Harmony Center concerned about ‘one-sided’ discussions on introduction of euro

  • 2012-12-05

A meeting with representatives of the Harmony Center alliance of parties. Photo courtesy of President’s Office.

RIGA - Today, Harmony Center's MPs met with President Andris Berzins to express their concerns about ‘one-sided and superficial’ discussions about the introduction of euro in 2014.

"There has never been a serious analysis of whether and when Latvia should join the eurozone," MP Ivars Zarins (Harmony Center) told reporters after the meeting.

The sides also discussed related matters, for example - the role of the Bank of Latvia after the adoption of the euro. Zarins also warned that the eurozone's regulations could hamper Latvia's economic breakthrough. "If we rush to join the eurozone, without reaching these countries' level, we may never ever reach it," added Zarins.

MP Janis Tutins (Harmony Center) explained that Harmony Center currently considers all pros and cons of the country's accession to the eurozone. "It seems that January 1, 2014 may not be the best time to introduce the euro in Latvia", said the politician.

The necessity of returning the recently approved Law on Value Added Tax for repeat review in the parliament was also discussed.

As reported, today, Harmony Center's Saeima Group could decide whether to support staging a referendum on the introduction of the euro in 2014, LETA was informed by the group's deputy chairman Valerijs Agesins.

Harmony Center has doubts about the timing for Latvia's move and does not want Latvia to pay for the "joys and pleasures" of Southern European nations. The party believes that it is wrong to urge Latvian residents to pay millions of lats for the country's transition to the euro and into the eurozone's stabilization fund.

LETA also reported, yesterday, the Saeima Budget and Finance Committee approved the euro implementation bill in principle; the parliament is to vote on the bill in the final reading on January 31, as the committee's chairman Janis Reirs (Unity) told LETA.

Latvia is planning to adopt the euro on January 1, 2014.