The issue of whether constraints should be placed on fiscal policies when moving to European monetary union is examined in the context of the use of fiscal policy for macroeconomic stabilization purposes. Examples of shocks hitting French and German economies are considered: an appreciation of...

In recent years the euro area has shown less resilience to the negative and largely OECD-wide common shocks than the English-speaking countries, but most of the smaller euro area countries have fared better than the large ones. This paper reviews policy issues that are important in fostering a...

Der europäische Stabilitäts- und Wachstumspakt zählt zu den zentralen Pfeilern der Europäischen Währungsunion. Die Erfahrungen der letzten Jahre zeigen jedoch, dass seine disziplinierende Wirkung zur Begrenzung übermäßiger Defizite in Zweifel zu ziehen ist. Auf der Basis des von Ronald...

Crises are a major driving force behind cooperation in the European Union. This holds also for monetary and fiscal policy. During severe crises, cooperation has been enlarged and intensified. The recent covid-19 pandemic is a clear example of this pattern. The pandemic has had huge impact on the...