The ECB can fulfil its mandate better and contribute to a stronger Europe by adopting sensible rules instead of relying on discretionary decision-making. A simple rule for the policy rate can promote systematic monetary policy and protect against significant policy errors. Ending the reliance on...

This paper reviews developments in the Cypriot economy following the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2008 and leading to the economic collapse of the island five years later. The main cause of the collapse is identified with the election of a communist government in February 2008, within...

This paper explores the dominant role of politics in decisions made by euro area governments during the crisis. Decisions that appear to have been driven by local political considerations to the detriment of the euro area as a whole are discussed. The domination of politics over economics has...