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The Bundestag gave the green light to the German government to vote in favor of Croatia’s membership in the Eurozone.
Lawmakers approved the relevant resolution on Wednesday, 6.7. in the evening, with the votes of the three coalition parties (social democrats, ecologists and liberals) as well as the largest parliamentary group, the Christian Social and Christian Democratic Union, CDU/CSU and the leftists, Die Linke. Only the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came out against. Croatia is expected to join the Eurozone on January 1, 2023.
Let’s work together for visa liberalization for Kosovo
The Social Democratic MP, Josip Juratovic, said that Croatia’s membership in the Eurozone serves as a signal not only for Croatia’s neighboring countries in the Western Balkans. “It also serves as a strong political signal for the stability and attractiveness of a common currency”.
Anton Hofreiter, from the Greens, also pointed out the geostrategic importance of this decision. “The Western Balkan region is a region where authoritarian countries and dictatorships, such as Russia and China, try to have influence. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest to take steps forward in the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU”, said the environmentalist deputy, who is also the chairman of the Bundestag Committee on European Union issues.
He called on Croatia to work in this direction and criticized the nationalist tones and the intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina. “We must commit together for the region. Let’s start membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia, commit to the liberalization of visas for Kosovo and use clearer language towards Serbia”, said Hofreiter.
Even Andreas Scheuer of the Christian Social Union said that Croatia’s model is a signal for those countries that want to become members of the European Union: “Take Croatia as an example! Whoever fulfills the rules, who carries out the duties and reforms, will not only become part of the European family, but of the entire Euro area. These are simply the rules”.
Criticism of the Eurozone
The Christian Democratic and Christian Social Union, although in opposition, was one of the co-authors of the resolution supporting Croatia’s membership in the Eurozone. The Left parliamentary group also approved the resolution, but did not spare criticism for the monetary policies of the European Central Bank. Gökay Akbulut said that by joining the eurozone, Croatia prefers to have a roof over its head in a building at risk of decay. It’s better than being caught out by the snow of the international capital market.”
The Alternative for Germany, AfD, was the only party that opposed the resolution. The party is the most right-wing in the six-party spectrum of the German parliament, and as such is skeptical of the euro. Norbert Kleinwächter, deputy from this party, said that the monetary union has ruined the well-being of Germans. “And you continue to spoil it, bringing Croatia into the Eurozone as well. Croatia is the new Greece, not because it manipulates the statistics, but because it is the EU Commission that embellishes these statistics itself in the convergence report.”
On January 1, 2023 in the eurozone
Croatia is the newest member of the European Union, since July 1, 2013. At the most recent EU summit, European heads of state and government supported the EU Commission’s proposal to bring Croatia into the eurozone, starting January 1. 2023. Croatia has been trying for years to replace the national currency, the Kuna, and become the 20th member of the eurozone. The last to announce the euro currency as the official currency, on January 1, 2015, was Lithuania.
On Monday, the European Parliament also approved a resolution for Croatia’s membership in the Eurozone, from January 1, 2023. According to the EU Commission, Croatia has approved all the necessary criteria. Among them is the public debt, which should be below 3 percent and a high convergence of prices with the EU, as well as stability of the local currency./ DW
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