Until the global financial crisis of 2007-08, inflation differentials in the euro area could beexplained by a general trend towards price level convergence; that is, countries with lowerprice levels tended to have higher inflation rates than countries with higher price levels.Since then, however,...

This article narrates Ireland’s recent odyssey from the pride and envy of Europe to kneeling supplicant through the eyes of an econometric model of the government bond market. The exercise suggests that, in essence, two developments triggered and propelled Ireland’s drift towards sovereign...

There are at least two reasons why sustainability of public debt is an issue of increasing importance. First, public choice considerations show the danger of excessive use of deficit finance in a democracy. Second, the conditions of a European Monetary Union imply further incentives for deficit...

Public debt in Europe has risen continuously over the last two decades. How is the transition to European Economic and Monetary Union, with the increasing economic interdependence between individual member states which it involves, likely to affect this situation? Which policy issues are of...

One possible solution to the sovereign debt crisis is the European Redemption Pact (ERP) proposed by the German Council of Economic Experts. The ERP provides sustainable financing conditions for participating sovereigns to facilitate bringing public debt ratios below the reference value of 60%...