Decision may sway Swedish voters to reject single currency

Britain’s decision to hold off on the euro could help persuade at least one other European Union member - Sweden - to stay out. The country’s nine million population is to vote on euro entry in a referendum in September, and polls show public opinion has slowly shifted in favour of keeping the krona. Euro proponents brushed off Britain’s decision to stick with the pound yesterday. Voters in Denmark, the other euro hold-out, have twice turned down the single currency. A failure in Sweden could spell the death-knell for another attempt. In a survey in the country last month, 54 per cent of those polled said they would vote no, against 42 per cent in favour. Euro critics cite the fear of losing control of the country’s monetary policies, as well as losing Sweden’s cherished egalitarian identity.