In 2007, countries in the euro periphery were enjoying stable growth, low deficits and low spreads. Then the financial crisis erupted and pushed them into deep recession, raising their deficits and debt levels. By 2010, they were facing severe debt problems. Spreads increased and, surprisingly,...

In 2007, countries in the Euro periphery were enjoying stable growth, low deficits, and low spreads. Then the financial crisis erupted and pushed them into deep recessions, raising their deficits and debt levels. By 2010,they were facing severe debt problems. Spreads increased and, surprisingly,...

Financial globalization had a rocky start in emerging economies hit by Sudden Stops. Foreign reserves have grown very rapidly since then, as if those countries were practicing a New Mercantilism that views foreign reserves as a war-chest for defense against Sudden Stops. This paper conducts a...

In this paper we assess the present sustainability of Turkey's current account position using the framework provided by Milesi-Ferretti and Razin (1996) based on the ability-to-pay and willingness-to-lend model. This framework allows us to assess the structural features and macroeconomic policy...

In this paper we assess the present sustainability of Turkey's current account position using the framework provided by Milesi-Ferretti and Razin (1996) based on the ability-to-pay and willingness-to-lend model. This framework allows us to assess the structural features and macroeconomic policy...

This study examines the relationship between current-account imbalances and economic growth during the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis for 179 countries (covered by IMF data) and within the EU-27 countries (covered by Eurostat data). The countries are divided into 4 groups by GDP per...

The Greek crisis in 2010 was a ‘tragedy waiting to happen.' However, and contrary to the impression created by the stabilization program's immediate focus on restoring fiscal balance, its roots lie in the eroding over the past three decades international competitiveness and the attendant...

This paper explores primarily the level of international competitiveness of Greece and the degree of fit between the conditions prescribed by the optimal currency areas (OCA) theory with the actual situation in Greece. Given that Greece now shares the same currency with Germany, the de facto...

During the last two decades the emerging countries have experienced an upward trend in reserve accumulation. However, high level of foreign reserve assets implies certain costs. Consequently, given the trade-off between the benefits and the costs of holding reserves, there are issues related to...

To understand the diverse impact of the crisis across emerging market countries, we explore the role of two shocks - the collapse in trade and the sharp decline in financial flows - in the transmission of the crisis from advanced economies to emerging market countries. We first develop a simple...