A simple econometric framework is presented linking current account balances of euro area countries to intra and extra euro area competitiveness, cyclical positions, fiscal positions and the oil price. The framework is then used to cyclically-adjust observed current account balances and...

Chapter 1. introduction -- Chapter 2. The German Hyperinflation of 1923 -- Chapter 3. Macroeconomic Developments from the End of theof the 1960s to the early 1980s -- Chapter 4. The Inflation Wave from the Late 1960s onward -- Chapter 5. Comparison of developments in the various countries --...