TALLINN - Less than 40 percent of Estonian residents are in favor of introducing the euro, while more than half are against it, a survey conducted in February indicates.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents, conducted by the TNS Emor pollster and commissioned by the State Chancellery, were in favor of the euro, while those against comprised 51 percent.
Support for the euro has fluctuated considerably in recent months, with 45 percent of residents for and 48 percent against the common currency in a similar survey in January.
Last November, the respective ratios were 41 percent and 54 percent.
The survey reveals that people are well informed about the procedure of the planned switch to the common currency. Just 8 percent chose the assumption that people would be entitled to exchange only a limited amount of kroons for euros when the switch takes place, while 82 percent named the correct option.
The government had planned to adopt the euro by 2007, though this now seems unlikely since Estonia's inflation rate is too high.
