The article summarizes recognized empirical knowledge about the causes of currency crises, making use of several extensive empirical studies carried out in the late 1990s, and examines select theoretical models of such causation. The results are divided into three levels of causes: general risk...

The large financial crises in the last decade have increased the interest of many economists in searching for some indicators, which can predict speculative attacks on currencies. Most of these studies concern on emerging economies, because they are more vulnerable to such speculative attacks....

The article aims at introducing new methodology for recognizing suitable indicators to monitor the potential risk of extensive pressure on the exchange rate (early warning indicators) and for identifying vulnerabilities in an economy to this pressure reflected by simultaneous negative...

The paper provides an introduction to essays published in this volume, which focus on nominal and real convergence in transition countries. The paper is based on the idea that the process of convergence can, to a large extent, be viewed via developments in real exchange rates. Key issues...

The coordination of the economic policies of the EU Member countries started in the early 90´ s has become a permanent feature of the European integration process. Gradually a rather complicated mechanism has evolved aiming to combine and complement policies pursued at EU level with policies...

The article deals with the role of the central banks in advanced market economies and the theoretical possibility of abolishing these institutions. Central banks have monopolies in some areas, especially regarding monetary policy. In many countries, central banks also have monopolies in other...

The author reverts the current mainstream discussion of deflation hampering economic growth. The author first revises the definition inflation that is often misinterpreted. He shows that deflation is a natural phenomenon that often follows periods of unsustainable asset-price bubbles. He also...