Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans

European countries are economically dependent upon each other. This paper therefore embeds the analysis of the Western Balkan countries within a wider perspective of the European economy as a whole. It combines a simple core-periphery model with an under-consumption model to provide an explanation o...

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Main Authors: Will Bartlett, Ivana Prica
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Università Carlo Cattaneo LIUC 2017-06-01
Series:The European Journal of Comparative Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ejce.liuc.it/18242979201701/182429792017140107.pdf
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author Will Bartlett
Ivana Prica
author_facet Will Bartlett
Ivana Prica
author_sort Will Bartlett
collection DOAJ
description European countries are economically dependent upon each other. This paper therefore embeds the analysis of the Western Balkan countries within a wider perspective of the European economy as a whole. It combines a simple core-periphery model with an under-consumption model to provide an explanation of the emergence of secular stagnation, the dependency relationships between the core and peripheries of the European economy, and the spillover effects of Eurozone crisis to the Western Balkans. Due to tendencies to under-consumption, the core countries have been vulnerable to secular stagnation. In order to overcome this tendency within the Eurozone they are dependent on export revenues from the peripheries to sustain their economic growth. This has led to high trade and current account deficits during the boom and placed the peripheries in a highly vulnerable position during the recession period. Financialisation of the European economy has emerged as a response to the tendency towards secular stagnation, as the provision of consumer credit stimulated demand and temporarily overcame under consumption tendencies. The paper argues that continuing austerity, as a method to create internal devaluation, is unlikely to succeed as a means to extricate the periphery countries from the crisis. Given the dependencies of the European economies upon one another, a possibly better way out of the current period of low growth and stagnation would be a coordinated fiscal expansion to stimulate domestic and Europe-wide demand.
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spelling doaj.art-f997fbd48da3485f91ff31feb64fba062022-12-21T22:23:59ZengUniversità Carlo Cattaneo LIUCThe European Journal of Comparative Economics1824-29792017-06-0114112313910.25428/1824-2979/201701-123-139Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western BalkansWill BartlettIvana PricaEuropean countries are economically dependent upon each other. This paper therefore embeds the analysis of the Western Balkan countries within a wider perspective of the European economy as a whole. It combines a simple core-periphery model with an under-consumption model to provide an explanation of the emergence of secular stagnation, the dependency relationships between the core and peripheries of the European economy, and the spillover effects of Eurozone crisis to the Western Balkans. Due to tendencies to under-consumption, the core countries have been vulnerable to secular stagnation. In order to overcome this tendency within the Eurozone they are dependent on export revenues from the peripheries to sustain their economic growth. This has led to high trade and current account deficits during the boom and placed the peripheries in a highly vulnerable position during the recession period. Financialisation of the European economy has emerged as a response to the tendency towards secular stagnation, as the provision of consumer credit stimulated demand and temporarily overcame under consumption tendencies. The paper argues that continuing austerity, as a method to create internal devaluation, is unlikely to succeed as a means to extricate the periphery countries from the crisis. Given the dependencies of the European economies upon one another, a possibly better way out of the current period of low growth and stagnation would be a coordinated fiscal expansion to stimulate domestic and Europe-wide demand.http://ejce.liuc.it/18242979201701/182429792017140107.pdfsecular stagnationwestern balkanscore-periphery
spellingShingle Will Bartlett
Ivana Prica
Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
The European Journal of Comparative Economics
secular stagnation
western balkans
core-periphery
title Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
title_full Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
title_fullStr Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
title_full_unstemmed Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
title_short Interdependence between core and peripheries of the European economy: secular stagnation and growth in the Western Balkans
title_sort interdependence between core and peripheries of the european economy secular stagnation and growth in the western balkans
topic secular stagnation
western balkans
core-periphery
url http://ejce.liuc.it/18242979201701/182429792017140107.pdf
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