Coping with Imbalances in the Euro Area: Policy Alternatives Addressing Divergences and Disparities between Member Countries

Eckhard Hein and Daniel Detzer

Economics Working Paper Archive from Levy Economics Institute

Abstract: In this paper we outline alternative policy recommendations addressing the problems of differential inflation, divergence in competitiveness, and associated current account imbalances within the euro area. The major purpose of these alternative policy proposals is to generate sustainably high demand and output growth in the euro area as a whole, providing high levels of noninflationary employment, as well as preventing "export-led mercantilist" and "debt-led consumption boom" types of development, both within the euro area and with respect to the role of the euro area in the world economy. We provide a basic framework in order to systematically address the related issues, making use of Anthony Thirlwall's model of a "balance-of-payments-constrained growth rate." Based on this framework, we outline the required stance for alternative economic policies and then discuss the implications for alternative monetary, wage/incomes, and fiscal policies in the euro area as a whole, as well as the consequences for structural and regional policies in the euro-area periphery in particular.

Keywords: Competitiveness; Current Account Imbalances; Differential Inflation Rates; Euro Area Economic Policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E61 E62 E63 E64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-acc, nep-eec, nep-mac and nep-opm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Working Paper: Coping with imbalances in the Euro area: Policy alternatives addressing divergences and disparities between member countries (2014)
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