ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to connect the themes and analyses put forward in the contributions of this collection. Although the chapters were not initially conceived to be the outcome of a collaborative project, they show a unity of purpose in denouncing how the actual design of the European Monetary Union (EMU) as well as the latter’s policy responses to the Eurozone crisis have had negative effects on growth, economic performance and inequalities in several countries. Moreover, the contributions review and bring to light the social effects of European austerity policies, which include gender discrimination, poverty and unemployment. In particular, they give pride of place to the technological challenges that European countries are currently facing. Within this general picture, some articles focus on problems and structural changes in single countries, showing how they are individually affected and which policy responses have been provoked. Meanwhile, other articles attempt to provide suggestions and policy recommendations to overcome the present standstill. This collection is a tribute to the work of Annamaria Simonazzi. Her recent co-authored book, Crisis in the European Monetary Union: A Core-Periphery Perspective (Routledge, 2018), as well as her numerous other publications, have provided inspiration for several contributions in this volume and guidance for many current discussions on the EMU and its policies.
