The British Government's proposal to develop the ECU gradually into a "hard" European currency has begun to be viewed in a more positive light. What principles are at the heart of this proposal? Does a "hard" ECU have advantages over the existing ECU? What are its chances as a parallel currency?

In a recent editorial (cf. INTERECONOMICS, No. 3/1984, p. 101) Professor Armin Gutowski commented on the surprising increase of the external value of the US dollar which seems to defy traditional explanations of exchange rate determination. The following article presents an American...