Οικονόμου, Χ., (2013), “Η λιτότητα βλάπτει σοβαρά την υγεία”, Foreign Affairs, The Hellenic Edition, 21 Νοεμβρίου. Το σύστημα της Υγείας στην Ελλάδα πάσχει. Οι πολλές προσπάθειες αναμόρφωσής του ήταν συνήθως αποσπασματικές και χωρίς αποφασιστικότητα. Η κρίση που ενέσκηψε θα μπορούσε να αποτελέσει μια ευκαιρία εκ βάθρων αναμόρφωσής του ώστε επιτέλους να λειτουργεί αποτελεσματικά. Φαίνεται, όμως, ότι και αυτή η ευκαιρία χάνεται. Η παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση η οποία ξεκίνησε το 2007, …Read More
Η Πρόταση 4.0
Βαρουφάκης, Γ., (2013), “Η Πρόταση 4.0”, Protagon.gr, 18 Νοεμβρίου. Τρία χρόνια πέρασαν από την πρώτη εμφάνιση της πρότασής μας για το πώς είναι δυνατόν να επιλυθεί η Κρίση του Ευρώ εδώ στο protagon – υπό τον σύντομο τίτλο «Πρόταση» στα ελληνικά και «Modest Proposal for Resolving the Euro Crisis» στα αγγλικά («Μια Μετριοπαθής Πρόταση για την Επίλυση της Κρίσης του Ευρώ»). Από τότε έχει προσαρμοστεί αρκετές φορές (βλ. π.χ. 2.0 …Read More
A Schuman compact for the euro area
Mody, A., (2013), “A Schuman compact for the euro area”, Bruegel, Bruegel Essay and Lecture Series, Νοέμβριος. Five years of crisis have pushed Europe to take emergency financial measures to cushion the free fall of distressed countries. However, efforts to turn the crisis into a spur for “an ever closer union” have met with political resistance to the surrender of fiscal sovereignty. If such a union remains elusive, a perpetual …Read More
Structural Reforms – Be Careful What You Wish For!
Janssen, R., (2013), “Structural Reforms – Be Careful What You Wish For!”, Social Europe Journal, 20 Νοεμβρίου. “Be bolder in tackling structural reforms”. It almost sounds like a line from the Star Trek television series but it is Commission President Barroso presenting the 2014 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) (see here). This then is the key message coming from the new AGS: Reforms, reforms and more reforms. However, before continuing on …Read More
The Eurozone is not suffering from an economic crisis, but a crisis of national politics
Alonso, S., (2013), “The Eurozone is not suffering from an economic crisis, but a crisis of national politics”, LSE European Politics and Policy Blog, 20 Νοεμβρίου. One of the most worrying aspects of the Eurozone crisis has been its effect on democracy. Sonia Alonso argues that while the crisis has weakened democracy in several countries, particularly with regard to the implementation of austerity policies against public opposition, this should not …Read More
The ECB rate cut was driven by the needs of Germany, not the needs of the Eurozone
Coppola, F., (2013), “The ECB rate cut was driven by the needs of Germany, not the needs of the Eurozone”, LSE European Politics and Policy Blog, 19 Νοεμβρίου. Earlier this month, the European Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a new low of 0.25 per cent, down from 0.5 per cent. Frances Coppola writes that the rate cut is unlikely to offer any help to the struggling economies …Read More
What’s Stopping Robust Recovery?
Spence, M., (2013), “What’s Stopping Robust Recovery?”, Project Syndicate, 19 Νοεμβρίου. The growth map of the global economy is relatively clear. The US is in a partial recovery, with growth at 1.5-2% and lagging employment. Europe as a whole is barely above zero growth, with large variations among countries, though with some evidence of painful re-convergence, at least in terms of nominal unit labor costs. China’s growth, meanwhile, is leveling …Read More
Deepening the EMU: How to maintain and develop the European social model?
Fernandes, S. and Maslauskaite, K., (2013), Deepening the EMU: How to maintain and develop the European social model?”, Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute, Studies and Reports 101, Νοέμβριος. Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute publishes a study commissioned by the Federal Chancellery of Austria on the impact of the reforms currently implemented or mooted on national welfare states in the EMU. As Jacques Delors underlines in the foreword of …Read More
A bank restructuring agency for the Eurozone – cleaning up the legacy losses
Beck, T. and Trebesch, C., (2013), “A bank restructuring agency for the Eurozone – cleaning up the legacy losses”, VoxEU, 18 Νοεμβρίου. Many Eurozone banks are still in a fragile state following the Global Crisis. This vulnerability will be highlighted as the ECB takes charge of bank supervision, and the EZ moves towards a banking union. This column proposes a Eurozone bank restructuring agency as a way to speed up …Read More
OECD Economic Outlook 2013
OECD, (2013), OECD Economic Outlook, Vol. 2013/2, OECD Publishing. Τhe global economy is expected to continue expanding at a moderate pace over the coming two years, but policymakers must ensure that instability in financial markets and underlying fragility in some major economies are not allowed to derail growth, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook. “The recovery is real, but at a slow speed, and there may be turbulence on …Read More