ECB's Draghi says divergence could threaten monetary union

SINTRA, Portugal, May 23 (Reuters) - Structural divergence between countries in the euro zone could become explosive and even threaten the future of the currency, the European Central Bank's president said on Saturday.

"In a monetary union you can't afford to have large and increasing structural divergences between countries, they tend to become explosive," Mario Draghi told an audience of academics and central bankers.

"Therefore, they are going to threaten the existence of the union, the monetary union," he said.

(Reporting By John O'Donnell; editing by Axel Bugge)