The financial crisis of 2007-2009 led to a renewed increase in government deficits and debts in many EU countries, causing a full-fledged fiscal crisis in Greece and severe fiscal pressures in other euro-area countries. This has prompted a series of proposals for improving the fiscal framework...

Der Zusammenhalt des gemeinsamen Währungsraums schien angesichts des deutlichen Rückgangs der Zinsaufschläge seit Sommer 2012 gesichert. Doch der seit Jahresbeginn andauernde Konflikt zwischen der neuen griechischen Regierung und der Eurogruppe hat erneut an den Grundfesten der europäischen...

Fiscal rules are instrumental for restraining deficit and spending biases in euro area Member States that could threaten the smooth functioning of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Ideally, fiscal rules should combine characteristics such as sufficient flexibility to allow for appropriate...

This paper explains the various concepts of government debt in the euro area with particular emphasis on its size and composition. In terms of size, the paper focuses on different definitions that are in use, in particular the concept of gross general government debt used in the surveillance of...