The Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, will travel to Stockholm next week to help convince Swedes to vote for the euro when
they go to the polls next week, the EUobserver has learnt.
Mr Papandreou will join the Swedish Prime Minister, Göran Persson, on Monday in
a rally to support Swedish entry to the euro, Mr Papandreou's spokesman told
this website.
The spokesman said that although the visit was a private one, it was also a "political gesture in support of Sweden joining the euro".
Mr Papandreou is especially well known in Sweden, as he used to appear regularly on a radio programme aired by Swedish radio.
Mr Papandreou accompanied his father, a former Greek prime minister, into political exile in Sweden following a coup in 1967. Speaking fluent Swedish, he later returned to the country in the 1970s as a sociology student at the University of Stockholm.
As Deputy Foreign Minister from 1993-94, he took part in negotiations on Sweden's EU membership as part of the Greek presidency of the EU.
Mixed response
Pro-euro campaigners welcomed the news of Mr Papandreou's visit. Erik Zsiga, a spokesman for Sverige i Europa (the main campaign group in favour of Sweden joining the single currency), said, "One of the best arguments for Sweden to join is that countries that already use the euro are satisfied with it".
Mr Zsiga added, "Foreign Minister Papandreou has witnessed the success of the euro in Greece. He can probably make many Swedes feel safer in voting yes to the euro".
Anti-euro campaigners, however, argued that the euro has been far from successful.
The Campaign Director of Social Democrats Against the Euro, Tony Johnasson, said, "Mr Papandreou is welcome to come to Sweden - he can explain to Swedes exactly what joining the euro means. When Greece joined the euro, prices went through the roof and there were even consumer boycotts of businesses".
"Independent of the eurozone, Sweden has a strong economy, we don't want the same economic problems that the eurozone has", Mr Johansson concluded.
The latest polls show that the no camp leading by five points, with the pro-euro campaign closing the gap significantly in recent days.
they go to the polls next week, the EUobserver has learnt.
Mr Papandreou will join the Swedish Prime Minister, Göran Persson, on Monday in
a rally to support Swedish entry to the euro, Mr Papandreou's spokesman told
this website.
The spokesman said that although the visit was a private one, it was also a "political gesture in support of Sweden joining the euro".
Mr Papandreou is especially well known in Sweden, as he used to appear regularly on a radio programme aired by Swedish radio.
Mr Papandreou accompanied his father, a former Greek prime minister, into political exile in Sweden following a coup in 1967. Speaking fluent Swedish, he later returned to the country in the 1970s as a sociology student at the University of Stockholm.
As Deputy Foreign Minister from 1993-94, he took part in negotiations on Sweden's EU membership as part of the Greek presidency of the EU.
Mixed response
Pro-euro campaigners welcomed the news of Mr Papandreou's visit. Erik Zsiga, a spokesman for Sverige i Europa (the main campaign group in favour of Sweden joining the single currency), said, "One of the best arguments for Sweden to join is that countries that already use the euro are satisfied with it".
Mr Zsiga added, "Foreign Minister Papandreou has witnessed the success of the euro in Greece. He can probably make many Swedes feel safer in voting yes to the euro".
Anti-euro campaigners, however, argued that the euro has been far from successful.
The Campaign Director of Social Democrats Against the Euro, Tony Johnasson, said, "Mr Papandreou is welcome to come to Sweden - he can explain to Swedes exactly what joining the euro means. When Greece joined the euro, prices went through the roof and there were even consumer boycotts of businesses".
"Independent of the eurozone, Sweden has a strong economy, we don't want the same economic problems that the eurozone has", Mr Johansson concluded.
The latest polls show that the no camp leading by five points, with the pro-euro campaign closing the gap significantly in recent days.
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