This book fills a gap in academic literature on the politics and public policy aspects of central banking in Europe, by conducting a theoretically-informed and empirically-grounded analysis of central banking governance before and after the establishment of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

The main framework for analysis is a 'multi-level institutionalist approach', articulated on three interconnected levels: the 'systemic-level', which encompasses the European, transnational and international arenas; the 'national-level', which considers the configuration of the domestic...