"The euro is not economic at all.  It is a completely political step... the 
 historic significance of the euro is to construct a bi-polar economy in the
 world.  The two poles are the dollar and the euro.  That is the political
 meaning of the single European currency.  It is a step beyond which there
 will be others.  The euro is just an antipasto."
 - Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission to CNN, 1 January 2002