European Central Bank initiates public consultation for new euro banknote designs

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched a public consultation process to determine the appearance of the next series of euro banknotes. The initiative features ten candidate design themes, split equally between two categories: "European Culture" and "Rivers and Birds." The cultural theme proposes featuring prominent figures such as Maria Callas (5 euro), Ludwig van Beethoven (10 euro), Marie Curie (20 euro), Miguel de Cervantes (50 euro), Leonardo da Vinci (100 euro), and Bertha von Suttner (200 euro), while the nature-based theme focuses on European flora, fauna, and landscapes.

ECB President Christine Lagarde noted that these designs aim to represent European identity through both beauty and meaning. The public response has been significant, with approximately six million people having cast their votes during the first week of the survey, which began in July. With nearly one million votes arriving daily, the ECB expects a substantial portion of the eurozone population to participate before the consultation period concludes at the end of September. This process marks a departure from earlier design approaches that prioritized neutral architectural imagery to avoid potential controversy.