Demonstrably durable

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: the role of the euro as a haven. The commission’s president, José Manuel Barroso, said on French radio that “some British politicians have already told me: ‘If we had the euro, we would have been better off.’” Mr Barroso also claimed Britain was “closer than ever before” to joining the euro.

That is an overstatement. There are few signs yet that public or political opinion in Britain has shifted towards signing up to the euro. But the lessons of the crisis have not been lost on many other EU countries that have yet to join. The three Baltic countries have long been keen to adopt the euro, but have fallen foul of the low-inflation criterion for entry. Hungary abandoned its attempt to join when it became clear it would not meet the public-finance criteria for joining, which include a budget deficit below 3% of GDP. It is now said to be redoubling its entry efforts and plans to peg the forint to the euro in preparation. Poland’s chilly attitude towards euro membership began to thaw after a euro 10 billion ($12.5 billion) credit line was offered by the ECB to help stabilise the zloty.

Denmark was forced to raise interest rates in October to keep its currency peg with the euro intact. After two votes against joining the euro, the government is mulling a third referendum. Polls suggest that this time the Danes would vote in favour. Even the sceptical Czechs seem less doubtful about the merits of membership of the currency club.

With its sound public finances, low inflation and stable exchange rate, Denmark would sail through the euro’s entrance exam. Sweden could make the cut too, if it was minded to. But the rest would be hard pushed to join soon. It is unlikely that the rules for entry will be relaxed. Just

as euro outsiders may now see advantages in being part of a global currency, insiders may take a different lesson from the crisis: that a less exclusive euro club, with laxer rules, would dim the currency’s allure.

Haven or trap?