Hacker, Björn, Koch, Cédric , (2017), “Stubborn Germans: Stuck In Austerity/Stability”, Social Europe, 27 February Led by the current and previous federal government under Chancellor Angela Merkel and her CDU, the advocates of a stability union for the most part favour preservation of the status quo of the EMU architecture. The fundamental reasons for the Eurozone crisis are from this angle to be blamed on the failure of the crisis states …Read More

Fric, Karel, (2017), “Growth Of Minimum Wages Accelerates Across Europe”, Social Europe, 27 February The growth in average (nominal) pay of employees has accelerated in recent years in EU countries after a slump following the economic crisis (AMECO data). Similar developments show up in data on collectively agreed wages. However, higher wage growth figures do not automatically mean that all employees benefit equally. On 14 February 2017, the European Trade …Read More

Gilbert, Mark, (2017), “Maastricht’s Flaws Still Plague Europe, 25 Years Later”, BloombergView, 24 February Twenty five years ago this month, the representatives of 12 countries gathered in the Dutch city of Maastricht to sign the Treaty on European Union. Its claim to mark “a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe” looks grandiose and overblown a quarter of a century later. More …Read More

Hagan, Sean, Obstfeld, Maurice, Thomsen, Poul M., (2017), “Dealing with Sovereign Debt—The IMF Perspective”, iMFdirect, 23 February Debt is central to the functioning of a modern economy. Firms can use it to finance investments in future productivity. Households can use it to finance lumpy purchases, such as big consumer durables, or a home. Sometimes, however, firms’ investments do not pan out or a household’s main earner loses his or her job. …Read More