Publication

The downturn of economic activity in the eurozone has come as a surprise to many observers. The credit crisis appeared to be less severe in the eurozone than in the US and, apart from Spain and Ireland, none of the eurozone member countries experienced serious problems in the housing market. Yet the eurozone now comes close to a full-fledged recession. What happened to cause such a rapid and intense deterioration in the eurozone business cycle? The key to answering this question lies in the exchange rate of the euro.