We analyze the role of fiscal policy and intra-European trade in business cycle synchronization in the EU for the period 1995-2008. There is a broad consensus that the relationship between fiscal policy and business cycle comovements and between trade integration and cyclical synchronization are...

Studies often conclude that the proposed Southern African Development Community monetary union would be disastrous and not optimal for all member countries. This is because of the observed low, and sometimes negative business cycle correlation amongst member countries. However, it has been...

This article investigates the effects of the different exchange rate regimes on business cycles comovement between advanced and emerging countries. We use the Granger Causality test (VAR model) on panel data to examine the causal relationships. Our findings show the existence of a bidirectional...

In this research project, we attempt to examine the behavior of business cycles in Asia in order to deepen our understanding of and expand research on this topic. Given the importance of the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the United States in the region economy, we use these three...

The experience of other successful monetary unions and economic theory suggest that the euro area would benefit from the establishment of a supranational fiscal capacity. Institutional reforms prompted by the crisis (e.g., the European Stability Mechanism and the banking union) are introducing...

The Brexit issue has caused much concern regarding the future economic scenario of Europe in particular and the world in general. There are several reasons for Brexit. One of them is that the very nature of Monetary Unions is its rigidity. The 'one size fits all' yardstick won't apply to many...

Unofficial euroisation is explored in this paper as a push factor towards EMU membership. The paper investigates the presence of foreign currency alongside the domestic currency in the economy and its consequences regarding the conduct of monetary and exchange rate policy. Investigation of the...

In contrast to Robert Mundell‘s Optimum Currency Area theory and his recommendation of forming monetary union, the economic fundamentals of Euro area member countries have not harmonized. The opposite holds: the Euro core countries – most of all Germany, but also the Netherlands and Finland...

This paper analyzes the causes of the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone and examines the policy alternatives confronting euro area governments. It suggests that pooling fiscal risks, creating an EU Treasury and issuing jointly-backed euro bonds is an optimal solution and the inevitable...