We argue that the doctrine of the economic advantages of central bank independence cannot be uncritically transferred to the European Central Bank (ECB). To our opinion, it is the State, not its central bank, who bears the ultimate responsibility for the purchasing power of its paper money. Now,...

This paper starts with a brief description of the situation before the establishment of the European Monetary Union (EMU), i.e., the problems of the European Monetary System (EMS) which was established in 1979 and was in need of repair. The paper then deals with the various possibilities of...