European Central Bank holds public vote for new euro banknote designs

The European Central Bank (ECB) is conducting a public online consultation to select the design for new euro banknotes. As of mid-September, approximately 9 million citizens across the eurozone have participated in the vote, with roughly 148,000 participants recorded in Greece.

The ECB has shortlisted ten design proposals based on two central themes: ‘European Culture,’ featuring historical figures such as Marie Curie and Beethoven, and ‘Rivers and Birds,’ which focuses on natural elements that transcend borders. Some proposals even explore a vertical orientation, departing from the current horizontal format.

The final decision is expected to be made by the ECB Governing Council toward the end of 2026. The selection process will consider the results of this public online survey, alongside an independent study conducted on a representative sample of eurozone citizens and technical evaluations from an expert jury.