Baltic Integration and the Euro

Jonas Ljungberg ()
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Jonas Ljungberg: Department of Economic History, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economic History, Lund University, Box 7083, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden

No 198, Lund Papers in Economic History from Lund University, Department of Economic History

Abstract: Which have been the consequences of the euro for integration and economic performance in the Baltic Sea region? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three Baltic states and Poland have been rapidly catching-up with Western Europe. The Great Recession became a great setback for the former, while less so for Poland. A difference is the monetary policy: the Polish zloty depreciated in the critical moment of the crisis, while currency boards with the aim of joining the euro bestowed appreciation for the Baltics and Finland. Contrary to the purpose, monetary integration has not fostered integration in trade, and the share of the Eurozone in Baltic trade has stagnated. A comparison with other countries in the Baltic Sea region suggests that the euro provides “the golden fetters” of our time. Emigration, also a kind of integration, has become a safety valve with severe social and economic consequences for the Baltic states.

Keywords: economic growth; integration; exports; EMU; Baltic Sea region; exchange rates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E39 E42 F14 F15 F43 N14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 24 pages
Date: 2019-03-20
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cis, nep-eec, nep-int, nep-mac, nep-mon and nep-tra
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