Will The Euro Survive The Corona Crisis?

How to get out of this crisis? Member State leaders are meeting tomorrow to answer that question. On the agenda: loans, grants, and more financial measures to combat the economic effects of Covid-19. Studio Europa Maastricht spoke with Clemens Kool, professor of Monetary and Financial Economics, about a monetary union that continues drifting apart. His conclusion? “We haven’t developed sufficient mechanisms to absorb shocks together.”

Across the European Union, the economic shock of Covid-19 has been severe. But its effects have not been not evenly distributed. “That’s partially a matter of luck,” Kool says. “In the Netherlands, it was a combination of carnivals, traditionally held in the winter in the southern regions, and people returning from skiing trips that meant the virus spread quickly in the south. The same regional differences occur everywhere, so you could say Covid-19 is a regional rather than a national problem. The spread of Covid-19 depends on the regional characteristics: is the region densely populated? Is it an industrial center or countryside? How are the demographics? All these factors together determine the first virological and economic impact of the virus.” 

Clemens Kool
Clemens Kool
corona euro

Also read

  • SBE took first place in the Rotterdam School of Management Star Case Competition (RSMCC). The competition welcomed 16 top-level international business teams of four students, who were tasked with tackling two real-life business cases.

  • Alisa moved from Moscow to the Netherlands at 17 years old to become a first-year Regenerative Medicine and Technology (RMT) bachelor’s student. Turns out Alisa’s adventurous spirit pushes her to brand-new things, such as the RMT bachelor’s programme and her hobby Tribal Fusion dancing.

  • Meet Lillianne Evertsz, whose journey from HBO to higher education epitomizes resilience. Initially challenged by high tuition fees, Lillianne's dreams of university education seemed unattainable until she received a scholarship. This support enabled her to pursue her desired program without the...