Why is Europe's great monetary endeavor, the Euro, in trouble? A string of economic difficulties in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and other Eurozone nations has left observers wondering whether the currency union can survive. In this book, Markus Brunnermeier, Harold James, and Jean-Pierre Landau argue that the core problem with the Euro lies in the philosophical differences between the founding countries of the Eurozone, particularly Germany and France. But the authors also show how these seemingly incompatible differences can be reconciled to ensure Europe's survival.

As the authors demonstrate, Germany, a federal state with strong regional governments, saw the Maastricht Treaty, the framework for the Euro, as a set of rules. France, on the other hand, with a more centralized system of government, saw the framework as flexible, to be overseen by governments. The authors discuss how the troubles faced by the Euro have led its member states to focus on national, as opposed to collective, responses, a reaction explained by the resurgence of the battle of economic ideas: rules vs. discretion, liability vs. solidarity, solvency vs. liquidity, austerity vs. stimulus.

Weaving together economic analysis and historical reflection, The Euro and the Battle of Ideas provides a forensic investigation and a road map for Europe's future.

马库斯·布伦纳迈耶（Markus Brunnermeier）是普林斯顿大学经济学专业讲座教授，同时任教于普林斯顿本德海姆金融研究中心，他撰写了大量关于金融危机和货币政策的著作和文章。

哈罗德·詹姆斯 （Harold James）是普林斯顿大学历史和国际事务专业教授及欧洲研究专业讲座教授，曾出版《欧洲货币联盟及欧洲的复兴》（Making the European Monetary Union and Europe Reborn）。

让-皮埃尔·兰多（Jean-Pierre Landau）是巴黎政治大学的经济学副教授，曾任前法兰西银行副行长，法国驻国际货币基金组织及世界银行首席执行官。