The fiscal governance of the EMU is in dire need of reform. Its current arrangements suff er from several shortcomings, most notably, the limitations they impose on national fiscal policies, steering them towards too restrictive or pro-cyclical stances; the absence of an unconditional lender of...

pt. 1. The financial side : the burden of debt and the loss of confidence -- pt. 2. The balance of payments constraint : trade deficits as a source of risky debt -- pt. 3. The real side of the economy : the problem of effective demand and the failure of austerity policies.

Starting from the view that the crises in the euro zone were basically triggered by financial markets and reinforced by a lack of instruments for effective economic policy at the EMU level (Economic and Monetary Union), this working paper contributes to the ongoing debate on how to reform the...