Macroeconomic policies of the Economic and Monetary Union: theoretical underpinnings and challenges

Over the past two decades there has been a prevailing shift in economic policy in many countries. This reflects the continuing rise of neo-liberalism – the doctrine that economic policy should ‘leave it to the market’ and that governments should retreat from market intervention. This book provides a balanced and comprehensive appraisal of these important policy developments. The authors examine the most notable trends in neo-liberal economic policy such as the withdrawal from the use of fiscal measures and the reliance on monetary policy. They discuss the neo-liberal view that the causes of unemployment lie in the operation of the labour market, in particular its inflexibility. They also assess the increasing inclination towards the liberalisation and deregulation of markets, most notably financial markets.