Category Archives: fiscal policy

Will a president Macron be able to reform the eurozone?

Posted on May 5, 2017 by

European financial markets are already betting on the victory of centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron in the country’s May 7 second-round election. Are investors right to believe that the eurozone – the monetary union of countries that have incorporated … Continue reading →

Posted in Euro crisis, Europe, fiscal policy | Tagged , , ,

Rebalancing EU governance could help rebuild support for the EU

Posted on September 1, 2016 by

The impact of Brexit on the future of the EU lies in the hands of European policymakers. In a best case scenario, Brexit will serve as a forceful push toward reforming European governance. The British vote has highlighted the political … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, Euro crisis, Europe, financial stability, fiscal policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , ,

The use of overly intrusive conditionality in Greece is threatening the European project

Posted on May 31, 2015 by

A Greek default may be only a matter of weeks away unless an agreement on the reform programme between Greece and “the institutions” will be reached. But Greece demands to renegotiate the whole programme, while the institutions, fearing a precedent, … Continue reading →

Posted in conditionality, Euro crisis, fiscal policy | Tagged , , ,

The ‘Juncker plan’ does not offer a genuine path to boosting the Eurozone’s recovery

Posted on March 22, 2015 by

The €315 billion European investment initiative – the so called ‘Juncker plan’ – was accepted by EU finance ministers on 10 March and is expected to go operational as a new “European Fund for Strategic Investment” (EFSI) by mid-2015. Is … Continue reading →

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The case for using public investment to boost growth in the Eurozone is overwhelming

Posted on October 28, 2014 by

One year after the Eurozone’s much hyped ‘recovery’, signalled by some green shoots in the second quarter of 2013, the region’s quarterly economic growth is flat again. Even Germany’s growth prospects have been revised downward, and recent IMF estimates point to an almost 40 … Continue reading →

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Draghi calls for spending to rescue Euro – but will governments do ‘whatever it takes’?

Posted on September 7, 2014 by

In July 2012 European Central Bank president Mario Draghi famously announced that the ECB would do “whatever it takes” to rescue the Euro. And he added: “Believe me, it will be enough.” In fact, it has so far been enough to avoid … Continue reading →

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