The European Central Bank (ECB) has shortlisted two themes for the next euro banknote series, a redesign that will affect euro-area countries, including Spain. 
ECB President Christine Lagarde unveiled the proposals in Frankfurt, offering a fresh visual direction for euro cash. Under the cultural theme, portraits of influential Europeans appear on the front, while the reverse shows people taking part in shared social activities. The ECB says this approach presents “culture as a living, shared process.” The nature concepts pair European birds and river motifs on the front with prominent European Union institutional buildings on the reverse. Several proposals also test vertical layouts, a departure from the familiar horizontal format.
For Spain, the cultural theme has particular resonance: Miguel de Cervantes is proposed for the €50 note. María Callas (€5) and Ludwig van Beethoven (€10) are among the other figures, alongside María Skłodowska-Curie (€20) and Leonardo da Vinci (€100). Bertha von Sutter is proposed for the €200 note. The reverse designs would show scenes connected with culture and education. The nature proposals feature the wallcreeper and kingfisher, as well as the European bee-eater and white stork. They also include the avocet and northern gannet. The ECB presents the river-and-bird theme as an expression of shared European heritage, not a promotion of individual national symbols.
The redesign process began in 2021 and has involved designers and experts, with public participation. The consultation on the ten shortlisted proposals ran from 23 July to 21 September 2026. Nearly 10 million people responded, about 2.6% of the euro-area population. The Governing Council is expected to consider that feedback before choosing the final design. The ECB expects to make its choice by the end of 2026; the consultation is one part of the decision-making process, not a binding public vote.
The existing euro banknotes, designed by Reinhold Gerstetter and issued in the second series from 2013, use the theme “ages and styles,” with windows and doors inspired by architectural periods. Current notes remain valid and in circulation. The redesign plan calls for printing the new notes to begin in 2027, after the design decision and technical preparations. Selecting the artwork and printing the notes are separate from their eventual introduction into circulation.
Public participation in euro-banknote design is not new, but this consultation gave citizens a direct chance to comment on the shortlisted proposals. The ECB combines that feedback with institutional consideration of the designs. In another area of European policy, the European Commission has acted on digital-market regulation, including a fine against AliExpress, as detailed in this recent report on EU digital enforcement.
For residents and businesses in Spain, the redesign will change the appearance and symbolism of everyday cash. The proposed inclusion of Cervantes would bring Spain’s literary heritage into the series, while the alternative nature theme would foreground wildlife and river systems across Europe. The ECB says it aims to reflect the continent’s diversity and shared identity.
The final design is expected by the end of 2026, bringing the process closer to a basic decision. The shortlisted concepts offer two ways to express a common European identity: through culture and shared activities, or through birds and rivers that cross borders. The selection will set the next series’ visual direction; the timing of its eventual circulation is a separate matter.
