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The next generation of Euro banknotes could star the European Commission building, the bloc’s central bank has confirmed.
Proposed designs for the new series of bills put images of the Commission’s Brussels headquarters centre stage, along with the buildings of other EU institutions, such as the European Council and Parliament.
According to the ECB, the images are meant to forge a tighter understanding of European citizenship at a time when the bloc is examining centralising more powers in Brussels.
“Euro banknotes are more than a means of payment – they are one of the most tangible expressions of Europe,” ECB head Christine Lagarde said as she announced the shortlist of designs for new notes.
“Through designs that combine beauty and meaning, they will reinforce our shared identity.”
While there are several sample designs, all of them either focus on a combination of EU institutional buildings and birds, or EU artists and scientists.
The latter designs were required by the ECB to include images of Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, and Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.
Also required for inclusion are Maria Callas and Bertha von Suttner, prompting criticism from some netizens that the ECB is trying to even out the gender ratio for the notes by including less iconic figures from European history.
None of the proposed designs features individuals or buildings from Ireland.
The public response to the notes has been mixed. While a minority have said they like the new designs, others have questioned the various motifs required to be on the new bills.
Others have mocked the attempts to redesign the Euro, with many suggesting that an image of a plastic bottle with an irremovable cap should be included on the new notes instead.
The ECB has now launched a public survey to help determine which exact version of the notes the public is most inclined towards, though it is unclear how much sway the response to this survey will have.
A final decision on the new notes is set to be announced before the end of 2026.
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