“The Euro Experience” is the second of three panels of this mini-symposium on the Future of the Euro and will focus on the four main economic and political players: Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Here we wish to investigate whether the Euro game has been worth the candle for these countries. This panel analyzes the different experiences of Germany, France, and the two big Mediterranean countries during the 1990s (lead up to the euro introduction) and the 2000s (after the euro was introduced). These very different experiences (compare and contrast Germany with France with Italy/Spain) can explain us how these countries have behaved during the euro crisis, and which role they have played. Newman's paper looks at 'reluctant leader' Germany, Vail's paper examines Europe's 'middle child' France, and Hopkin's paper discusses the political dynamics of the troubled Mediterranean countries.