Naming the Euro

[Gerald Cohen]

It wasn't a foregone conclusion that the term "euro" would be chosen
to designate the new European currency, and the German news magazine
_Spiegel_, Dec. 29, 2001 tells how the selection was made. Here first
is the German text, followed by an English translation.

p.29, col. 3: 'Auch Theo Waigel, der Mann, der dem Euro später seinen
Namen gab...'

  p.31 cols.1-2: 'Hart bis aufs Messer waren zudem die Verhandlungen,
die der Finanzminister in Europa durchstehen musste.  Selbst das
Gezerre um den Namen der Währung auf dem Gipfel 1995 in Madrid ging
bis tief in die Nacht.  Thaler, Franken, Mark -- alles schien
denkbar.  Bloß nicht Ecu, das hörte sich für Waigel zu technisch.

    Am Ende warf er den Vorschlag Euro in die Runde.  Klingt nicht
sonderlich erotisch, entgegnete Luxemburgs Premier Jean-Claude
Juncker. "Nein, aber es klingt eurotisch [euro- here is italicized]"
konterte Waigel. Der Euro hatte seine[n] Namen.'

***

translation: (p.29) 'Even Theo Waigel, the man who later gave the
euro its name.'

p.31: 'In addition, the negotiations which the [German] finance
minister had to endure in Europe [i.e., as well as in Germany] were
extremely tough. Even the  arguing [literally: tugging] about the
name of the currency at the 1995 summit talks went deep into the
night. Thaler, frank, mark -- all were possible. Only not ecu, that
sounded too technical for Waigel.

    Finally he tossed in the suggestion euro. Doesn't sound especially
sexy ["erotic"] replied Luxemburg's premier Jean-Claude Juncker.
"No, but it sounds 'EUROtic'", countered Waigel.  The euro had its
name.'

--Gerald Cohen