What Explains Real Interest Rate Differentials across European Countries

What Explains Real Interest Rate Differentials across European Countries? (by Michele Limosani) - ABSTRACT: We decompose European real interest rate differentials into three components, the covered interest parity condition, the risk premium and the ex-ante relative purchasing power parity condition, and analyse why real interest rates in Europe do not converge to a single rate. The empirical evidence suggests that the risk premium is the most important factor accounting for deviations from the real interest parity condition and that deviations from the purchasing power parity condition play only a marginal role. JEL Classification: E58