Poland's finance minister says 3.5% growth proves the country doesn't need the euro
Poland’s top finance official says the country’s better economic performance compared to euro nations supports keeping its own currency, according to an interview published in the Financial Times.
Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski pointed to Poland’s stronger growth numbers as reason to avoid joining the eurozone. “Our economy is now doing clearly better than most of those that have the euro,” Domanski said. “We have more and more data, research and arguments to keep the Polish zloty.”
The European Commission expects Poland’s economy to grow 3.5% this year. That’s much better than the 1.2% expansion forecast for eurozone countries. The single currency bloc posted just 0.2% quarter-on-quarter growth in the third quarter of 2025. Economic forecasts put eurozone growth between 0.9% and 1.3% for 2025.
The weak performance pushed the European Central Bank to cut interest rates by 200 basis points to 2% by June 2025.
Central Europe kept distance from euro
Poland isn’t alone in staying outside the eurozone. The Czech Republic and Hungary also show little interest in adopting the euro despite two decades in the European Union. The Czech government decided not to set an euro adoption date in 2025, marking the twenty-first time officials have delayed the decision.
Public opposition runs high across the region. Some 72% of Czechs are against adopting the euro, according to the last year’s polling . Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the EU is “disintegrating” and Hungary should reject the euro. He previously stated Hungary won’t adopt the currency until its economy reaches 85% of Germany’s GDP per capita.
The reluctance reflects concerns about losing monetary independence and control over national currencies. These three countries, along with Denmark and Sweden, will remain the EU’s only members outside the eurozone once Bulgaria and Romania join the currency bloc.
Political barriers remain high
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government took office in late 2023 and is considered pro-European. But it hasn’t made joining the euro a priority. The move would face major problems. It needs changes to Poland’s Constitution and support from nationalist opposition politicians who don’t want to give up the zloty.
Domanski said his thinking changed on the issue. “Two years ago I was a bit worried that Poland could be left behind in a two-tier EU and outside the eurozone, but today Poland is clearly in the top economic tier, and I see no strong reason to abandon our own currency,” he told Financial Times.
Poland will likely keep its distance from euro membership, even as it stays part of the European Union. The country’s economic performance gives officials little reason to pursue the difficult political process needed to adopt the shared currency.
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