The old discussion of 'Market or State' is obsolete. There will always have to be a mix of market and state. The only relevant question is what that mix should look like. How far do we have to let the market go its own way in order to create as much welfare as possible for everyone? What is the responsibility of the government in creating welfare? These are difficult questions. But they are also interesting questions and Paul De Grauwe analyses them in this book.
The desired mix of market and state is anything but easy to bring about. It is a difficult and sometimes destructive process...

Reforms in labour and product markets play a central role in government policies. This book identifies the conditions under which structural reforms are beneficial, and throws new light on the determinants and effects of structural reforms, and on how these shape the European integration experience.