The Shock-Absorbing Capacity of the Flexible Exchange Rate in Poland

In recent years, numerous studies have analyzed the sources of exchange rate fluctuations in the context of the shock-absorbing capacity of flexible exchange rates. This paper analyzes, within a Structural Vector Autoregressive (SVAR) framework, the role of the flexible exchange rate in Poland over the past decade. Our contribution to the existing literature is twofold: First, we expand the prevailing SVAR models to include a financial market shock, defined as a stochastic change in a country’s risk premium. This appears to be highly relevant in the face of the ongoing global financial crisis. Second, we analyze to what extent the crisis has affected the stabilizing capacity of the z?oty/euro exchange rate. We find that the exchange rate has been a shock-absorbing rather than a shock-propagating instrument. We also demonstrate that – in line with our expectations – the contribution of financial market disturbances to exchange rate volatility has increased during the current global crisis.