Euro too late

The Baltic states, despite facing double-digit falls in GDP this year, are striving to limit their budget deficits with a view to adopting the euro as soon as possible. Rather than pursuing devaluation and counter-cyclical fiscal policies, they are cutting wages to restore competitiveness and hoping that the euro will repair investor confidence. None of them, however, looks likely to meet the conventional benchmarks for euro-zone entry soon. As a result, unilateral euro-adoption or devaluation are strong possibilities.