The history of debt relief is now particularly long, the associated costs are soaring and the outcomes are at least uncertain. This paper reviews and provides new evidence on the effects of recent debt relief programs on different macroeconomic indicators in developing countries, focusing on the...

In this paper we stress the limits of the current debt sustainability framework used in the IMF-WB HIPC Initiative and the necessity to include domestic public debt into the analysis. The standard sustainability analysis does not take into account the fully-fledged budget constraint and the...

We examine the effect of firm credit rating downgrades on the pricing and structure of syndicated bank loans following rating downgrades in the firms’ countries of domicile. We find that the sovereign ceiling policies used by credit rating agencies create a disproportionally adverse impact on...

In June 2009, Romania’s public debts rose by 12.6% more than late last year, that is up to 123.61 billion Lei (29.4 billion Euros), meaning 23.27% of the gross domestic product originally estimated for this year. Foreign loans are not a new phenomenon. Yet, in the current economic context, it...

Heavy indebtedness and debt service payments, indicated by debt magnitudes and shares to national budgets, revenues, or outputs, mean that spending for public infrastructure and basic services is crowded out, even as they entail more borrowings in order to timely meet debt obligations. The...

Given that sovereign bond markets may be vulnerable to multiple equilibria and self-fulfilling prophecies, a debate exists over whether and in what way credit rating agencies (CRAs) are politically biased and may weaponize sovereign credit ratings. Recent research by Fuchs and Gehring (2017)...

The sovereign debt crisis that deepened within the last three years in particular Eurozone countries makes up one of the major components of the current global economic crisis (2006-2011) which were briefly described in Kibritçioğlu (2011). In this follow-up study, the historical and political...

In Italy the rate of growth of GDP has declined over the period 2000-2006, after joining the single currency. The decrease is not incidental, but it has a structural and long-term nature, so this decrease relates to the potential growth. This weakening of growth takes place in an international...

Abstract: Fiscal sustainability has been a hot topic recently. Both the experiences in the past and the Stability and Growth Pact in the European Union have been playing a great role in the revival of the interest in the issue. The European Pact has triggered the academician to pay more...

One solution to the euro crisis as a debt crisis can be found in stimulating economic growth. The Troika has proposed measures to deregulate labor markets in Southern EU countries: a longer working week, relaxation of job dismissal laws, raising the age of retirement. A longer working week for...