‘Euro’. On 14 December 1996, in the French daily newspaper Le Monde, German cartoonist Rainer Hachfeld illustrates the important role played by the Franco-German duo in the creation of the future European currency. From left to right: Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Jacques Chirac watch over the cradle of the euro. In the background, British Prime Minister John Major observes the scene. The British political class is deeply divided over the question of the country’s possible adoption of the single European currency, which is due to be introduced on 1 January 1999.