Swedes want to join euro
A majority of Swedish voters would vote to adopt the euro for the first time since a referendum turned down such a move six years ago, a poll by the national statistics office showed.
Of those polled, 43.8pc would vote in favor, according to the poll published by Statistics Sweden on its Web site. That compares with 42.1pc in the same poll in May. Forty-two pc want to keep the krona, compared with 42.9pc in the earlier poll and 14.2pc were undecided. Statistics Sweden surveyed 6,398 people between October 28 and November 25. The margin of error was 1.2 points.
Those opposing the euro have consistently outnumbered those in favor in the bi-annual poll even as the gap has narrowed in tandem with a weakening of the krona since the outbreak of the global financial crisis. In May 2008, 51.7pc were against joining and 34.6pc in favor.
The krona has lost 12pc against the euro since March after risk-averse investors turned to bigger markets with greater liquidity. The economy will shrink 4.9pc this year, the most since World War II, as recessions in the U.S. and Europe sap demand for exports, the government predicts.
Sweden turned down the euro in a September 2003 referendum, with 54.6pc voting against and 43.2pc in favor. The country should not hold another vote on the euro until at least 2014, Mona Sahlin, who polls show will become Sweden’s next prime minister as leader of largest opposition party, said last month. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has said that he won’t call for a new vote until the Sahlin’s party, the Social Democrats, support such a move.
- Johan Carlstrom
© Bloomberg
