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Should Europe Become a Fiscal Union?

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  • Christian Keuschnigg

Abstract

Moving towards a fiscal union does not address the problems of divergence in Europe. Given cultural heterogeneity and diverse preferences, fiscal policy should remain under national sovereignty while important regulatory power is assigned to the Union. The paper argues that more credible fiscal rules combined with tighter surveillance reduce negative policy spillovers. A better capitalized banking sector imposes more market discipline with sovereign risk-premia. Institutional lending by the ESM (European Stabilization Mechanism) to distressed countries is subject to strict conditionality and will impose structural adjustment that was neglected ex ante. Further reform seems necessary to strengthen the financial capacity and institutional independence of the ESM and to impose tighter regulation and more ambitious recapitalization of European banks to contain cross-country contagion on financial markets. Such reform should prevent or at least much reduce the negative consequences of national decision making on other member countries and would in turn support the political goals of establishing peace and harmony in Europe.
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Suggested Citation

  • Christian Keuschnigg, 2012. "Should Europe Become a Fiscal Union?," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 13(01), pages 35-43, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifofor:v:13:y:2012:i:01:p:35-43
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    1. Michael D. Bordo & Lars Jonung & Agnieszka Markiewicz, 2013. "A Fiscal Union for the Euro: Some Lessons from History ," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 59(3), pages 449-488, September.
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    5. André Sapir & Benedicta Marzinotto & Guntram Wolff, 2011. "What Kind of Fiscal Union ?," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/174293, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
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    9. Paul De Grauwe, 2014. "The Governance of a Fragile Eurozone," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Exchange Rates and Global Financial Policies, chapter 12, pages 297-320, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Gächter & Alexander Gruber & Aleksandra Riedl, 2017. "Wage Divergence, Business Cycle Co-Movement and the Currency Union Effect," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(6), pages 1322-1342, November.
    2. Bargain, Olivier & Dolls, Mathias & Fuest, Clemens & Neumann, Dirk & Peichl, Andreas & Pestel, Nico & Siegloch, Sebastian, 2012. "Fiscal Union in Europe? Redistributive and Stabilising Effects of an EU Tax-Benefit System," IZA Discussion Papers 6585, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Olivier Bargain & Mathias Dolls & Clemens Fuest & Dirk Neumann & Andreas Peichl & Nico Pestel & Sebastian Siegloch, 2013. "Fiscal union in Europe? Redistributive and stabilizing effects of a European tax-benefit system and fiscal equalization mechanism [A strong employment agenda – the pathway to economic recovery]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 28(75), pages 375-422.
    4. Calmfors, Lars, 2015. "The Roles of Fiscal Rules, Fiscal Councils and Fiscal Union in EU Integration," Working Paper Series 1076, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    5. Christian Keuschnigg & Klaus Weyerstrass, 2015. "Macroeconomic Adjustment and Institutional Reforms in the Euro Area," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 21(3), pages 275-285, August.
    6. Neumann, Dirk & Bargain, Olivier & Dolls, Mathias & Fuest, Clemens & Peichl, Andreas, 2012. "Fiscal Union in Europe? Efficiency, Equity and Stabilizing Effects of an EU-Wide Income Tax," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 66063, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Christian Beer & Walpurga Köhler-Töglhofer & Alfred Stiglbauer, 2014. "A Common European Unemployment Insurance – A Much Debated Route toward European Fiscal Union," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue 4, pages 35-52.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entwicklungskonvergenz; Finanzpolitik; Internationale wirtschaftspolitische Koordination; Eurozone; Europäische Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion; EU-Staaten;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions

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