Sweden sets euro referendum date

Sweden will hold a referendum in September to decide whether to adopt the euro as its currency, the country’s political leaders decided today.

Bo Lundgren, the Moderate Party leader, said another meeting will be held next month to decide how to phrase the question on the nationwide ballot.

The decision came just a day after an opinion poll showed declining support for adopting the euro.

The poll showed 43% want to replace the krona with the euro, compared with 45% in a similar poll in October.

The opposition increased to 43% from 39% and the number of undecided was 14%.

Sweden, Britain and Denmark are the only members of the 15 nation European Union which did not adopt the euro.

The Scandinavian nation of 8.9m people joined the EU in 1995 after a referendum.