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Edward Hugh 152 posts 0 comments

Ed was a macro economist based in Barcelona, who specialized in growth and productivity theory, demographic processes and their impact on macro performance, and the underlying dynamics of migration flows.

He was a lovely person and a prolific blogger in his time. Ed’s analyses can be found on his “Don’t Shoot the Messenger” blog on www.economonitor.com, at the India Economy Blog, A Fistful of Euros, Global Economy Matters and Demography Matters. He was a founding member of all these weblogs.

Political Economy

The growing mess which will be left behind by the Abenomics experiment

Edward Hugh Mar 2, 2014

Japan’s deflation problem is overdetermined – there are multiple causes at work, any one of which could account for the observed phenomenon. Those who have been following the debate can simply choose their favourite – balance sheet…

Political Economy

Could Mario Draghi’s implementing QE help Matteo Renzi raise the Italian deficit?

Edward Hugh Feb 27, 2014

The aim of the above header is to link two names in people’s minds, both of them Italian: Mario Draghi and Matteo Renzi. Naturally the idea is not original, the FT’s Peter Spiegel recently published an entire blog post (Does Renzi owe his…

Political Economy

Spain: Some thoughts on Catalonia and secession

Edward Hugh Sep 11, 2013

Against a backdrop which offers an eerie parallel with events which took place somewhat to the North more than 30 years ago, Catalonia is now threatening to separate from Spain. In so doing the region seems to be putting at risk both the…

Political Economy

In Spain, simply doing nothing is not an option!

Edward Hugh Sep 11, 2013

The recent IMF proposals to help stimulate growth and job creation in Spain at least deserve serious consideration. What the IMF are saying is that if you leave the situation as it is then growth will not be sufficient to make any…

Political Economy

Spain: The recession may be ending but the crisis continues

Edward Hugh Sep 9, 2013

What follows is an interview I did over the summer with the Madrid based publication The Local.

Economy

The Czech Economy That Didn’t Bounce?

Edward Hugh Jun 27, 2013

Czech voters are deeply dissatisfied and in a highly skeptical mood, since following seven quarters without growth the country’s economy is evidently stuck in the doldrums. The worst part is things look highly unlikely to improve anytime…

Monetary System

Portugal’s Japanese Problem

Edward Hugh May 14, 2013

In a number of posts recently I have highlighted the impact of declining workforces on economic growth and the way the policies pursued to address the Euro debt crisis are having the impact of accelerating the movement of young people away…

Political Economy

The real experiment that is being carried out in Japan

Edward Hugh May 14, 2013

There is an experiment being conducted in Japan, but the experiment isn’t Abenomics (which I suspect won’t work, and could end very badly). No, the experiment is about learning to grow old with dignity, not as individuals, but as societies.

Political Economy

The A-b-e of economics and Japan’s shrinking population trap

Edward Hugh May 2, 2013

Japan is stuck in a shrinking population trap, and neither monetary nor fiscal policy will adequately solve the problem. Continuing to run fiscal deficits in a deflationary environment will only means that government debt is pushed onward…

Political Economy

Beyond their ken: The Spanish contraction machine is well-oiled

Edward Hugh May 1, 2013

The current crisis – which is arguably no longer a crisis but rather a way of life – has all now gotten so complex that the issues involved are almost certainly, and in principle, “beyond their ken.” Spain’s economy will continue to march…