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How the euro was announced in the (first) twelve EU countries

A collection of the TV ads that each participating country launched to welcome the € as their currency.

By the end of February 2002 the period of dual circulation – when both national currencies and the euro were living in harmony – came to an end.

Currencies replaced by the € in 2002: Austrian schilling, Belgian franc, Dutch guilder, Finnish markka, French franc, German mark, Irish pound, Italian lira, Luxembourg franc, Portuguese escudo, Spanish peseta, and Greek drachma.

Do you still remember the exchange rate?

The euro was now the sole currency within the twelve participating countries. Finally the dream of any EU supporters was fulfilled… but not only! That day marks the beginning of the 2000s euro-cringe videos, a glorious decade in the history of European communication. Enjoy the compilation (with a young Marion Cotillard at 1:52).

Excerpt of The Euro Takes Wings

The euro-cringe movement quickly expanded to every corner of the EU; it was unstoppable. By 2009, the Institutions released the euro dancing video series: the first was a euro-coin limbo dancing on inflation, the second featured drums and dollars.

The dream was completed, our hearts full.

The € limbo with inflation!

Keep on € in the free world!

Bonus track, in case the euro-cringe let you down: Jean-Claude Juncker fake-stabbing Joaquín Almunia, who defends himself with a giant euro coin; all this under the eyes of Didier Reynders.

In the same period, governments and private companies started producing € to national currency calculator, here a few of our favorites:

Mercedes is ready to convert to any currency, except… 🇬🇷 (1€ = 1.95583 Marks)
Berlusconi’s government spent about 20 billion Lira (10 million €) for this practical converters. The exchange rate was 1€ = 1936.27 Liras
€ to £, the exchange rate needs some adjustment after Brexit

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