Article Abstract:
There are problems in achieving a common employment strategy in Europe when the different member governments of the EuropeanUnion (EU) have different approaches to the issue. Britain uses a low minimum wage and pressure on welfare benefits, following the US approach, while France has used subsidies for young people and a shorter working week. The usage of generalities and a focus on both cohesion and competitiveness is one way to tackle differences. The Netherlands has been successful in maintaining generous welfare payments and achieving low unemployment. The idea of encouraging the unemployed to work, and a stress on training have both become more common in Europe.
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Article Abstract:
European monetary union starts in Jan 1999, and there are discussions as to the direction of European economic policy. There are calls for the European central bank to take on a wider role, and for tax harmonisation to prevent countries from gaining an unfair advantage. High taxes, high levels of public spending, and too much regulation are the causes of unemployment in Europe. Proposals for coordination should be assessed on whether they will remedy these deficiencies, and the signs are that they will not.
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Article Abstract:
Former German finance minister, Oskar Lafontaine, has resigned, and there were many opponents of his views, yet he has been correct on some issues such as the need to cut European interest rates. His assessment of the problems implied by the stability and grwoth pact was correct, as is seen by lack of synchronization among European economies. Lafontaine was also correct in seeing the euro's value as a key issue, and in his stress on the need for harmonization of regulatory and tax systems in Europe.
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