Social Europe is back on the political agenda - as a result of severe economic crises, prior austerity policies and a change in the European discourse framework. Six years after being announced, the European Pillar of Social Rights - although legally non-binding - has become the central...

In the new European Union fiscal framework proposed by the European Commission in April 2023, medium-term fiscal adjustment requirements would be determined by country-by-country debt sustainability analysis (DSA), the 3 percent deficit ceiling and simple rules requiring minimum deficit and debt...

The European Commission has recently published legislative proposals for a reform of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The declared object is to make the economic governance of the EU simpler, improve national ownership, place a greater emphasis on the medium term and strengthen enforcement....

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) provide opportunities for a more flexible and market-based provision of public services. At the same time, they may impair fiscal transparency and offer politicians discretion in the presence of strict fiscal rules if these only constrain the core udget. Using a...

The Communication by the European Commission to reform the Economic Governance Framework offers welcome headspace for public investment, while avoiding the de jure adoption of a 'targeted Golden Rule' as this could conflict with national accounting conventions. However, even with this reform,...

The Communication by the European Commission to reform the Economic Governance Framework offers welcome headspace for public investment, while avoiding the de jure adoption of a 'targeted Golden Rule' as this could conflict with national accounting conventions. However, even with this reform,...