IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eco/journ1/2012-03-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is the EURO' a Defunct Currency?

Author

Listed:
  • Constantinos Alexiou

    (Cranfield University, School of Management, UK.)

  • Joseph Nellis

    (Cranfield University, School of Management, UK.)

Abstract

In this paper we provide a brief discourse on the theory of optimum currency areas to serve as a basis for constructive criticism of the conceptual framework of the eurozone. With particular reference to the Greek economic crisis, we argue that the very architecture of the EU experiment involving the single currency was inherently flawed from the outset in so far as political pressures to speed up the process towards a politically unified Europe has resulted in what is perceived as the worst economic impasse in the history of modern capitalism.

Suggested Citation

  • Constantinos Alexiou & Joseph Nellis, 2012. "Is the EURO' a Defunct Currency?," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 2(3), pages 296-303.
  • Handle: RePEc:eco:journ1:2012-03-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/download/200/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: http://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/view/200/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dellas, Harris & Tavlas, George S., 2009. "An optimum-currency-area odyssey," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 1117-1137, November.
    2. Alfonso Arpaia & Karl Pichelmann, 2007. "Nominal and real wage flexibility in EMU," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 299-328, November.
    3. Marcel Fratzscher & Livio Stracca, 2009. "The political economy under monetary union: has the euro made a difference? [‘Income distribution, political instability, and investment’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 24(58), pages 307-348.
    4. Cesaratto, Sergio, 1999. "Savings and Economic Growth in Neoclassical Theory," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 23(6), pages 771-793, November.
    5. Su Zhou & Mohsen Bahmani-Oskooee & Ali M. Kutan, 2008. "Purchasing Power Parity before and after the Adoption of the Euro," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 144(1), pages 134-150, April.
    6. Lionel Fontagné & Thierry Mayer & Gianmarco Ottaviano, 2009. "Of markets, products and prices: The effects of the euro on European firms," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 44(3), pages 149-158, May.
    7. Thomas Willett & Edward Tower, 1970. "Currency areas and exchange-rate flexibility," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 105(1), pages 48-65, September.
    8. Alberto Alesina & Silvia Ardagna & Vincenzo Galasso, 2011. "The Euro and Structural Reforms," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 2(1).
    9. Berger, Helge & Nitsch, Volker, 2008. "Zooming out: The trade effect of the euro in historical perspective," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(8), pages 1244-1260, December.
    10. Kappler Marcus, 2011. "Business Cycle Co-movement and Trade Intensity in the Euro Area: is there a Dynamic Link?," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 231(2), pages 247-265, April.
    11. Claude Lopez & David H. Papell, 2007. "Convergence to Purchasing Power Parity at the Commencement of the Euro," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, February.
    12. Herbert G. Grubel, 1970. "The Theory of Optimum Currency Areas," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 3(2), pages 318-324, May.
    13. Francesco Paolo Mongelli, 2008. "European Economic and Monetary Integration, and the Optimum Currency Area Theory," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 302, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    14. Martin Feldstein, 1997. "The Political Economy of the European Economic and Monetary Union: Political Sources of an Economic Liability," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 23-42, Fall.
    15. A. W. Phillips, 1958. "The Relation Between Unemployment and the Rate of Change of Money Wage Rates in the United Kingdom, 1861–1957," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 25(100), pages 283-299, November.
    16. Yoshihide Ishiyama, 1975. "The Theory of Optimum Currency Areas: A Survey (La théorie des zones monétaires optimales: étude) (La teoría de las zonas monetarias óptimas: Un examen)," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 344-383, July.
    17. Hein, Eckhard & Truger, Achim, 2005. "European Monetary Union: nominal convergence, real divergence and slow growth?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 7-33, March.
    18. Eichengreen, Barry, 1990. "One Money for Europe? Lessons from the US Currency Union," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt6ks1k831, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    19. Alberto Alesina & Francesco Giavazzi, 2010. "Europe and the Euro," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number ales08-1.
    20. Olivier Blanchard, 2007. "Adjustment within the euro. The difficult case of Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 6(1), pages 1-21, April.
    21. Campolmi, Alessia & Faia, Ester, 2011. "Labor market institutions and inflation volatility in the euro area," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 793-812, May.
    22. Alberto Alesina & Francesco Giavazzi, 2010. "Introduction to "Europe and the Euro"," NBER Chapters, in: Europe and the Euro, pages 1-9, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marek Loužek, 2015. "Eurozone Crisis," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2015(1), pages 88-104.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. João Rebelo Barbosa & Rui Henrique Alves, 2011. "Divergent competitiveness in the eurozone and the optimum currency area theory," FEP Working Papers 436, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    2. João Rebelo Barbosa & Rui Henrique Alves, 2011. "The Euro Area Ten Years after Its Creation: (Divergent) Competitiveness and the Optimum Currency Area Theory," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 58(5), pages 605-629, December.
    3. Knobel, A. & Mironov, A., 2015. "Assessment of CIS Countries Readiness for Creation of Currency Union," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 25(1), pages 76-101.
    4. Iulia Andreea Bucur, 2011. "EMU – “Optimum” or “Viable” Currency Area?," Studies and Scientific Researches. Economics Edition, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacau, Faculty of Economic Sciences, issue 16-17.
    5. Paolo Pasimeni, 2014. "An Optimum Currency Crisis," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 11(2), pages 173-204, December.
    6. J.M.C. Santos Silva & Silvana Tenreyro, 2010. "Currency Unions in Prospect and Retrospect," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 51-74, September.
    7. Mogaji, Peter Kehinde, 2015. "Review of Architectural Flaws of the EMU: What Eurozone Crisis Lessons for the Proposed ‘Afrozone’?," MPRA Paper 99334, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Mohd Hussain Kunroo & Irfan Ahmad Sofi & Naushad Ali Azad, 2016. "Trade implications of the Euro in EMU countries: a panel gravity analysis," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 43(2), pages 391-413, May.
    9. Vera Eichenauer & Ronald Indergand & Isabel Z. Martínez & Christoph Sax, 2020. "Constructing Daily Economic Sentiment Indices Based on Google Trends," KOF Working papers 20-484, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    10. Campos, Nauro F. & Eichenauer, Vera Z. & Sturm, Jan-Egbert, 2020. "Close encounters of the European kind: Economic integration, sectoral heterogeneity and structural reforms," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    11. Ansgar Belke & Clemens Domnick & Daniel Gros, 2017. "Business Cycle Synchronization in the EMU: Core vs. Periphery," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 28(5), pages 863-892, November.
    12. Horvath, Julius, 2003. "Optimum currency area theory: A selective review," BOFIT Discussion Papers 15/2003, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    13. Alesina, Alberto & Stella, Andrea, 2010. "The Politics of Monetary Policy," Handbook of Monetary Economics, in: Benjamin M. Friedman & Michael Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Monetary Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 18, pages 1001-1054, Elsevier.
    14. Ailinca, Alina Georgeta & Iordache, Floarea, 2012. "The Current Reforms Of The Labour Markets And Of The Related Social Policies At European Union Level – Are They The Best Solutions To Solve The Problems Which Appeared During The Crisis?," Studii Financiare (Financial Studies), Centre of Financial and Monetary Research "Victor Slavescu", vol. 16(2), pages 147-163.
    15. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2017_028 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. 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.
    17. Campos, Nauro F. & Jarko, Fidrmuc & Iikka, Korhonen, 2017. "Business cycle synchronisation in a currency union: Taking stock of the evidence," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 28/2017, Bank of Finland.
    18. Jacques Sapir, 2018. "The EMU’s Twisted Foundations: How to Use and Misuse Economic Theory," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 29(5), pages 497-506, September.
    19. Puiu, Cristina, 2011. "Optimum currency area: an epistemological view," MPRA Paper 35055, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Louis Sevitenyi Nkwatoh & Yahya Zakari Abdullahi & Chika Usman Aliyu, 2019. "Past and Current European Monetary Union Crises: Lessons for the Envisaged West African Monetary Union," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 50-59.
    21. Mohd Hussain Kunroo, 2015. "Theory of Optimum Currency Areas," Review of Market Integration, India Development Foundation, vol. 7(2), pages 87-116, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimum Currency Area; Economic and Monetary Integration; Euro; Greece.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eco:journ1:2012-03-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ilhan Ozturk (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.econjournals.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.