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Sui Generis EMU

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  • Barry Eichengreen

Abstract

The thesis of this paper is that there is no historical precedent for Europe's monetary union (EMU). While it is possible to point to similar historical experiences, the most obvious of which were in the 19th century, occurred in Europe, and had “union†as part of their names, EMU differs from these earlier monetary unions. The closer one looks the more uncomfortable one becomes with the effort to draw parallels on the basis of historical experience. It is argued that efforts to draw parallels between EMU and monetary unions past are more likely to mislead than to offer useful insights. Where history is useful is not in drawing parallels but in pinpointing differences. It is useful for highlighting what is distinctive about EMU.

Suggested Citation

  • Barry Eichengreen, 2008. "Sui Generis EMU," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 303, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    • Handle: RePEc:euf:ecopap:0303
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    2. Stavros E. Arvanitis & Theodoros V. Stamatopoulos & Dimitris Terzakis, 2018. "Is There a Non-linear Relationship of Market Value with Cash and Ownership?," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 68(1), pages 3-25, January-M.
    3. Ulrich Fritsche & Vladimir Kuzin, 2011. "Analysing convergence in Europe using the non-linear single factor model," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 343-369, October.
    4. Marc-Alexandre Sénégas, 2010. "La théorie des zones monétaires optimales au regard de l'euro : Quels enseignements après dix années d'union économique et monétaire en Europe ?," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 120(2), pages 379-419.
    5. Mojmír Hampl, 2012. "Evropská měnová integrace a postavení jejího bývalého hegemona [European Monetary Integration and a Position of its Former Hegemon]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2012(6), pages 707-722.
    6. repec:ers:journl:v:v:y:2017:i:1:p:70-91 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Katerina Arnostova & Oxana Babecka Kucharcukova & Jan Babecky & Vojtech Belling & Sona Benecka & Jan Bruha & Martin Gurtler & Tomas Holub & Eva Hromadkova & Lubos Komarek & Zlatuse Komarkova & Petr Kr, 2016. "Analyses of the Czech Republic's Current Economic Alignment with the Euro Area 2016," Occasional Publications - Edited Volumes, Czech National Bank, Research and Statistics Department, number as16 edited by Katerina Arnostova & Lucie Matejkova, July.
    8. Stavros E. Arvanitis & Theodoros V. Stamatopoulos & Maria Chatzimarkaki, 2017. "Cash and Ownership on Firms Market Value: Evidence from Greek Panel Data," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(1), pages 70-91.
    9. Tomas Adam & Oxana Babecka Kucharcukova & Jan Babecky & Vojtech Belling & Sona Benecka & Jan Bruha & Kamil Galuscak & Tomas Holub & Eva Hromadkova & Lubos Komarek & Zlatuse Komarkova & Kamila Kulhava , 2015. "Analyses of the Czech Republic's Current Economic Alignment with the Euro Area 2015," Occasional Publications - Edited Volumes, Czech National Bank, Research and Statistics Department, number as15 edited by Kamila Kulhava & Lucie Matejkova, July.
    10. Mojmír Hampl, 2013. "The Case of European Monetary Integration and its Former Hegemon," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 14(1), pages 2-14, February.
    11. Klaus Regling & Servaas Deroose & Reinhard Felke & Paul Kutos, 2010. "The Euro After Its First Decade : Weathering the Financial Storm and Enlarging the Euro Area," Governance Working Papers 22817, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    12. Katerina Arnostova & Tomas Adam & Oxana Babecka Kucharcukova & Jan Babecky & Vojtech Belling & Sona Benecka & Jan Bruha & Martin Gurtler & Tibor Hledik & Tomas Holub & Eva Hromadkova & Lubos Komarek &, 2017. "Analyses of the Czech Republic's Current Economic Alignment with the Euro Area 2017," Occasional Publications - Edited Volumes, Czech National Bank, Research and Statistics Department, number as17 edited by Katerina Arnostova & Lucie Matejkova, July.
    13. Labrinidis, George, 2018. "The roots of the Euro," MPRA Paper 86560, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Singleton,John, 2010. "Central Banking in the Twentieth Century," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521899093, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    EMU; Monetary union; Euro; Economic History; international monetary system; History of monetary unions; Eichengreen;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-

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