This book brings together contributions from a number of distinguished European economists, who present a tribute to Annamaria Simonazzi and engage in a dialogue with her research, simultaneously reflecting on the process of growing economic disintegration in the European Union, its causes and possible remedies.

Introduction Part I Europe in crisis: the case of Italy, Spain and Germany 1. The economic consequences of the Maastricht Treaty: why Italy's permanent crisis is a warning to the Eurozone 2. Recovery or stagnation? Spain and Italy after the Great Recession 3. The German "reforms" - no model for the EU Part II Integration and disintegration in the European Monetary Union 4. Did monetary union make political uinion less likely? 5. External imbalances and European integration 6. The Italian economy from WWII to the EMU: structural weaknesses and external constraints Part III The social effects of neoliberal macroeconomics 7. Market income inequality and welfare state redistribution in Europe: some facts and policy suggestions 8. Labour market reforms in Europe and young people's labour market integration in turbulent times 9. Prolonged austerity and gender equality: the cases of Greece and UK compared 10. Disseminating expertise on gender and economics: the experience of inGenere.itPart IV Technological challenge and policy 11. Is automation beneficial for society as a whole? What we can learn re-reading Ricardo and Marx on machinery and labour 12. Working conditions and quality of work in the digitized factory 13. Digital transformation in the automotive supply chain: a comparative perspective 14. Productive structures and industrial policy in the EU 15. Vision vs improvisation: on the industrial future of Italy