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Commentary & analysis with a focus on European economic policy

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Analysis of the proposal „A constructive approach to Euro Area reform“

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A group of 14 prominent economists, seven each from France and from Germany, has issued a detailed and rather comprehensive proposal for reform of the Euro Area (CEPR 2018).* This is a welcome initiative. There is a window of opportunity for reform in the Euro Area. Economically it has been created by the strengthening and increasingly broad economic upturn: policymakers can leave firefighting mode and focus on structural governance reforms. Politically it has been opened up by the 2015 report by the five presidents of the EU institutions, the initiatives by the new French President Macron, the proposals by the European Commission of December 2017, and, most recently, the declarations of intent on Europe emerging from the grand-coalition talks in Germany.

Together Germany and France account for half of Euro Area GDP. The authors of the report are all well-known in policy-oriented circles, while coming from different traditions. For all these reasons the report is set to be very influential. This appraisal follows the structure of the report itself, examining the underlying philosophy and problem analysis (1), the proposals relating to the financial sector (2), to fiscal governance (3) and finally institutional questions (4). An overall assessment with recommendations for extensions and alternatives concludes (5). [Read more…]

Wolfgang Schäuble’s poisoned parting gift to the Euro Area

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Those who wish to leave – so a German saying – you should not seek to dissuade from so doing. To few people is the phrase more applicable than to Wolfgang Schäuble who is resigning the post of German finance minister and, with it, that of de facto head of the Euro Group. He held these roles since 2009,  that is virtually since the onset of the Euro Area crisis. While the crisis and the associated double-dip recession was a failure that had many fathers, Dr. Schäuble was arguably the most wanton of those who, to paraphrase Keynes, blundered in the control of a delicate machine, the working of which he does not understand.

On the other hand, the fact that someone who has caused much harm is leaving an influential post does not mean that his or her influence falls to zero. His arty certainly remains the dominant force in German politics. Nor, alas, does it necessarily mean that the successor will be an improvement: it seems likely that he or she will come from the liberal FDP which campaigned on a manifesto of rejecting any form of transfers or bail-outs, and threatening countries that fail to meet tough fiscal targets with being forced out of the single currency.

At his last Eurogroup meeting the departing German finance minister left a chilling message of his own in the form of a short non-paper on European economic policy. I will go through point by point, but the spoiler is simple: it represents a doubling down of believers in Maastricht and a complete rejection of all the risk-sharing and stability-promoting ideas tabled by the European authorities and, most vividly, by French President Macron. [Read more…]

Après Macron – Schulz en marche?

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On Sunday Emmanuel Macron embarks on a five-year term as President of the second largest EU country. An overwhelming two-thirds of those casting a valid ballot – and a sizeable 42% of all eligible voters – backed him. French people are weary of the political system, as manifested by the demise of the traditional centre-right and centre-left parties.  While France faces several problems, its economic and social model is far from the basket case that it is often made out to be by those antithetic to a large public sector and who want more liberté and less égalité et fraternité.

Nonetheless, the fact is that without external support Macron and his La République en marche! Movement/party will fail. The reasons for this are not the superficial ones linked to the candidate himself. His youth and inexperience are not the issue. He may lack a party machine but he does not need a parliamentary majority for the party emerging from his movement. I would be surprised if he fails to put together a working-majority coalition between centrists and the right wing of the social democrats (PS) and the left wing of the conservatives. With the PS pulverised and the Republicans demoralised, I don’t anticipate any shortage of takers.

His problem – and it is very much Europe’s problem – is rather that his programme is very unlikely to work electorally under prevailing circumstances. Essentially, ‘Macronism’ consists of a two-handed, and supposedly joined-up, strategy. At home, ‘structural’ reforms to increase competitiveness and stimulate growth, along with moderate fiscal consolidation to reduce government debt levels. In Europe, far-reaching changes to economic governance in the direction of a step-change in political integration, driven by a new and equal partnership between that old two-cylinder motor: Germany and France. The alleged link is that the efforts to strengthen France domestically will force Germany to recognize it as an equal partner, while falling debt levels reduce the perceived risk to German policymakers of pooling sovereignty.

There are many reasons why this sensible-sounding approach is highly unlikely to work, unless external conditions change for the better. [Read more…]