Argh. I can’t take this. The no side is going to win in Sweden’s euro referendum, and for the first time in my life I am going to hold a majority opinion. This is making me feel queasy, so in the interests of a closer race, I’d like to examine those cases where voters should, rationally, vote yes to the euro, purely out of economic self-interest.

1. You own stock in or work for a Swedish company that gets the the bulk of its revenues from euroland. Such a business would be able to eliminate all costs associated with managing exchange rate volatilty, and this should add a percentage point or two to the bottom line. Some of Sweden’s largest companies, including its multinationals, fall into this category. If you were the CEO of such a company it would be your duty to shareholders to lobby for joining EMU, regardless of its greater good. And indeed, this is what many captains of Swedish industry are doing, on TV and in the papers.

The same goes for smaller businesses and freelancers. If you make the bulk of your money in euros, it’s in your best interest to vote yes.

However, there aren’t that many of you. Exports constitute around 45% of Sweden’s GDP, which is quite a high number, but of that only about 40% is to euroland countries. Only about 18% of Sweden’s GDP is directly attributable to trade with EMU countries.

There is little doubt that some companies will benefit if Sweden adopts the euro. The costs, however, would be borne by the country as a whole, in the form of interest rates that are not optimal for Sweden’s economy, because they would be optimal for Germany and France, mainly.

2. You are an immigrant from an EMU country and you send remittances home. You’d save on the costs of converting your money, and you would not be subject to the vagaries of a floating exchange rate regime. Conveniently, you get to vote. If you are a Swede but spend most of your money abroad, the same argument applies.

3. Your wages are paid in euros. If you’re posted here from an EMU country, either for your business, or as a diplomat, or as a correspondent, chances are you’re getting paid into your bank account back home. The euro in Sweden would make things a lot easier for you. Since you get to vote, make sure it’s yes.

4. Your prestige as a European leader rests on your country adopting EMU. If I were Göran Persson, I would vote yes early and often.