Latvia reluctantly joins euro after shock therapy, but controversy rages on

``Euro accession has been greeted glumly by most of Latvia's 2m people, worn down by lay-offs and 28pc pay cuts for teachers, nurses, and police. A mass exodus of youth has served as an escape valve, leaving an older society behind. Latvia's population has shrunk by 7pc since 2007... Some 58pc are against joining the new currency, yet the government has chosen to press ahead regardless without a referendum.''