(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Croatia has switched to the Euro and entered Europe’s passport-free zone – two major milestones for the country after joining the European Union nearly a decade ago.
At midnight (23.00pm on Saturday Irish time) the Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and become the 20th member of the Eurozone.
It is the 27th nation in the passport-free Schengen zone, the world’s largest, which enables more than 400 million people to move freely around its members.
Experts say the adoption of the Euro will help shield Croatia’s economy at a time when inflation is soaring worldwide after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent food and fuel prices through the roof.
But feelings among Croatians are mixed.
While they welcome the end of border controls, some worry about the Euro switch, with right-wing opposition groups saying it only benefits large countries such as Germany and France.
“We will cry for our kuna, prices will soar,” said Drazen Golemac, a 63-year-old pensioner from Zagreb.
Many Croatians fear that the introduction of the Euro will lead to a hike in prices – in particular that businesses will round up price points when they convert.
