IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v3y2015i4p482-509d57759.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

TARGET2 Imbalances and the ECB as Lender of Last Resort

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco Purificato

    (Department of Law, University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Caterina Astarita

    (Department of Law, University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

This paper analyses the issue of the dynamics of the TARGET2 system balances during the sovereign debt crisis, when some countries registered a decisive inflow of the central bank liquidity and others showed an outflow. The dynamics in the TARGET2 are here explained as being due to a fall in the level of confidence in the capacity of the Economic and Monetary Union to survive, rather than to disparities in the level of competitiveness among countries of the Eurozone. This crisis of confidence has to be considered as the consequence of the implicit refusal of the European institutions to create a mechanism working as lender of last resort for the euro area member States; indeed, only when the ECB took this responsibility by launching the Outright Monetary Transactions clear signs of improvement were observed in the sovereign debt crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Purificato & Caterina Astarita, 2015. "TARGET2 Imbalances and the ECB as Lender of Last Resort," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-28, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:3:y:2015:i:4:p:482-509:d:57759
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/3/4/482/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/3/4/482/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martina Cecioni & Giuseppe Ferrero, 2012. "Determinants of TARGET2 imbalances," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 136, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    2. Hans-Werner Sinn & Timo Wollmershäuser, 2012. "Target loans, current account balances and capital flows: the ECB’s rescue facility," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(4), pages 468-508, August.
    3. Olivier J. Blanchard & Daniel Leigh, 2013. "Growth Forecast Errors and Fiscal Multipliers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 117-120, May.
    4. Marc Lavoie, 2015. "The Eurozone: Similarities to and Differences from Keynes’s Plan," International Journal of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 3-17, January.
    5. Lawrence Christiano & Martin Eichenbaum & Sergio Rebelo, 2011. "When Is the Government Spending Multiplier Large?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 119(1), pages 78-121.
    6. Paul De Grauwe, 2013. "The European Central Bank as Lender of Last Resort in the Government Bond Markets," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 59(3), pages 520-535, September.
    7. Sergio Cesaratto, 2014. "Balance of payments or monetary sovereignty? In search of the EMU’s original sin – a reply to Lavoie," a/ Working Papers Series 1406, Italian Association for the Study of Economic Asymmetries, Rome (Italy).
    8. Alan J. Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2012. "Fiscal Multipliers in Recession and Expansion," NBER Chapters, in: Fiscal Policy after the Financial Crisis, pages 63-98, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Karl Whelan, 2014. "TARGET2 and central bank balance sheets [The economics of TARGET2 balances]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 29(77), pages 79-137.
    10. Jocelyn Boussard & Francisco de Castro & Matteo Salto, 2012. "Fiscal Multipliers and Public Debt Dynamics in Consolidations," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 460, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    11. Carlo Panico & Francesco Purificato, 2013. "Policy coordination, conflicting national interests and the European debt crisis," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 37(3), pages 585-608.
    12. Willem Buiter & Ebrahim Rahbari, 2012. "The European Central Bank as Lender of Last Resort for Sovereigns in the Eurozone," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50, pages 6-35, September.
    13. Gauti B. Eggertsson & Paul Krugman, 2012. "Debt, Deleveraging, and the Liquidity Trap: A Fisher-Minsky-Koo Approach," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(3), pages 1469-1513.
    14. Philip Arestis, 2012. "Fiscal policy: a strong macroeconomic role," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(0), pages 93-108.
    15. Raphael A. Auer, 2014. "What drives TARGET2 balances? Evidence from a panel analysis [What drives Target2 balances? Evidence from a panel analysis]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 29(77), pages 139-197.
    16. De Grauwe, Paul & Ji,Yuemei, 2012. "What Germany should fear most is its own fear: An analysis of Target2 and current account imbalances," CEPS Papers 7280, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    17. Nils Holinski & Clemens J. M. Kool & Joan Muysken, 2012. "Persistent macroeconomic imbalances in the Euro area: causes and consequences," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 94(Jan), pages 1-20.
    18. Philippine Cour-Thimann, 2013. "CESifo Forum Special Issue April 2013: Target Balances and the Crisis in the Euro Area," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 0(1), pages 05-50, May.
    19. PhilippineCour-Thimann, 2013. "CESifo Forum Special Issue April 2013: Target Balances and the Crisis in the Euro Area," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 0, pages 05-50, May.
    20. Ulrich Bindseil & Philipp Johann König, 2011. "The economics of TARGET2 balances," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2011-035, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    21. Buiter, Willem & Rahbari, Ebrahim, 2012. "Target2 Redux: The simple accountancy and slightly more complex economics of Bundesbank loss exposure through the Eurosystem," CEPR Discussion Papers 9211, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Astarita, Caterina & Purificato, Francesco, 2013. "TARGET2 imbalances and the need for a lender of last resort," MPRA Paper 51124, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. C. Petraglia & F. Purificato, 2013. "Single currency and supranational constraints to fiscal policies in the Eurozone during the crisis," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 4, pages 1065-1094.
    3. Eisenschmidt, Jens & Kedan, Danielle & Schmitz, Martin, 2022. "Euro area monetary policy and TARGET balances: a trilogy," Working Paper Series 2750, European Central Bank.
    4. Fagan, Gabriel & McNelis, Paul D., 2020. "Sudden stops in the Euro Area: Does monetary union matter?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Carlo Panico, Francesco Purificato, Elvira Sapienza, 2015. "Benefici, problemi e prospettive dell’integrazione monetaria in Europa (Benefits, issues and future of monetary integration in Europe)," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 68(271), pages 305-339.
    6. Francesco Papadia, 2014. "Operational Aspects of a Hypothetical Demise of the Euro," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(5), pages 1090-1102, September.
    7. Moro, Beniamino, 2019. "Interpreting TARGET balances in the European Monetary Union: A critical review of the literature," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Jakob Korbinian Eberl, 2016. "The Collateral Framework of the Eurosystem and Its Fiscal Implications," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 69.
    9. Gabriel Fagan & Paul McNelis, 2014. "TARGET Balances and Macroeconomic Adjustment to Sudden Stops in the Euro Area," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp465, IIIS, revised Dec 2014.
    10. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Steinkamp, Sven & Westermann, Frank, 2020. "Capital flight to Germany: Two alternative measures," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    11. Valerio Filoso, Valerio & Panico, Carlo & Papagni, Erasmo & Francesco, Purificato & Vázquez Suarez, Marta, 2016. "Causes and timing of the European debt crisis: An econometric evaluation," MPRA Paper 75847, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Stephen Wright & Charmaine Portelli, 2018. "The True Size of the ECB: New Insights from National Central Bank Balance Sheets," Birkbeck Working Papers in Economics and Finance 1807, Birkbeck, Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics.
    13. Juan Barredo-Zuriarrain & Ricardo Molero-Simarro & Alejandro Quesada-Solana, 2017. "Euro-Dependence—A Peripheral Look beyond the Monetary Union: A Proposal of Reform of the TARGET2," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 49(3), pages 375-393, September.
    14. Sergio Rossi, 2019. "Rethinking the euro as a common currency for Europe: Keynes's plan revisited," Revista de Economía Crítica, Asociación de Economía Crítica, vol. 27, pages 86-99.
    15. Santiago Capraro & Carlo Panico & Ignacio Perrotini & Francesco Purificato, 2012. "Austerit? o politiche coordinate ed espansive? Le difficili scelte delle autorit? europee," STUDI ECONOMICI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2012(108), pages 81-112.
    16. Gagnon, Marie-Hélène & Gimet, Céline, 2013. "The impacts of standard monetary and budgetary policies on liquidity and financial markets: International evidence from the credit freeze crisis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4599-4614.
    17. PhilippineCour-Thimann, 2013. "CESifo Forum Special Issue April 2013: Target Balances and the Crisis in the Euro Area," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 0, pages 05-50, May.
    18. Alexander Erler & Stefan Hohberger, 2016. "Editor's Choice TARGET2: How Costly is Buying Time?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 62(3), pages 491-505.
    19. Schilirò, Daniele, 2016. "Rules, Imbalances and Growth in the Eurozone," MPRA Paper 75641, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. André Grjebine, 2013. "L'Eurosystème: un mécanisme de transferts en faveur des pays déficitaires ? Le débat," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01024818, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:3:y:2015:i:4:p:482-509:d:57759. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.