Europe, the European union and the euro

The road to the euro

Fiscal and monetary policy in the euro zone

The crisis

Europe in the wake of the global financial crisis

Outline of this book

A financial and economic crisis in Greece

Introduction

The incubation of modern Greece

The economy in the eighties and early nineties

Fiscal Policy

Monetary policy and financial deregulation

The macroeconomic environment

Slowing productivity growth as a prelude to access to the euro

On the statistics provided by the Greek government

Access to the European monetary union

An apparent boom

Dynamic of the crisis in Greece

Ireland: from prosperity to crisis

Introduction

A condensed pre-history of Ireland's economy

The post war history of the Irish economy

Ideas

Actors

Action and Policy changes

1966-1973

1970s and 1980s

Context

Politics and policies

The Celtic Tiger 1993-2007

A blueprint for economic growth

Results

The onset of the crisis

A hiccough

Real estate and a few prophets

How the real estate boom came to an abrupt pause

A dynamic of the crisis in Ireland

Spain, the euro and a crisis

Introduction

Spain before 2007

The financial situation of Spain in 2007

The real estate bubble in Spain, 1997-2008: spurious explanations

The real estate bubble in Spain, 1997-2008: underlying factors

The demographic situation

Interest rates

La ley del suelo

Corruption of local officials

The role of money laundering in launching the real estate bubble

Financing real estate: the cajas de ahorro.

Dynamics of the financial crisis in Spain

How Italy experienced the euro crisis

Introduction

A condensed history of Italy's economy

The Golden Age, 1953-1971

The impact of state owned enterprises

The close of the sixties

The Seventies and Eighties

The electorate revolts 1992-1994

Italy in the euro

A dynamic of the financial crisis in Italy

Chapter 6 Conclusion: the crisis and lessons for the administration of the euro

Understanding the euro crisis

Overview of this book

Similarities and differences in the crisis experience

Lessons from the crises in Europe

A lesson from the euro crisis

Coda

Bibliography

Index