- Title: EU's von der Leyen, Croatian PM pay for coffee as Croatia begins using euro
- Date: 1st January 2023
- Summary: ZAGREB, CROATIA (JANUARY 1, 2023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, GETTING OUT OF CAR AND GREETING CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER, ANDREJ PLENKOVIC VON DER LEYEN AND PLENKOVIC STANDING AND TALKING VON DER LEYEN AND PLENKOVIC WALKING SURROUNDED BY MEDIA AND SECURITY CROATIAN AND EU DELEGATIONS SITTING AT CAFE TERRACE PLENKOVIC AND VON DER LEYEN SITTING TOGETHER VON DER LEYEN LOOKING ON CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING WAITRESS BRINGING COFFEE FOR VON DER LEYEN AND PLENKOVIC PLENKOVIC AND VON DER LEYEN LOOKING AT EURO COINS MINTED IN CROATIA PLENKOVIC HANDING WAITRESS EURO NOTES VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WATCHING AND FILMING PLENKOVIC AND VON DER LEYEN GRAPHIC OF CROATIAN FLAG NEXT TO CASH MACHINES CROATIAN FLAG GRAPHIC MAN ON SCOOTER STOPPING AT CASH MACHINE MAN WITHDRAWING CASH (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) ZAGREB RESIDENT, PERO NOVAKOVIC, SAYING: "Since the euro is the official currency, it doesn't change anything for me, but it looks like I have less money. You are used to kuna and now it (the amount) is divided by 7.5 and now 10,000 kuna is not 10,000 euro, but 1,300 euro, that is the problem that now less (smaller amounts) is worth more." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN ZAGREB'S MAIN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) ZAGREB RESIDENT, SNJIZANA PANTOS, SAYING: "The introduction of the euro makes living in Europe easier as we will not have to change currency from one to another, if we have two wallets we women have a heavier purse, it automatically simplifies things. You just need some time to understand the ratio between the values (of kuna and euro)." VARIOUS OF CROATIAN AND EU FLAGS FLYING FROM BUILDING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN ZAGREB'S MAIN SQUARE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET
- Embargoed: 15th January 2023 15:31
- Keywords: Andrej Plenkovic Croatia joins euro zone European Union Ursula von der Leyen euro zone
- Location: ZAGREB, CROATIA
- City: ZAGREB, CROATIA
- Country: Croatia
- Topics: European Union,Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001982601012023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic settled the bill for coffee at a Zagreb cafe on Sunday (January 1) as Croatia began to use the euro as its official currency.
Von der Leyen and Plenkovic were seen looking at euro coins newly-minted in Croatia, and Plenkovic handed over euro notes to pay for coffees for delegations of the European Commission and Croatian government.
Croatia entered the EU in 2013. It became the 27th country to join the Schengen area, and the 20th to adopt the euro currency on Sunday.
People in Zagreb said the switch to euros might make life easier, but said it would take time to get used to the change in prices. A euro was worth around 7.53 kuna just before the change came in.
Zagreb resident Pero Novakovic said it was confusing that seemingly smaller amounts of money were in fact worth more, while Snjizana Pantos said it was good that she would not have to change currencies when travelling to other eurozone countries.
Earlier, von der Leyen and Plenkovic met Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar at the Croatia-Slovenia border to celebrate the end of passport controls between Croatia and other Schengen countries.
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