Fico Warns Euro Would Be Dangerous for Most Slovaks, Claims Currency Protects Against Expensive Loans

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that the euro currency would be dangerous for the majority of Slovaks, while simultaneously arguing that it protects the country from expensive borrowing. Fico made these seemingly contradictory statements as he discussed Slovakia's eurozone membership. The euro adoption represents the last visible benefit of economic reforms implemented by former Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda's government in the early 2000s. Dzurinda, who led center-right coalitions from 1998-2006, oversaw major economic liberalization policies that helped Slovakia qualify for EU and NATO membership, with euro adoption in 2009 being among the lasting achievements of that reform period.