Webinar: How Europe Should Cope with the Economic Fallout from COVID-19

Description

Last week, European Union heads of state failed to agree on a joint economic plan to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19). AAA-rated countries continue to oppose Eurobonds — underwriting the borrowing of weaker member states — even for the worthy cause of fighting a pandemic. Antonio Pascual proposes a practical, speedy, and politically feasible financial support mechanism that would achieve the objective of reinforcing debt sustainability using a combination of European Stability Mechanism (ESM) funds, low ESM funding rates, and light ESM conditionality along with European Central Bank action.

Panelists include:

• Speaker: Antonio Garcia Pascual, visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
• Discussant: Matthias Matthijs, associate professor of international political economy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
• Moderator: Pravin Krishna, distinguished professor of international economics and business at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies