The Role of the European Monetary Union - An in-depth analysis and projection of the consequences of Hungary's potential membership

The European Monetary Union is a unique monetary system that exists for nineteen years now. An ongoing discussion about the workings and the role of the European Monetary Union is being conducted by researchers, who come to various conclusions. The current crisis made it clear that the current construction is not ideal, and there is a certain room for improvement. This thesis introduces an in-depth analysis of the current role and workings of European Monetary Union, as well as a potential consideration of the benefits and risks connected to a potential entry of Hungary into the Eurozone. The literature review discusses the inner working of the unique case of the EMU, which is a monetary union, without budgetary union obligations for its member states. The literature review highlights the general benefits and risks connected to the membership in a monetary union, as well as mentions the unique benefits and risks connected to a membership in EMU. The second part is dealing with the research methodology; macroeconomic indicators of Lithuania, Slovakia, Germany and Italy are being examined and analyzed, in order to determine the degree of influence EMU is having on the chosen macroeconomic indicators and outliers. A summary of the knowledge from the literature review is being applied for the subsequent analysis. The third part first introduces the macroeconomic situation of Hungary, analyses the development of such factors and contemplates the compliance with the Maastricht Convergence Criteria, which need to be fulfilled in order to become part of EMU. The fourth part of the thesis concludes the research by combining the knowledge from the literature review and knowledge gained from the country analysis. A conclusion about the potential risks and benefits of EMU entry by Hungary is being drawn