We show how a stability pact based on deficit sanctions eliminates the exacerbation of debt accumulation that may arise from monetary unification. Moreover, by making sanctions contingent upon the economic situation of countries, the stability pact provides for risk sharing. Differences in...

Motivated by the recent debate about the EU fiscal framework, we analyse public debt ceilings in a political-economy model with uncertainty about both the type of policymaker (benevolent or selfish) and the state of the economy (good or bad). Pooling, hybrid and separating equilibria may exist....