Dominique Strauss Kahn is straightforward in recommending Romania to delay its intention to join the euro zone. "If you adopted the euro one or even two years later, it would be for the better. The objective reality is to have good economic figures to respect the requirements of joining the euro zone and then to realise that what has been done has been done in haste", IMF chief toldIncont.ro. The economists interviewed by HotNews.ro on the issue agree: instead of joining the euro zone like the Greeks did, it's better to solve the economy's problems first and only later to think about it.
"It is not me who needs to decide. The Government needs to do it, but adopting the euro is not an independent target, it is a target because Romania chose to have a convergence programme for the euro zone. And adopting the euro should not be just for one year, but sustainable", Dominique Strauss Kahn explained.
Macroanalitica Managing partner macro-economist Laurian Lungu told HotNews.ro that the risks of a premature adoption of the euro risks a Greek crisis.
"A forced shift to euro - with an economy which is not ready from a structural point of view - inevitably creates the premises of a crisis similar to the Greek, Portuguese or Spanish crisis. Judging by the way the economic conjuncture looks like, I'd say that Romania needs at least three to four years to have a macroeconomic stability, necessary for adopting the euro."
"Even if 2014 needs to remain the target for joining the euro zone, the adoption of the euro needs to happen only when the economic performance is sustainable. From this perspective, a delay of one or two years would be totally justified", Laurian Lungu believes.
Applied Economics Group economist Liviu Voinea told HotNews.ro that "we can still catch 2015, but I, too, believe, and I have repeatedly said this, the
