ECB President
Lagarde wants famous people from Europe on euro bills
ECB President Christine Lagarde has suggested that new generations of euro banknotes should feature famous European figures. Photo: Thomas Lohnes/AFP Pool/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Europeans want to give their common currency a new look. But which motifs should the bills show? A first push comes from the highest level.
According to ECB President Christine Lagarde, a future generation of euro banknotes should feature famous Europeans.
“Personally, I can very well imagine showing the faces of famous Europeans on the banknotes: Leonardo da Vinci, Ludwig van Beethoven or James Joyce,” said the Frenchwoman in an interview with the editorial network Germany.
The European Central Bank (ECB) initiated a process to redesign the banknotes in December. The public should have a say in this. In 2024, the Governing Council wants to decide on the production of new banknotes and when they could be put into circulation.
Unlike previous national currencies, the motifs on the euro notes are comparatively sober: buildings that don’t actually exist. “I myself like to remember the five-franc note with Victor Hugo that existed in France 50 years ago,” said Lagarde in the interview. “But there are certainly other ways of showing European identity, such as a famous picture or a monument.”
Lagarde rejects the fact that the individual euro countries design the motifs on the notes and coins differently: “The redesign of the banknotes is a good opportunity to show unity,” said Europe’s top monetary guardian. “It would be a mistake if we started making distinctions by country again now. We should find out what unites and connects us – not what divides us.”
Lagarde rejected the abolition of notes and coins: “People are used to cash and don’t want to give it up. I therefore consider the discussion about abolishing cash to be superfluous.” The ECB’s work on a digital version of the European common currency did not change that. “In any case, the ECB will continue to be the guardian of the euro, whether in analogue or digital form,” affirmed Lagarde. “And we are still responsible for the cash supply. Because even if we have a wonderful digital euro, there will still be banknotes and coins.”