A number of studies have concluded that, contrary to expectations, European monetary union has not reduced income disparities among the 12 Western European member countries. In fact, incomes per capita between Southern and Northern Eurozone members have diverged since the Eurozone was created,...

It is generally accepted that Western Europe's exceptional economic performance in the so-called "Golden Age" (1950-73) was primarily due to a catch-up process as countries combined their surplus labour with imported American technology to (partially) close the gap in per capita incomes with the...