A familiar jingle in our pockets and a part of most of our daily lives, the Euro is 20 years-old this year. Wallonia’s capital, Namur, will hold a series of celebrations on 25 May to mark the occasion, according to the Chamber of Commerce of Wallonia.
Belgium played an integral role in the creation of the Euro. In 1997, Belgian-national Luc Luycx, an employee of the Royal Mint of Belgium won the competition to design the first Euro coins put into circulation.
Today, it is used by more than 340 million people in 19 countries. 27.6 billion euro banknotes are currently circulating around the European Union and remains the second most used currency in the world, behind the US dollar.
The European Commission has chosen Namur as the location to host an array of festivities, with the attendance of the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, Minister-President of Wallonia Elio Di Rupo, and the Mayor of Namur Maxime Prévot.
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Gathering in front of the Élysette, the executive seat of the Walloon government, the officials will celebrate the role of the Euro within the common market and the currency’s international influence.
Officials will then tour several projects supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), namely the new 11 million “Espace confluence” redevelopment currently being carried out in the Grognon area of Namur, as well as the Enjambée footbridge, TRAKK coworking space, and other projects.
At 21:30, a public fire and light show will conclude the festivities at the new confluence site. The event is free of charge to the public.
