A real opportunity or wishful thinking?

by Professor Iain Begg
Academic Co-Director of the Dahrendorf Forum and Co-Chair of the Dahrendorf Working Group “The Future Of European Governance”. He is also a Professorial Research Fellow in the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Council Member of the Federal Trust.

25th March 2020

This Briefing was first published by Dahrendorf Forum.

The Euro has consistently ‘punched below its weight’  as an international currency, especially when compared with the US dollar. While there have been solid reasons for not promoting a greater global presence for the Euro up until now- giving it time to grow; global financial crisis; sovereign debt crisis – the time has come for adjusting the course and push for an enhanced international role.

In this policy brief, Iain Begg assesses the case for active promotion of a greater international role for the euro. The piece discusses the necessary steps to enhance its prospects, explains why now is the moment for this to happen, and concludes with recommendations.