agoreira

These three Spanish experts think the complete opposite, that at best adopting the peseta would take Spain back to the 50's. The article reckons Spain has only itself to blame, it needs to stop thinking it is being victimised, stop feeling sorry for itself, stop blaming everyone else for it's problems.(it has received more money than anyone from the EU) Interestingly, the article says they should forget about "populismo", about Gibraltar, more Spanish move to London every year than the entire population of Gib. I suspect if the article had been written in English and published in the Mail or Telegraph it would be rubbished by the usual crowd as having a down on Spain.
http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/05/31/...92_453958.html

steviedeluxe

So having an independent currency takes a country back to the 50s?
That must be happening to Norway and the UK then?

I'm sure all those out-of-work construction workers will be only too happy to listen to the University professors in cushy numbers too.

There are plenty of arguments for the Euro, and you could (possibly) say that the discipline involved has helped competitiveness - Spain has had excellent export figures in the last few years. But having an independent currency takes you back to the 50s? What sort of rubbish is that?

jackytoo

There are more implications than just returning to their own currency as if they do Spain will be in default. They won't be able to borrow money which means petrol shortages etc. Greece is already feeling the pinch of this as I read an article which says they are finding it difficult to import raw materials as suppliers are wary.

I remember the peseta/euro change over. During a period of about a week(?) when you paid in pesetas change was given in euro so the peseta gradually disappeared.

steviedeluxe

Greece is still in the Euro! They seemed to be able to buy petrol and raw materials prior to the single currency. Although there will definitely be difficulties in the changeover, it seems to me more likely that countries are going back to the 50s under the Euro!

Beaverstate

If I lived in Greece, any spare money I had would live elsewhere.

HBG

I remember the change over from the Peseta to the Euro as a smooth one, you hardly noticed it, with one exception - all the prices went up, from coffee to houses.

jackytoo

True, they just added a decimal point eg. 150 pesetas became 1.50 euro

HBG

I remember a coffee and a brandy costing 100 Pesetas, you could get about 12 of those for an English fiver.

I remember sitting at an adjoining table to an elderly English couple who had just arrived for a holiday. Apart from their silly shorts, they looked, spoke and behaved just like respectable people do.

Until both of them had their fiver's worth. After trading blows, both collapsed on to the stone floor and spewed and spewed. It cleared a large space around them, until the Spanish landlord came out and hosed them and his terrace down.

Beaverstate

A real businessman. Did he call a cab or just pour them into their cars?

HBG

He was a caring Spaniard. With the help of some customers the couple were propped up against a wall, in the shade, but out of sight.

chrisjolly

Back to the 50's would be a good megamix by Jive Bunny..and one of the songs would be Viva Espana con la Peseta. I don't think that the countries in Europe who kept their own currency would say they were in the 50's and changing from the peseta to the euro certainly didnt bring our village into the 21st Century and thats why we love it.

Beaverstate

50's get you Franco too

steviedeluxe

Weren't the Brits told "we never had it so good" in the 50s?

At least people had jobs then

Beaverstate

Late 30's in Germany were pretty good.

rugbymatt

Not for some of us.