Fiscal Policy and Monetary Integration in Europe

45 Pages Posted: 15 Jun 2003 Last revised: 16 Sep 2022

See all articles by Jordi Galí

Jordi Galí

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Roberto Perotti

Bocconi University - Department of Economics; European University Institute - Economics Department (ECO); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: June 2003

Abstract

A popular view among economists, policymakers, and the media, is that the Maastricht Treaty and then Stability and Growth Pact have significantly impaired the ability of EU governments to conduct a stabilizing fiscal policy and to provide an adequate level of public infrastructure. In this paper, we investigate this view by estimating fiscal rules for the discretionary budget deficit over the period 1980-2002, using data on EMU countries and control groups of non-EMU EU countries and other non-EU OECD countries. We do not find much support for this view. In fact, we find that discretionary fiscal policy in EMU countries has become more countercyclical over time, following what appears to be a trend that affects other industrialized countries as well. Similarly, we find that the decline in public investment experienced over the last decade by EMU countries is part of a world-wide trend that started well before the Maastricht Treaty was signed.

Suggested Citation

Gali, Jordi and Perotti, Roberto, Fiscal Policy and Monetary Integration in Europe (June 2003). NBER Working Paper No. w9773, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=416266

Jordi Gali (Contact Author)

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI) ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.upf.es/~gali

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Economics ( email )

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Roberto Perotti

Bocconi University - Department of Economics ( email )

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European University Institute - Economics Department (ECO) ( email )

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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United Kingdom

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