Foreword

Buoyed by the uptick in the world economy, the performance of the euro area continued to improve somewhat during 2014. However, it remains weak, with discrepancies across EU member states where political uncertainties and economic rigidities persist. The government bond purchases by the European Central Bank now give new hope for southern Europe and France, as it may well depreciate the euro and help overcome their competitive crises, inflating Germany and other northern euro countries in the process.