“My understanding is they never should have been permitted to join the Euro-zone, that they got in via deception (and possibly winking at that deception by others) and they should get out ASAP.”
In general, from the inception of the EU the first members feared later entry of mostly poor, southern states like Greece, etc.
The fear was coming out on the losing side, of income redistribution. The relatively strong founding nations in 1957 were West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Nederland and Luxemburg.
Obviously their fears were justified. And it plays out now.
Another big issue today is movement of people, namely muslim terrorists.
If you are going to take it back to the EEC in 1957, you might as well take it back to the ECSC in 1951.
It all goes back to Otto von Habsburg’s master plan.