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This book is a Festschrift to Annamaria Simonazzi and embraces the themes that she has contributed to over the years through her insightful and inspiring works. It brings together contributions from a number of distinguished European economists, which pay tribute to her by engaging in a dialogue with her research, simultaneously reflecting on the process of growing economic disintegration in the European Union, its causes and its possible remedies.
The book shows the deep interrelations between macroeconomic issues and the social sphere, and points to the need to rethink the very foundations of European economic policies as an effective antidote to growing imbalances and disintegration. In particular, the effects of austerity are assessed alongside the dimensions of inequality, gender discrimination, poverty, and unemployment, broadening the perspective also beyond the Eurozone. The authors envision a progressive society, in which investments in research and intelligent industrial policies govern the processes of technological change and drive the economy towards a more efficient and more equal model of development characterized by high productivity and high wages. While some chapters deal directly with policy issues, policy suggestions and proposals are scattered throughout the whole book.
This volume will appeal to academics, economists, and policy-makers interested in understanding the policy response of European institutions to the challenges posed by both the Great Recession and subsequent developments in the European economies. The book is written in an engaging and accessible way, and the themes are broad enough to generate interest from the international public.
List of contents
Introduction Part I Europe in crisis: the case of Italy, Spain and Germany 1. The economic consequences of the Maastricht Treaty: why Italy’s permanent crisis is a warning to the Eurozone 2. Recovery or stagnation? Spain and Italy after the Great Recession 3. The German “reforms” – no model for the EU Part II Integration and disintegration in the European Monetary Union 4. Did monetary union make political uinion less likely? 5. External imbalances and European integration 6. The Italian economy from WWII to the EMU: structural weaknesses and external constraints Part III The social effects of neoliberal macroeconomics 7. Market income inequality and welfare state redistribution in Europe: some facts and policy suggestions 8. Labour market reforms in Europe and young people’s labour market integration in turbulent times 9. Prolonged austerity and gender equality: the cases of Greece and UK compared 10. Disseminating expertise on gender and economics: the experience of inGenere.itPart IV Technological challenge and policy 11. Is automation beneficial for society as a whole? What we can learn re-reading Ricardo and Marx on machinery and labour 12. Working conditions and quality of work in the digitized factory 13. Digital transformation in the automotive supply chain: a comparative perspective 14. Productive structures and industrial policy in the EU 15. Vision vs improvisation: on the industrial future of Italy
About the author
Maria Cristina Marcuzzo is Full Professor of Economics at the University of Rome, ‘La Sapienza’, Italy, and Fellow of the Italian Academy of Lincei.
Antonella Palumbo is Associate Professor of Economics at Roma Tre University, Italy.
Paola Villa is Full Professor of Economics at the University of Trento, Italy.
Summary
This book brings together contributions from a number of distinguished European economists, who present a tribute to Annamaria Simonazzi and engage in a dialogue with her research, simultaneously reflecting on the process of growing economic disintegration in the European Union, its causes and possible remedies.
