Since Sunday 1 January 2023, the euro has been the currency in circulation in Croatia, which thus becomes the twentieth country in the euro area (see EUROPE 12991/1).
“I know by my own personal experience that Croatians will always remember the first time they paid with euros” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was pleased to say at the joint press conference with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Pirc Musa on Sunday (see also other article).
“You are joining a community of 347 million Europeans who use the euro in their everyday lives”, she highlighted, saying “the euro makes us stronger at home”.
The euro replaces the Croatian kuna, with the conversion rate set at 7.53450 kuna for one euro. The two currencies will be used in parallel for a period of two weeks. Upon receipt of a payment in kuna, the change will be given in euro to allow for a gradual withdrawal of the kuna from circulation.
Dual display of prices in kuna and euro became compulsory on Monday 5 September 2022 and will apply until Sunday 31 December 2023.
“It is a token of unity, beyond borders and beyond languages” concluded Ms von der Leyen. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)