From the single currency to the single ballot-box

In 1999 the European Central Bank will take up its functions, the European Parliament will be re-elected and the new Commission will be formed. This year, 1998, is one of intense political and technical preparation for these three major events.

The imminent advent of a powerful, truly European but «sectoral», institution such as the ECB, together with the prospect of enlarging the Union to 20-25 members, is already generating serious concern about the ability of the institutional architecture of the European Union to meet the needs of the future.