AUTHOR'S BIO
Leszek Balcerowicz
Leszek Balcerowicz is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland (1989-1991; 1997-2000) and a former President of the National Bank of Poland (2001-2007).
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A More Perfect Monetary Union
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: European Economies 2010-05-10The eurozone is often considered an experiment: a monetary union without political unification. But such monetary unions have existed – the gold standard being the most notable example – and they offer some important lessons about how to make the eurozone work.... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 1 Read: 14529
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Trial by Crisis
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: Frontiers of Growth 2010-03-16
Episodes like the current financial crisis seriously disrupt economic growth. But the question that we should be asking concerns such episodes’ impact on longer-term development – and that question has attracted surprisingly little interest.... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 0 Read: 10564
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Lessons from the Kaczyński’s Poland
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: European Economies 2007-11-12The defeat of the Kaczyński twins' Law and Justice Party in Poland brought sighs of relief across Europe. But, as Donald Tusk’s new government assumes office it is important to learn the lessons that their defeat holds for all of us.... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 0 Read: 17778
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Liberty’s Revolutionary Muse
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: The World in Words 2006-11-19Great social thinkers are almost always start out as polarizing figures, admired by some and scorned by others, until their radical challenge to how we understand the world finally prevails. Milton Friedman was a giant among modern social thinkers for at least two reasons. First, he profoundly influenced not only his own field of economics, but also the social sciences more broadly. Second, judging by historical experience, his influence on public opinion and economic policymaking improved countless lives for the better. ... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 0 Read: 18917
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How Can the New Members Catch Up?
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: European Economies 2004-05-01Of the ten new EU member states, eight have undergone a transformation whose speed and scope has been unprecedented. Wherever one looks in the postcommunist accession countries - at money, markets, ownership structures, banking sectors, foreign trade, health care, environmental protection, and education - one sees institutions that have been reconstructed from the ground up. ... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 0 Read: 23886
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Why Wait for the Euro?
Leszek Balcerowicz Series: European Economies 2002-05-14Although the EU's eastward enlargement has not yet happened, the debate is already shifting to ask what will follow: when should the new, predominantly postcommunist, members adopt the euro? Assuming that they comply with the Maastricht Treaty's provisions concerning the EMU - and are not unfairly held to more stringent criteria - the core issue is whether new members would benefit more by waiting or whether they should seek early entry. ... read Comments: 0 Recommended: 0 Read: 22682
