The euro zone’s heterogeneity will remain very significant
It seems impossible to reduce heterogeneity between euro-zone countries. The reasons are as follows : Their fundamental characteristics (labour force skills, innovation and modernisation effort, productive specialisation, collective preferences for social welfare) are very different; The cost competitiveness gaps cannot be counterbalanced by internal devaluations, in particular because of their effects on debt ratios. If the euro zone’s heterogeneity has to remain significant, instead of thinking about how to reduce the heterogeneity, it is time to think about ways to reduce the costs of this heterogeneity: implement ation of a common budget in the euro zone, free movement of capital and persons between the countries, etc.