The head of Germany's Ifo economic institute believes Italians will eventually want to quit the euro currency area if their standard of living does not improve, he told German daily Tagesspiegel. Read full article
The Euro was a bad idea right from the start. Currency union without fiscal union isn't sustainable long term, so if those countries aren't going to go ahead with the fiscal union they may as well disband the Euro now and get it over with.
I do wonder what would have happened if the UK had joined the Euro though. With our giant national debt, probably we'd have needed a bailout just like Ireland, but not even Germany could afford to pay it. The UK would have been forced to leave the Euro, and surely at least Greece and probably several other struggling countries would have followed. Who knows if the Euro could survive that scenario.
If other Countries are considering being in the same situation of leaving the Euro zone (can they leave the currency and remain in the Union, it's not clear from the article)?
This might work out well for the UK in the coming negotiations...
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesThe Euro was a bad idea right from the start. Currency union without fiscal union isn't sustainable long term, so if those countries aren't going to go ahead with the fiscal union they may as well disband the Euro now and get it over with.
Jan 02nd, 2017 - 01:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I do wonder what would have happened if the UK had joined the Euro though. With our giant national debt, probably we'd have needed a bailout just like Ireland, but not even Germany could afford to pay it. The UK would have been forced to leave the Euro, and surely at least Greece and probably several other struggling countries would have followed. Who knows if the Euro could survive that scenario.
If other Countries are considering being in the same situation of leaving the Euro zone (can they leave the currency and remain in the Union, it's not clear from the article)?
Jan 02nd, 2017 - 02:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This might work out well for the UK in the coming negotiations...
Just as well we stayed out of the Euro,
Jan 02nd, 2017 - 07:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0but if Italy does go back to its own currency,
how long before others do the same,
and who would be likely candidates.?
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