Residents of EMU countries are taking to euro currency and coin with more enthusiasm than had been expected. One of the goals of single currency proponents was to eliminate cross border price differentials. That hasn't happened yet. An automobile in Finland, for example can cost 26,000 euros while the same model costs only 19,000 euros in Spain. A similar difference exists for less costly but no less important things like espresso. But a single currency will make these price differentials more transparent and more difficult to maintain. With many border crossing barriers a thing of the past, it is easier to go buy the cheaper goods elsewhere. With the introduction of euro currency, the worrisome upfront distribution problems seem to have slipped away. However, the successful introduction doesn't change some of the problems that have always existed. In addition to worrisome political integration issues are continuing economic problems such as labor market structural rigidities that inhibit further development of the EMU as a true economic and political entity.

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