Progetto euro: cosa è andato storto? La riforma necessaria dell’Eurozona

The article offers an overview of the literature on the many institutional weaknesses of the Eurozone exposed in the 2009-2013 period. Comparing failures with expected outcomes clarifies where the original project has gone wrong. Three main conclusions are offered. a) The Eurozone is even less a viable currency area than it was believed; the theory of Optimal Currency Areas underestimates the costs and overestimates the benefits of the euro; (b) Asymmetric shocks are stronger than expected; (c) Institutions are biased, ill-suited for managing even symmetric negative demand shocks. A comprehensive institutional reform would be the most appropriate response.