The Belgian Economy in the Twentieth Century

by Mommen; AndrT

• ISBN13: 9780415019361
• ISBN10: 0415019362
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-09-06
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The Belgian Economy in the Twentieth Centuryoffers a detailed study of one of the small economies constituting the Benelux group. Professor Andre Mommen describes and analyzes the changing fortunes of the Belgian economy throughout this century. He traces the Belgian experience from the state regulation of the inter-war period to its current difficulties. Central to the discussion is the innate problem of Belgian dependence on international trade due to her small domestic market. Mommen places this examination within the political context by confronting the problems which have arisen since the first oil crisis and the effect they have had on Belgian politics and society. This volume explains how a small but industrialized European nation succeeded in preserving its competitiveness only to succumb to a devastating debt crisis in the last decade.The Belgian Economy in the Twentieth Centuryperfectly illustrates the volatility of European economic trends thiscentury.

Author Biography

Andre Mommen is Scientific Librarian and Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam.

Table of Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. x
Editor's Introduction	p. xvii
Introduction	p. xxvii
State Regulation during the Interwar Period	p. 1
The Politics of Industry	p. 34
The Politics of Production during the Second World War	p. 60
Postwar Reconstruction on a Pre-War Base (1944-58)	p. 75
The Recession of 1958-60	p. 99
Paradise Lost	p. 112
The Golden 1960s	p. 121
The Politics of Inflexible Adjustment (1971-81)	p. 146
Back to Market Capitalism (1981-8)	p. 175
The Last Trump	p. 211
Bibliography	p. 225
Index	p. 236
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