Three years after the birth of the European Monetary Union (EMU) economists are still divided in assessing the ability of its key institutions to provide macroeconomic stability and foster necessary reforms. Blending empirical and theoretical data, experts offer a comprehensive survey of recent...

The Stability and Growth Pact introduces deficit stabilization as a new interesting objective of debt management. The interest payments on public debt may serve as an important buffer against the budget consequences of cyclical downturns and unexpected deflation. The optimal debt composition...