This paper contributes to the debate on EMU fiscal governance. We simulate a small-scale macroeconomic model with forward-looking agents, augmented with a public finance block. We account for positive (output stabilization) and negative (via risk premia) effects of debt and deficit. We compare...

This paper describes recent trends on the effectiveness of stabilisers in the European Union. Using both macro evidence on the cyclical sensitivity of budget deficit to economic activity and micro evidence on the tax and expenditure profiles, we conclude, in agreement with the recent literature,...

The main rationale for fiscal policy rules is the concern for long-term sustainability of public finances, that in a monetary union may affect the other members. Among many other criticisms, the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) has been seen as contradictory or incomplete because it focuses on...