The European Union will force the public to stop using cash in order to gain total control over them, claims conspiracy theorist and lawyer Gheorghe Piperea.
NEWS: In 2026, a pan-European survey showed that 85% of the EU population wants banknotes and coins to be universally accepted. Nevertheless, the European Commission and the European Central Bank are pushing for the gradual elimination of cash and the transition to the digital euro. They are pushing to introduce the digital euro starting in 2029, even though the U.S. administration has banned the acceptance of “Central Bank Digital Currency” (CBDC) for payments. Even though the ECB, through Ms. Lagarde, insists that the digital euro is not a CBDC, the U.S. has already made its stance clear.
How will the EU and the U.S. reach an agreement on accepting the digital euro as a form of payment? Well, they won’t. The digital euro is virtually impossible to understand. A payment instrument that isn’t simple won’t be accepted. Moreover, people don’t trust the digital euro because they don’t trust the issuing authorities and its promoters. If 85% of Europeans want cash, and you don’t give a damn about the popular opinion, why would people still trust you? Remember: cash is king, freedom is of crucial importance.
NARRATIVE: The European Union is pushing to eliminate cash and transition to the digital euro.
PURPOSE: To amplify the anti-European sentiment, promote a sovereignist rhetoric, and provoke protests and anti-establishment social movements.
The digital euro is not intended to replace cash
WHY THIS NARRATIVE IS FALSE: First and foremost, we must clarify that there is absolutely no official decision—or even a rumour—from either the European Commission or the European Central Bank regarding the elimination (not even a gradual one) of cash. There is, in fact, an ECB project for a “digital euro,” which is actually an electronic version of central bank money—intended to complement cash, not replace it—with the aim of modernizing payments, not abolishing physical currency. At the same time, the European Commission has proposed the legal framework for this digital euro and, separately, is analysing various measures to combat money laundering, which also mention limits on cash payments in certain situations.
Contrary to MEP Piperea’s assertion, the digital euro is NOT “virtually impossible to understand.” The currency is a new form of money that would be issued directly by the European Central Bank, designed to function as “digital cash” for electronic payments. This means that this money is a direct liability of the ECB and represents the electronic form of the banknotes and coins it issues. In the current scenarios being discussed by the European Commission and the ECB, this money would be held in a digital wallet specifically designed for this purpose, through which payments could be made both online and offline. The main difference from a regular bank account is that digital money is guaranteed directly by the ECB, rather than by commercial banks such as BT, BCR, or ING, meaning that the risk of a “bank failure” is extremely low.
Currently, to access the money in your account, you need a card and a banking infrastructure, as well as a bank itself to guarantee the funds in your account. The digital euro, on the other hand, is designed to be accessible directly from your “wallet,” without any other intermediaries. Conspiracy theories also claim that by introducing the digital euro, the EU will impose a cap on the amounts held by individuals, who will thus be deprived of the ability to save. In reality, however, the ECB is discussing imposing a cap on the amount of digital euro held to prevent commercial banks from being undercapitalized, in the event that the vast majority of the population would prefer to accumulate digital currency instead of using their current checking or savings accounts. Thus, any “savings” exceeding the imposed digital euro limit will, as before, be deposited in accounts at commercial banks, and account holders will be able to access them at their own discretion.
The EU wants to reduce its dependence on U.S. payment companies
Furthermore, the EU’s desire to have its own digital currency is driven by both technical and geopolitical motivations. A digital euro would provide a European payment infrastructure controlled by the ECB, thereby reducing dependence on U.S. payment companies such as Visa or Mastercard, both to eliminate the unilateral setting of payment and administration fees and, above all, to prevent a collapse in the event of political or economic crises. A digital euro would lead to reduced or even zero costs for users, standardize payments throughout the eurozone (of which Romania is NOT a part), reduce “frictions” between countries, and facilitate the integration of the European single market.
A conspiracy theory based on two lies
Returning to Gheorghe Piperea’s claims, we cannot overlook the two lies he uses to support his hypothesis. The first—the claim that in Germany, you can be removed from public transportation if you try to pay with cash—is based on an amendment to the federal regulation governing German public transportation, which took effect on August 2, 2021. The provision removed the obligation for transit operators to accept cash payments at stations or on vehicles if other methods of purchasing tickets are available. Clearly, the law does not state that cash is being eliminated from public transportation throughout Germany, nor does it require all operators to accept only digital payments. In practice, some operators have introduced cashless systems on certain lines or vehicles; however, as can be seen from the text of the law, it also provides specific regulations for cash payments.
In Berlin, the transport operator tested and implemented contactless payment on buses (just as STB did in Bucharest without provoking Piperea’s anger) and stopped accepting cash on board during certain periods. However, general practice, as evidenced by accounts from people living in Germany or tourists, shows that public transit tickets can still be purchased with cash at ticket machines at stations, sales centres, or operator ticket counters, as well as at various authorized partner retailers—kiosks, stores, etc.— depending on the region. Therefore, although there may be situations where a ticket machine or sales point that accepts cash is not readily available to travellers, in most German cities there are still sales channels where cash payment is possible. In fact, cash is accepted very frequently in Germany, which is one of the European countries with high cash usage, compared to the Nordic countries, for example. In fact, many stores, cafes, and tobacco and newspaper kiosks in Germany accept ONLY cash as a form of payment.
The second lie concerns the U.S. administration and its refusal to accept CBDC—Central Bank Digital Currency—as payment. In reality, in January 2025, Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14178, which prohibits federal agencies from creating, issuing, or promoting a U.S. CBDC and orders the halt of ongoing federal initiatives regarding a “digital dollar.” Specifically, the order states that federal agencies may not take actions to “establish, issue, or promote” CBDCs and must cease existing projects related to the creation of a CBDC. However, the measure does not prohibit the use of a foreign CBDC, such as the digital euro, for payments. In fact, the same executive order promotes the development of private dollar-denominated “stablecoins” and a policy favourable to private digital assets. A dollar-denominated stablecoin, such as USDC (USD Coin) or USDT (Tether), is a cryptocurrency designed to maintain a value equal to that of one U.S. dollar; this is achieved by backing each digital token with real assets, such as cash dollars or Treasury bonds, held in reserves.
The poll, as if interpreted by Radio Yerevan
The figure of 85 percent of the European population in favour of keeping cash is realistic, although I have not been able to identify its exact source. The general conclusion drawn by Gheorghe Piperea—that a very large majority of Europeans consider it important for cash to remain available and widely accepted—is therefore correct. However, contrary to Piperea’s alarmist claims, this conclusion decisively underpins the European Central Bank’s official position in support of measures to guarantee access to and acceptance of cash. Furthermore, the European Commission has even proposed a regulation to reinforce the status of euro banknotes and coins as legal tender and to clarify the obligation to accept cash.
“Cash continues to play an important role in society and is indispensable to any economy. Our studies show that most citizens in the euro area consider it important to be able to pay with cash and that cash is the most commonly used payment method at points of sale in the euro area. That is why the ECB and the national central banks of the euro area are committed to ensuring that cash remains widely available and accepted. We therefore welcome the European Commission’s proposal for a new EU regulation to strengthen the legal status of euro cash as a means of payment. “The initiative aims to ensure that access to and acceptance of euro banknotes and coins are legally guaranteed throughout the euro area,” according to an official ECB statement, decisively refuting the false claim of the MEP member of the AUR party that European authorities “don’t give a damn” about public opinion.
Digitalization, conspiracy theorists’ nightmare
CONTEXT: The theory of total control over humanity by the elites is not new. It is constantly adapted to current events and amplified through social media and certain media outlets that promote conservative themes and support the radical movements of nationalists and “sovereignists.” The narrative combines theories already debunked in the pages of Veridica, such as that of “digital camps” or that of “eco-dictatorship”—which will push humanity toward a feudal social system—to which it often adds a religious component, in line with the concerns of the Orthodox sovereignist community. Since the current energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and especially by the conflict in the Middle East, will ultimately lead to a financial crisis, the topic of personal finances has returned to the public spotlight, becoming one of the main narratives promoted by conspiracy theorists.
Gheorghe Piperea is a well-known Romanian lawyer and conspiracy theorist, and a Member of the European Parliament representing the extremist AUR party. This is not the first time Piperea has attacked the EU’s monetary and financial policies. Over time, he has promoted several false narratives on this topic in the public sphere, claiming that the global cabal will implement digital currencies to enslave humanity, after which the EU will confiscate people’s savings. In February 2023, the conspiracy-loving lawyer claimed that humanity would be forced to pay just to breathe, and in November of that same year, as he prepared to enter politics, Piperea claimed that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan proposed by the government and approved by the European Commission would abolish private ownership of people’s yards and gardens, which would become “accessible to anyone, at any time.” Also, in August 2024, Piperea accused the World Health Organization of wanting to declare a new pandemic.
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