Italian politicians have been making noises about ditching the euro, which some economists blame for many years of economic stagnation and stubbornly high levels of unemployment in Italy.
Brussels declared that the euro is “irrevocable” under EU law and that all states with the exception of Britain and Denmark must accept it as part of their membership deal.
Their verdict could force Italy out of the exit door within the next few years, with the Five Star Movement pledging to hold a referendum on ditching the euro if it wins power in the country’s next election.
The most recent opinion polls show euroscepticism is on the march in Italy, with 40 per cent of voters saying they would opt to leave the EU tomorrow if a Brexit-style referendum were held.
Brussels revealed its stance on membership of the EU being linked to the euro following a question from Green MEP Rina Ronja Kari, who asked whether the two were linked in light of the defeat of Italian premier Matteo Renzi in last month’s referendum.
Its reply, given by EU Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the Commission stated: “One of the objectives of the European Union is to establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro.
“Apart from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Denmark, which have a special status, all member states have legally committed to adopt the euro.
“The substitution of the legacy currency by the euro is irrevocable.”
The ruling could also have wide-ranging implications for other Mediterranean economies, including Greece, which have been eyeing up returning to their former currencies to help haul them out of the economic doldrums.
Member states which rely heavily on agricultural exports and tourism have taken a battering due to the comparatively high value of the euro, which is worth significantly more than their own currencies would be, pushing up the cost of those goods and services.
In contrast the single currency has vastly benefitted booming Germany and its high-end manufacturing businesses by making the country’s exports artificially cheap.
As a result, Germany’s economy has blossomed after emerging from the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis whilst the likes of Italy, Spain and Portugal have seen almost no growth at all and spiralling unemployment.
The huge inequality in wealth across Europe caused by this disparity has sparked massive tensions within the bloc, with a number of member states railing against German domination of the European Central Bank (ECB), which sets eurozone fiscal policy.
Angela Merkel has overseen a period of Berlin imposed austerity across the EU which has benefitted her own country’s economy, but has left millions of Spanish youngsters jobless and Greek pensioners starving in the streets.
The revelations come as a series of opinion polls by Spanish pollster DYM showed that support for membership of the European Union has grown in most member states following June’s Brexit vote.
