The President of the ECB signs a 20 euro note.
(Photo: Bloomberg)
Frankfurt The European Central Bank (ECB) has selected seven possible themes for the new euro notes. The central bank announced this on Monday. The list therefore includes birds, hands and rivers, but also broader keywords such as European culture, European values, “Our Europe” or “The future belongs to you”. With a survey, the central bank now wants to involve people in Europe in the design of the new notes.
It offers a questionnaire on its website until the end of August and has also commissioned a survey institute to conduct a survey. “Our single currency and our common European identity are closely linked,” said ECB President Christine Lagarde. This should be the guiding principle of the new series of banknotes.
“We want people in Europe to be able to identify with the design of the euro banknotes.” That is why the citizens would be involved in choosing the new theme.
In the past, Lagarde had already criticized the fact that the euro banknotes have so far featured buildings that do not actually exist. As a result, the personal connection is not immediately clear for many.
“20 years after the introduction of the euro, it is time to ask ourselves if there is something that Europeans can identify with even more. Something that we all perceive as typically European and that connects us,” said Lagarde in an interview with the editorial network Germany in 2022. At the time, she brought up famous Europeans such as Leonardo da Vinci, Ludwig van Beethoven and James Joyce as possible motifs on the banknotes.
The seven themes that have now been selected are based on different stories and ideas. The ECB Governing Council intends to select a topic from the 2024 proposals. The central bank then develops the motifs for the new euro notes.
Birds as a symbol of unrestricted mobility
The justification for the proposals states that birds are a symbol of unrestricted mobility. They reminded that humans share the continent with all life forms. Hands told about work, age and history. Rivers cross borders in Europe and connect people and nature. European culture, in turn, strengthens the continent’s identity and brings its people together.
The ECB cites freedom, equality, the rule of law and human rights as examples of European values. According to the ECB, the topic “the future belongs to you” stands for the “unlimited potential of Europeans”. The motto “Our Europe, ourselves” is about, among other things, the freedom, values and openness of the people in Europe.
In December 2021, the ECB initiated a process to redesign the notes. The central banks develop new banknotes on a regular basis to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to do their job. The ECB also wants to reduce the environmental impact. For example, the bills should have a longer lifespan.
However, it will still be a few years before people will hold the new notes in their hands. After the Governing Council has selected the theme, there is a design competition. Citizens should then be asked again for their opinion. The central bank is expected to make a decision on the future design and timing of the production and issue of the new banknotes in 2026.
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