The European Central Bank

David Howarth and Peter Loedel provide a theoretically inspired account of the creation, design and operation of the European Central Bank. Issues explored include the theoretical approaches to the ECB, the antecedents of European monetary authority, the different national perspectives on central bank independence, the complex organization of the bank, the issues of accountability and the difficult first years of the ECB in operation.

David Howarth is a Lecturer in European Politics at Queen Mary College, University of London. He has written books and articles on France and European monetary politics including The French Road to European Monetary Union and Contemporary French Politics and Society.

Peter Loedel is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He has written books and articles on the topic of German and European monetary politics including Deutsche Mark Politics.