\u201cThe earliest date to adopt the euro could be January 1, 2032, if Hungary meets the Maastricht criteria by 2030,\u201d Kurali told the news agency.<\/p>\n
The remarks are significant because Hungary currently has no official target date for introducing the euro, despite having committed to eventually adopting the common currency when it joined the European Union in 2004.<\/p>\n
The issue has gained new momentum in recent months. Daily News Hungary reported in June<\/a> that the new Hungarian government aims to meet the conditions required for eurozone membership by around 2030.<\/p>\n Why Hungary\u2019s euro adoption cannot happen immediately<\/p>\n Joining the eurozone is not simply a political decision. Countries must satisfy a series of economic and legal requirements before they can replace their national currency.<\/p>\n According to the European Commission<\/a>, the four main convergence criteria concern price stability, sustainable public finances, long-term interest rates and exchange-rate stability.<\/p>\n A country must also participate in ERM II for at least two years without severe exchange-rate tensions or devaluing its currency against the euro.<\/p>\n Hungary is not currently a member of ERM II. This explains why even if Budapest moves quickly towards euro adoption, several years would still be required before the forint could disappear.<\/p>\n Fiscal policy is another major challenge. As Daily News Hungary reported in August<\/a>, Finance Minister Andr\u00e1s K\u00e1rm\u00e1n outlined plans to bring Hungary\u2019s budget deficit below the EU\u2019s 3% threshold as part of the government\u2019s efforts to meet the Maastricht criteria by 2030.<\/p>\n Hungary could enter the euro \u2018waiting room\u2019 in 2029<\/p>\n ERM II is often described as the eurozone\u2019s \u201cwaiting room\u201d. A country\u2019s currency participates in the mechanism before it can eventually be replaced by the euro.<\/p>\n Kurali said the government\u2019s pledge to meet the euro-entry conditions by 2030 implies that Hungary could enter ERM II by early 2029 \u201cat the latest\u201d.<\/p>\n The process would represent a major change for Hungary after more than two decades of EU membership without a concrete timetable for adopting the common currency.<\/p>\n The country\u2019s central bank has also recently placed greater emphasis on the issue.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Daily News Hungary reported<\/a> that MNB Governor Mih\u00e1ly Varga had called for a \u201cdisciplined, coordinated strategy\u201d for euro adoption, stressing that the Hungarian economy must be properly prepared before joining the single-currency area.<\/p>\n![\"Zolt\u00e1n](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Zoltan-Kurali-national-bank-of-Hungary-1280x853.webp\")
Zolt\u00e1n Kurali, deputy governor of the MNB. Source: National Bank of Hungary<\/p>\n