Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska, deputy Minister of Finance, believes that Poland could adopt euro in 2012.
“The deadline is the earliest possible one. We still have some homework to do, however”, Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska said.
In her opinion, the public finance deficit will fall to 3.4 percent this year, to 3.1 percent of the GDP in the upcoming years and below 3 percent in 2009. Poland could start ERM II negotiations in 2010. The country must stay in the system for 2 years.
Economists are skeptical.
“I’m surprised to hear there are plans to start talks on euro now, when we don’t know who will be in the government. It’s rather making good climate and not credible promises”, Ryszard Petru, Bank BPH chief economist said.
“It’s hard to predict what the new government will do, whoever builds it. Moreover, the potential adoption of euro will be accompanied by budget problems and possible inflation due to EURO2012”, Jacek Wisniewski, Raiffeisen Bank chief economist added.
But he admits that it’s possible that Poland adopts the euro in five years.