Publications & Research
Our publications aim to provide in-depth information on issues that are at the forefront of the European agenda, including commentary, research, and policy recommendations. Analysis is provided by in-house researchers, members of the Scientific Council, and the Policy Group, with additional contributions from the rest of our Senior Fellows. Supplementing these scholars is a Strategic Policy Group, which includes business leaders and high-level officials in EU institutions. They work alongside members of the Policy Group to provide a better understanding of the direction of current Italian strategies in the context of European negotiations. The Strategic Policy Group convenes at least twice a year (two regular meetings and additional ones as requested by our director).
SEP produces policy briefs, working papers, five bullets and a monthly newsletter. All publications are available online.
Policy Briefs
The School of European Political Economy’s research efforts form a cornerstone in our mission to discuss, analyze, and shape core issues in European economic policy. Prepared by scholars, faculty, and other academics in our network, these policy briefs and commentaries cover a wide range of topics pertaining to Europe. Completed papers are published on our website and disseminated to our contacts.
The global financial crisis in 2007 and 2009, and the ensuing sovereign debt and banking crises in the eurozone, have profoundly changed the governance and institutions of the EU and EMU. SEP’s think tank was created with the intention of gathering a unique group of researchers who are devoted to understanding the policy issues that have emerged in the new European political economy. Monetary policy, governance, and institutions represent the core interests of our research.
L. Bini Smaghi: Scudo anti-spread e politica monetaria
Che differenza c’è tra lo scudo anti-spread varato dieci anni fa, dopo il famoso “Whatever it takes” pronunciato ...
August, 2 2022
C. Bastasin: Draghi’s resignation and a new – more clever – Fiscal Compact
Italy’s political instability resurfaced on July 14 when Prime Minister Mario Draghi presented his resignation to the ...
July, 18 2022
C. De Vincenti – Green Investments: Two Possible Interpretations of the “Do No Significant Harm” Principle
The concrete implementation of the Next Generation EU strategy and the recent emergence of energy security problem have ...
July, 11 2022
C. Bastasin: Europe cannot be strong if fragmentation risks linger in the euro area
Officially, the fragmentation risks of the euro area – or the extreme divergence of financial conditions in member sta...
June, 15 2022
F. Bontadini, V. Meliciani, M. Savona, A. Wirkierman: Nearshoring and Farsharing in Europe within the Global Economy
Has the world economy really entered a phase of de-globalisation or deceleration in globalisation after the great recess...
June, 10 2022
C. Bastasin: Europe should not encourage the “China vs the US” bipolarity
Deglobalization does not forcedly mean less multilateralism. This is how Europe should think about the likely coming bip...
May, 10 2022
C. Bastasin: Post-war global supply chains – Europe must defend economic cooperation
The European Union is the most open trading area in the world. Changes in the flows of imports and exports have a more p...
April, 10 2022
C. Bastasin: How Italy was about to be excluded from the euro – A behind-the-scenes reconstruction of a historical event
Helmut Kohl’s request, even before saying goodbye, took me completely by surprise: “Tell me about your famil...
March, 29 2022
C. Bastasin: A critical assessment of German Rearmament
If it was not for the events in Ukraine, at any other time Germany’s rearmament, announced by surprise on February 27 ...
March, 14 2022
Working Papers
Working papers are the culmination of research carried out by the internal group at SEP (members of the Scientific Council and our in-house researchers) and by fellows involved in our activities. They represent an important contribution to the international debate on major theoretical and practical economic policy issues facing the EU and EMU.
J. Bonchi, S. Nisticò: Heterogeneity, Bubbles and Monetary Policy
Using a tractable New Keynesian model with heterogeneous agents, we analyze the interplay between heterogeneity and rati...
February, 8 2022
M. Amato, F. Saraceno: Squaring the circle – How to guarantee fiscal space and debt sustainability with a European Debt Agency
This paper contributes to the debate on European macroeconomic governance. What is at stake is creating fiscal space for...
January, 19 2022
P. Benigno, P. Canofari, G. Di Bartolomeo, M. Messori: The Implementation and Rationale of the ECB’s New Inflation Target
In July 2021, the ECB’s target was revised, specifying that the 2% inflation rate threshold should be applied symm...
November, 8 2021
F. Bontadini, R. Evangelista, V. Meliciani, M. Savona – Asymmetries in global value chain integration, technology and employment structures in Europe: Country and sectoral evidence
This paper provides empirical evidence on the complex role played by technology in affecting the relationship between th...
November, 8 2021
P. Esposito, V. Larocca, M. Messori, M. Mischitelli – Bank-based or Market-based financial sources: Which is better for the EU?
This paper examines the relationships between the financial structure and the economicperformance of non-financial corpo...
November, 8 2021
P. Benigno, P. Canofari, G. Di Bartolomeo, M. Messori: Financial Dominance in the Pandemic and Post-Pandemic European Economy
Differently from past episodes, the European institutions responded to the pandemic shock with an appropriate policy mix...
October, 4 2021
P. Nicolaides – The Dispute-Settlement Provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Are they Adequate for the Task?
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom has established new institutions a...
September, 23 2021
A. Erce, E. Mallucci, M. Picarelli: A Journey in the History of Sovereign Defaults on Domestic Law Public Debt
We introduce a novel database on sovereign defaults that involve public debt in- struments governed by domestic law. By ...
September, 22 2021
P. Della Posta, R. Tamborini: The existential trilemma of the EMU in a fiscal target-zone model
The lesson we draw from the EMU crisis of the 2010s, and from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is that the EMU, wh...
September, 8 2021
Five Bullets
C. Bastasin: Italy’s debt causes resistance to new “green” fiscal flexibility
• Brussels is about to start a debate on waivers for green investments from the EU’s budget-deficit rules. However, ...
February, 5 2020
C. Bastasin: ON THE EU COMMISSION’S HARD-NOSED LETTER TO ITALY
• In a strongly worded letter, EU Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici have accused Italy of planning...
October, 22 2018
C. Bastasin: ITALY’S IS NOT A POPULIST GOVERNMENT
● Italy’s government is not just another populist government, more or less similar to the Greek, the British or even...
October, 1 2018
C. Bastasin: Regarding the Letter of the Eight Finance Ministers
● European ministers of finance discussed the future of the EMU on several occasions over the last couple of months. U...
March, 13 2018
M. Messori: ON THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM DEUTSCHE BANK
DEUTSCHE BANK’S DIFFICULTIES, which exploded due to a multi-billion dollar fine required by the U.S. Department of Jus...
October, 4 2016
C. Bastasin: ON ITALY’S ISOLATION IN EUROPE
Italy is suffering from isolation in the European Union and the euro area. This goes far beyond anecdotal evidence of Pr...
September, 29 2016
M. Messori: On Europe, Post-Bratislava
It would be useful to expand and modify Chancellor Merkel’s European agenda in order to reduce the possibility of unde...
September, 21 2016
S. Micossi: On the Italian Criticism of the Bratislava Summit
On migration, while the concerns of Eastern European states were addressed, resulting in explicit promises to aid Bulgar...
September, 19 2016
C. Bastasin: ON MERKEL’S ROLE IN THE REFUGEE CRISIS
Merkel’s management of the Euro crisis actually hinged on the architecture of non- political institutions, with fi...
March, 9 2016
Europe: Facts & Docs
This section contains policy documents, meeting summaries and news that come directly from the EU institutions.
Interview with Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB – February 20, 2023
Watch the interview...
February, 20 2023
Winter 2023 Economic Forecast: EU economy set to avoid recession, but headwinds persist – February 13, 2023
Read the press release...
February, 13 2023
Opening remarks by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Michel following the special meeting of the European Council of 9 February 2023
Read the statement...
February, 10 2023
The battle against inflation is not over yet – Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB – February 8, 2023
Read the interview...
February, 9 2023
ECB Press Conference – February 2, 2023
Get all the info...
February, 6 2023
New challenges in a changing world – Speech by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB – January 23, 2023
Read the transcript...
January, 25 2023
European Commission – Special Address by President von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum, January 17, 2023
Read the transcript...
January, 18 2023
Monetary policy tightening and the green transition – Speech by Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB – January 10, 2023
Read the transcript...
January, 11 2023
Interview with Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank – December 31, 2022
Read the transcript...
December, 31 2022