Since the moment it was introduced with military precision by the governments, banks, stock exchanges and corporations that were adopting it, the euro has battled both the overweening ambitions of its founders and the profound scepticism of some of its neighbours.
Never before had sovereign countries transferred their monetary policy to a supranational central bank, and as a currency, the euro unites more than 318 million people. Despite numerous external shocks, its central institution, the European Central Bank (ECB), has maintained price stability and kept inflation low.
