Jan Svejnar says Czechs should adopt the euro as soon as possible

Presidential candidate Jan Svejnar has said the Czech Republic should adopt the euro as soon as possible, citing 2012 as a realistic target date. The 55 year old economist who is President Klaus’ sole rival for the post of president, indicated that the centre-right government was overly cautious in its euro-prognosis, and that the Czech Republic would have more to lose by staying outside of the single currency market. The Czech Republic has revised its projected entry date more than once due to a steep public finance deficit. Prime Minister Topolanek has now refused to commit to any specific target date, saying the country must first undergo health and pension reforms.