欧洲各国为什么合不来
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欧盟的决策层已经认识到了保持欧洲经济高度融合的重要性。但他们犯了一个错误，自欺欺人地以为单凭行政手段就可实现欧洲的融合。其实，一开始就是这个同样的错误导致了欧元的乱象。欧元推出之前就有很多人持怀疑态度，质疑欧元区成员国之间的财政和政治差异太大，并非经济学家们认为的可施行单一货币的最佳区域。如今这些差异仍未受到关注。前欧洲央行（European Central Bank）行长让-克洛德•特里谢最近在美国杰克逊霍尔发表演讲时宣称，欧盟就像是拿掉了财政统一性的美利坚合众国。 事实可能并非如此。为解决、控制当前金融危机而采取一些短期措施确有必要，但从长期来看，如果欧洲人要实现欧洲平衡融合、确保欧元成功，就必须在文化上和政治上有所改革。眼下，欧债危机动摇了很多人的大欧洲信心，此举显得更为重要。 要在这方面有所作为，可以促进欧盟成员国之间的贸易，以及在更广泛的层面上增强欧洲各国人民之间的互信互赖。 从地域上看，欧盟内部大多数运输方式的成本仍远高于美国，这是制约贸易的一个因素。欧盟领导人需要超越对优势产业的保护性政策，找到更加的解决方案，协调跨国界的欧洲运输、通讯和能源基础设施问题。 从经济上看，欧盟成员国之间的生产力差异以及由此产生的平均收入差异均远远大于美国各州之间。尽管如此，欧洲内部的就业人口迁移率却远低于美国。 从文化上看，调查显示几乎一半的欧洲人对本国公民“非常”信任，但只有20%的人对其他欧洲国家的公民的信任达到了这样的程度。很多事情都体现了这种不信任情绪，毒黄瓜事件就是一个例子。尽管问题出在德国境内，但德国人却贸然怪罪西班牙农民，责怪他们销售有毒的黄瓜。最近的金融危机更是加剧了这种不信任。 要改变文化注定困难重重，但还是大有可为。研究显示，高等教育可以削弱对外人的猜疑和不信任感。当然，如果教育能够凸显欧洲各国的相互依存，效果会更好。欧盟伊拉斯谟高等教育交流项目（Erasmus）已然极大地增进了欧洲各国之间的交流，即使是在预算紧张时期，这个项目也值得推广。随着科技对通讯和覆盖范围的不断推进，参与区域经济网络是另一值得关注的设想。 虽然这些想法没有一项能确保成功，但除了尝试，别无选择。如果没有这样的融合，欧洲还将摩擦不断。 --Pankaj Ghemawat是巴塞罗那IESE商学院（IESE Business School）的教授，曾著有《World 3.0》一书（Harvard Business，2011）。 |
EU policymakers recognize the importance of preserving a highly integrated European economy. They are, however, making the same mistake that led to the euro mess in the first place: pretending thatEuropecan be integrated through administrative measures alone. Remember that the euro was adopted despite worries that the fiscal and political differences across the eurozone would be too large to make it what economists call an optimal currency area. Those differences are still being overlooked. In a recent speech at Jackson Hole by Jean-Claude Trichet, the former head of the European Central Bank, declared that the EU was like theU.S.minus a fiscal union. Well, perhaps not.Short-term measures to fix or contain the present financial mess are indeed necessary, but in the long run Europeans must change culturally and politically if they are to achieve the balanced integration needed to make the euro a success. This is more crucial than ever because recent setbacks have weakened the case for integration in many people's minds. Gains can be achieved by promoting trade among European nations and, more broadly, by increasing trust among the Continent's citizens. Geographically, most modes of transport still cost much more within the EU than in the U.S., a factor that hampers trade. EU leaders need to overcome preferences shown to national champions and find better ways to coordinateEurope's transport, communications, and energy infrastructure across national borders. Economically, the discrepancy in productivity, and thus average income, is much greater across European nations than across U.S. states. Despite these differences, labor migration rates are much lower in Europe. Culturally, surveys suggest that almost half of Europeans trust citizens of their own country "a lot," but only 20% express the same level of faith in Europeans from other countries. This distrust manifests itself in such episodes as Germans leaping to blame Spanish farmers for selling them killer cucumbers, even though the problem originated at home. And this trait has been exacerbated by the recent financial mess. While cultural change is bound to be challenging, much can be done. Research shows that higher education generally reduces suspicion of outsiders. Of course, education that highlights European interdependence might have an even more powerful effect. The Erasmus educational exchange program for students has already built significant bridges acrossEuropeand -- even at a time of budgetary stringency -- is worth expanding. Participation in regional economic networks is another idea deserving more attention as technology enables richer communication and broader reach. While none of this is guaranteed to work,there is no alternative to trying. Because without such integration,Europewill amount to a lot less. --Pankaj Ghemawat, a professor at IESE Business School in Barcelona, is author of World 3.0 (Harvard Business, 2011). |
