Delaying the euro

Premier Jiří Paroubek declared yesterday that the CR shouldn't try to adopt the euro before 2010. MP Vlastimil Tlustý of ODS told HN that not even 2010 is realistic, because of the sharp rise in government debt. Since ČSSD took over in 1998, the spending side of the state budget has risen by 65%. One theory is that Miloš Zeman, as premier, intentionally ran up spending and the national debt as a way to delay adoption of the euro. Similar accusations have been leveled at Václav Klaus, who some say opposes the EU primarily because of the greater scrutiny it brings. Analyst Petr Robejšek told Czech Radio that the CR might never adopt the euro, because it might not exist when the CR gets around to joining it. This might suit the next Czech president (and his hand-picked Czech National Bank governor) just fine, regardless of whether the president is Klaus or Zeman.