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The Fragility of Two Monetary Regimes: The European Monetary System and the Eurozone

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  • Paul De Grauwe
  • Yuemei Ji

Abstract

We analyse the similarities and the differences in the fragility of the European Monetary System (EMS) and the Eurozone. We test the hypothesis that in the EMS, the fragility arose from the absence of a credible lender of last resort in the foreign exchange markets; whereas in the Eurozone, it was the absence of a lender of last resort in the long‐term government bond markets that caused the fragility. We conclude that in the EMS, the national central banks were weak and fragile, and the national governments were insulated from this weakness by the fact that they kept their own national currencies. In the Eurozone, the roles were reversed. The national central banks that became part of the Eurosystem were strengthened. This came at a huge price, that is, the fragilization of the national governments that could be brought down by the whims of fear and frenzy in financial markets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul De Grauwe & Yuemei Ji, 2015. "The Fragility of Two Monetary Regimes: The European Monetary System and the Eurozone," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:ijfiec:v:20:y:2015:i:1:p:1-15
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    1. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1986. "Rational and Self-fulfilling Balance-of-Payments Crises," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(1), pages 72-81, March.
    2. De Grauwe, Paul, 2016. "Economics of Monetary Union," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 11, number 9780198739876.
    3. Francesco Giavazzi & Marco Pagano, 1990. "Can Severe Fiscal Contractions Be Expansionary? Tales of Two Small European Countries," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1990, Volume 5, pages 75-122, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Paul De Grauwe, 2014. "The Governance of a Fragile Eurozone," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Exchange Rates and Global Financial Policies, chapter 12, pages 297-320, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Eichengreen, Barry & Mody, Ashoka, 2000. "Lending booms, reserves and the sustainability of short-term debt: inferences from the pricing of syndicated bank loans," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 5-44, October.
    6. Jonathan Eaton & Mark Gersovitz & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1991. "The Pure Theory of Country Risk," NBER Chapters, in: International Volatility and Economic Growth: The First Ten Years of The International Seminar on Macroeconomics, pages 391-435, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. James, Harold, 2012. "Making the European Monetary Union," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674066830, Spring.
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    Cited by:

    1. Corrado Macchiarelli, 2018. "What is the EU-UK relation all about? Tracking the path from monetary integration to “ever closeness”," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 137, European Institute, LSE.
    2. De Grauwe, Paul & Ji, Yuemei, 2022. "The fragility of the Eurozone: has it disappeared?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112543, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Christophe Blot & Jérôme Creel & Paul Hubert & Fabien Labondance, 2020. "The role of ECB monetary policy and financial stress on Eurozone sovereign yields," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1189-1211, September.
    4. Camarero, Mariam & Carrion-i-Silvestre, Josep Lluís & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2015. "Testing for external sustainability under a monetary integration process. Does the Lawson doctrine apply to Europe?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 343-349.
    5. De Grauwe, Paul & Ji, Yuemei, 2014. "How much Fiscal Discipline in a Monetary Union?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 39(PB), pages 348-360.
    6. Christophe Blot & Jérôme Creel & Paul Hubert & Fabien Labondance, 2017. "Eurozone bond market dynamics, ECB monetary policy and financial stress," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2017-18, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    7. De Grauwe, Paul & Ji, Yuemei, 2022. "The fragility of the Eurozone: Has it disappeared?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/8vns9so6b9pnqfo7eebjgfann is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Nikolaos Antonakakis & Ioannis Chatziantoniou & David Gabauer, 2021. "The impact of Euro through time: Exchange rate dynamics under different regimes," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 1375-1408, January.
    10. Heimberger, Philipp, 2023. "Public debt and r-g risks in advanced economies: Eurozone versus stand-alone," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    11. Fendel Ralf & Frenkel Michael, 2019. "Putting European Monetary Integration into a Historical Perspective: Two Decades of the European Monetary System versus Two Decades of the European Monetary Union," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(5-6), pages 769-795, October.
    12. Gros, Daniel, 2014. "The EMS Crisis of the 1990s: Parallels with the present crisis?," CEPS Papers 9119, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    13. Paniagua, Jordi & Sapena, Juan & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2017. "Sovereign debt spreads in EMU: The time-varying role of fundamentals and market distrust," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 187-206.
    14. Balli, Faruk & Pericoli, Filippo M. & Pierucci, Eleonora, 2018. "Globalization and international risk-sharing: The role of social and political integration," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 324-345.
    15. Dana Kiselakova & Beata Sofrankova & Miroslava Soltes, 2016. "Analytical View on the Financial and Social Stability within the Euro Area: Empirical Evidence from Slovakia," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(4), pages 1637-1645.
    16. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/8vns9so6b9pnqfo7eebjgfann is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions

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