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The euro as an international currency

Author

Listed:
  • Agnès Bénassy-Quéré

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

The euro, in spite of having many of the required attributes put forward by the theoretical literature and past experience, has failed to fulfill all the criteria that would enable it to rival the dollar as an international currency. This does not mean that the euro cannot achieve a status similar to that of the dollar; however, the window of opportunity may not last much more than a decade before the renminbi overtakes the euro. European monetary unification has never explicitly sought for its currency to gain an international status. This makes sense insofar as the key elements required for the euro to expand internationally are also those to be pursued internally: GDP growth; a fiscal backing to the single currency; a deep, liquid and resilient capital market; and a unified external representation of the euro area.
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Suggested Citation

  • Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, 2015. "The euro as an international currency," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01299083, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-01299083
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gergely Hudecz & Edmund Moshammer & Alexander Raabe & Gong Cheng, 2021. "The euro in the world," Discussion Papers 16, European Stability Mechanism, revised 27 Oct 2021.

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    Keywords

    money;

    JEL classification:

    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

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