This paper contributes to the discussion on the European current account imbalances by analysing the intra-European trends since 1990 based on the theory of optimum currency areas. The authors show that German unification was the origin of not only the 1992-93 EMS crisis but also rising...

The European Union has issued recommendations and benchmarks on the provision of childcare facilities in the member states. In this field Germany is still one of the laggards. In response, federal laws have been adopted in the last few years implementing EU soft law. According to German federal...