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France blocks Waterloo €2 coin
Commemorative coin proposed by Belgium would cause 'hostile reactions' and undermine the eurozone, France claims
FRANCE has succeeded in preventing a €2 coin being produced to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo - claiming it could cause "hostile reactions".
The idea for the proposed coin was drawn up by Belgium, with a design submitted to the Council of the European Union last month.
But the French government has written to the Council - and one of its objections is that a coin commemorating a French defeat could undermine the eurozone.
The letter, leaked to the Daily Telegraph in the UK, reportedly states: "The Battle of Waterloo is an event with particular resonance in the collective conscience, going beyond a simple military conflict.
"The circulation of coins carrying a symbol that is negative for a fraction of the European population to us appears prejudicial, in a context where the governments of the eurozone are trying to strengthen unity and co-operation throughout the monetary union."
The Council of the European Union says any eurozone member state has the right to object to draft designs for coins if it "is likely to create adverse reactions among its citizens".
Belgium has since agreed to withdraw the design. Some coins had already been minted and will have to be destroyed.
A big re-enactment involving 5,000 performers is being planned in Waterloo this June to mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat by the Duke of Wellington.
