I believe that many of us, certainly myself included, at the time when the euro was introduced in 1999, and especially in 2002, had the feeling that it would bring Europe closer to its citizens, who – certainly those in the euro zone – would be clutching Europe in their hands on a daily basis and would thereby be helped to have a sense of closer connection with it.
Je pense que nombre d’entre nous, assurément moi y compris, avaient le sentiment, au moment de l’introduction de l’euro en 1999, et en 2002 en particulier, que la monnaie unique permettrait de rapprocher l’Europe de ses citoyens, qui - a fortiori dans la zone euro - palperaient l’Europe tous les jours et, grâce à cela, auraient l’impression de s’en rapprocher davantage.