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The European Rescue of the Washington Consensus? EU and IMF Lending to Central and Eastern European Countries

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  • Susanne Lütz & Matthias Kranke

Abstract

The latest global financial crisis has allowed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a spectacular comeback. But despite its notorious reputation as a staunch advocate of restrictive economic policies, the Fund has displayed less preference for austerity in recent crisis lending. Though widely welcomed as overdue, the IMF’s shift away from what John Williamson coined the ‘Washington Consensus’ was met with resistance from the European Union (EU) where it concerned Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The situation of hard-hit Hungary, Latvia, and Romania propelled unprecedented cooperation between the IMF and the EU, in which the EU has very actively promoted orthodox measures in return for loans. We argue that this represents a European rescue of the Washington Consensus. The case of Latvia is paradigmatic for the profound disagreements between an austerity-demanding EU and a less austere IMF. The IMF’s stance contradicts conventional wisdom about the organization as the guardian of economic orthodoxy. To solve this puzzle, we shed light on three complementary factors of (non)learning that have shaped the EU’s relations vis-à-vis CEE borrowing countries in comparison to the IMF’s: (1) a disadvantageous institutional setting; (2) vociferous creditor coalitions; (3) the precarious eurozone project.

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  • Susanne Lütz & Matthias Kranke, 2010. "The European Rescue of the Washington Consensus? EU and IMF Lending to Central and Eastern European Countries," Europe in Question Discussion Paper Series of the London School of Economics (LEQs) 2, London School of Economics / European Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:erp:leqsxx:p0022
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    Cited by:

    1. Petr Koráb & Jitka Poměnková, 2014. "Financial Crisis and Financing Constraints of SMEs in Visegrad Countries," WIFO Working Papers 485, WIFO.
    2. Gurgen OHANYAN, 2013. "The Sway of IMF Policies on the Romanian Economy amid Global Financial Crisis," REVISTA ADMINISTRATIE SI MANAGEMENT PUBLIC, Faculty of Administration and Public Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 2013(21), pages 27-42, December.
    3. Kevin Featherstone, 2012. "Le choc de la nouvelle? Maastricht, déjà vu and EMU reform," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 52, European Institute, LSE.
    4. Vassilis Monastiriotis & Sotirios Zartaloudis, 2010. "Beyond the crisis: EMU and labour market reform pressures in good and bad times," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 23, European Institute, LSE.
    5. Kevin Featherstone, 2016. "Conditionality, Democracy and Institutional Weakness: the Euro-crisis Trilemma," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54, pages 48-64, September.
    6. Cristina Matos, 2013. "The Shifting Welfare State in Hungary and Latvia," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(4), pages 851-891, October.
    7. Deborah Mabbett & Waltraud Schelkle, 2015. "What difference does Euro membership make to stabilization? The political economy of international monetary systems revisited," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 508-534, June.
    8. Robert Shelburne, 2010. "The Global Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Trade: The World and the European Emerging Economies," ECE Discussion Papers Series 2010_2, UNECE.
    9. Kevin Featherstone, 2012. "Le choc de la nouvelle? Maastricht, déjà vu and EMU reform," Europe in Question Discussion Paper Series of the London School of Economics (LEQs) 2, London School of Economics / European Institute.
    10. Pistor Katharina, 2012. "Governing Interdependent Financial Systems: Lessons from the Vienna Initiative," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-25, January.
    11. Ilene Grabel, 2011. "Promising Avenues, False Starts and Dead Ends: Global Governance and Development Finance in the Wake of the Crisis," Working Papers wp241_revised, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    12. Vivien Schmidt, 2010. "Democracy and Legitimacy in the European Union Revisited - Input, Output and Throughput," KFG Working Papers p0021, Free University Berlin.
    13. Carlo Panico, Francesco Purificato, Elvira Sapienza, 2015. "Benefici, problemi e prospettive dell’integrazione monetaria in Europa (Benefits, issues and future of monetary integration in Europe)," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 68(271), pages 305-339.
    14. Yilmaz Akyüz, 2014. "Internationalization of Finance and Changing Vulnerabilities in Emerging and Developing Economies," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 217, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    15. Ilene Grabel, 2010. "Promising Avenues, False Starts and Dead Ends: Global Governance and Development Finance in the Wake of the Crisis," Working Papers wp241, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    16. Santiago Capraro & Carlo Panico & Ignacio Perrotini & Francesco Purificato, 2012. "Austerit? o politiche coordinate ed espansive? Le difficili scelte delle autorit? europee," STUDI ECONOMICI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2012(108), pages 81-112.
    17. Vinod Vyasulu, 2015. "‘Good’ Governance in India: How Good or Bad?," Millennial Asia, , vol. 6(2), pages 111-127, October.

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    IMF; policy learning; East-Central Europe; Latvia;
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