A Tale of Two Countries. Bruegel policy brief 2008/04, June 2008

Summary. The outlook for two of the euro area’s best performing economies to date, Ireland and Spain, has darkened dramatically recently amid severe downturns in housing markets. What do these countries’ experiences tell us about the functioning of EMU? Bruegel’s new policy brief ‘A Tail of Two Countries’ examines the behaviour of housing markets in Ireland and Spain during EMU and considers what features and policies may have facilitated the overheating of housing markets in these countries. It also discusses the role of large migration flows in spurring growth in housing