Poll: Euro stands to dominate by 2014

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Steve Chiotakis: Within the next few years, the euro could knock the dollar off its perch as the world’s top currency. That’s the view of most Europeans according to a new poll out today. From London, here’s Stephen Beard.

Stephen Beard: A large majority of continental europeans agreed: the euro will be the world’s number one currency before the year 2014. In Spain, an overwhelming 70 percent took that view. And the Financial Times/Harris poll showed that nearly half of the Americans surveyed felt the dollar’s reign is drawing to a close.

Ralph Atkins is The Financial Times correspondent in Frankfurt. He says the poll reflects the recent decline in the reputation of the U.S. currency:

Ralph Atkins: I think particularly in the last few months of financial market crisis, the dollar has been seen as prone to weakness, whereas the euro has actually strengthened.

But he points out the euro is still a long way behind the dollar. Well over 60 percent. of the world’s central bank reserves are still held in the greenback.

In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.