The new EU monetary and fiscal policy: an international discussion

The measures adopted by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission (EC) in the aftermath of the pandemic mark a significant loosening of the traditional ban for the European Union to provide direct support to a Eurozone (or EU) country. Are the steps currently taken by the ECB and the EC only the consequences of exceptional circumstances, or shall they endure beyond the crisis? Should these steps be considered positive or negative? Did the ECB and the EC go beyond their powers? These issues have been addressed in a seminar, whose proceedings are published in this contribution.