes, coins.
The euro is our money, our European currency, and it is a concrete symbol of the success that our citizens in the 19 Member States out of 27, every day, are carrying in their pockets by almost 350 million people.
It has been quite a long way – the euro has come a long time. This is a real achievement for Europe. I would even say that the euro has become part of who we are and how we perceive ourselves as European citizens. That’s part of our way of thinking. It is part of our European soul. The euro belongs to us all, to all the people of Europe.
But this is not just a success within our EU. It has also strengthened itself in the international arena. Despite the crises, the euro has proved resilient, a symbol of European unity and stability, and even more so during the Covid-19 pandemic. The euro has been a cornerstone of stability. A stable value for the Union. The euro also contributes to our recovery by fully unlocking the potential for sustainable development, quality jobs and innovation.
A reliable, dynamic and stable currency: an attractive euro will strengthen our strategic autonomy and help us achieve our bold goals. A strong international euro gives us more freedom to make geopolitical decisions, as well as wider access to international financial markets.
Strengthening economic and monetary union will make the euro an even more attractive international currency. The euro is also crucial to driving our green and digital transformation. The euro is one of the main currencies used to invest in climate-friendly projects: around half of the world’s green bonds are now issued in euros.
Our joint efforts are helping to fund the substantial investment needed to modernize our economy in the 21st century. The euro is also very important for our digital transformation. The digital euro could stimulate more opportunities for research and innovation. One thing is clear: a major investment is needed for our green and digital transformation to succeed. That is why it is so important to complete the banking union and the capital markets union.
The euro is our common European destiny in monetary terms. Today, we have a clear direction: to protect our planet and build prosperity through our digital and climate innovation. We have the talent, skills and enthusiasm to make it happen. That is why we need the resources and the determination to stick to these goals and make them a reality.
If we want to promote our European values, if we want to take the lead on the big issues of the 21st century, then we need a global currency that meets our global goals. Let us make this anniversary a day that reaffirms our commitment in Europe to take collective action to strengthen our economic and monetary union and move forward with confidence.
Bon anniversaire! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!
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