Symbolic Crisis of the Euro

"One cultural tool for constructing Europe has been through official symbols aiming to emotionally strengthen citizens’ identification with basic values of the European project.... The fifth symbol is the euro, introduced in 2002. When trust in European institutions is shaking, so is the belief in those symbols and the identification of and with Europe as a collective community.... Greece [is] regarded by many as the cradle of European civilisation – not least by the European Union, who chose for its currency [Greek] name and symbol ... to strengthen the credibility of the Union by means of historical continuity. If Greece would leave the Eurozone, this will not only create monetary difficulties but also question the signifying force of the € symbol.... Currency requires trust, and is intended to create loyalty towards a collective community." - The Symbolic Crisis of the Euro: Trust and Distrust in Currency as an Identifying Medium | Euro Crisis in the Press