It was now forgotten, the launch of the euro Friday, 1st January 1999 was a merry event. On the eve of D-day, the great prevent of the eleven countries decided to give up their national currencies - Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Finance minister, and Jean-Claude Trichet, governor of the Bank of France, for France - were gathered in Brussels for an Ecofin Council exceptional. It was to fix the conversion rate final: the euro will be worth 6,55957 French francs, 1,95583 German mark, figures that have remained for years in the memories and converters. For the occasion, a release of 2 999 blue balloons adorned with the symbol of the euro, €, had brightened the sky of brussels usual leaden gray.

A true feast, with its preparations febrile: 50.000 bankers had been requisitioned to prepare for the listing of the euro on the financial markets, which opened this year, on Monday, 4 January 1999, at the end of a very long weekend studious. Channels ...