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Squaring the circle: How to guarantee fiscal space and debt sustainability with a European Debt Agency

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  • Massimo Amato
  • Francesco Saraceno

Abstract

The paper contributes to the debate on European macroeconomic governance. What is at stake is creating fiscal space for eurozone countries, while ensuring the sustainability of large public debts. Whether fiscal space is created through fiscal rules' reform, the creation of a central fiscal capacity, or a mix of the two, the question of public debt management, past and future, is paramount. Here we discuss a proposal that aims at systematic debt management through an ad hoc European Debt Agency. This EDA would progressively absorb Member States' debt, while keeping them accountable through pricing based on fundamental risk. We further show that (1) a Debt Agency could be designed so as not to imply debt mutualization or moral hazard and that (2) common debt management would allow the ECB to normalize monetary policy without creating instability in sovereign debt markets. An important argument of the paper is that any proposal that does not deal with the entirety of debt risks decreasing sustainability thus being counterproductive.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimo Amato & Francesco Saraceno, 2022. "Squaring the circle: How to guarantee fiscal space and debt sustainability with a European Debt Agency," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 22172, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:baf:cbafwp:cbafwp22172
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    Cited by:

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    3. Micossi, Stefano, 2022. "Managing sovereign debts held by the ESCB: Operational and legal constraints," CEPS Papers 35443, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    4. Andrea Bacchiocchi & Alessandro Bellocchi & Gian Italo Bischi & Giuseppe Travaglini, 2024. "A non-linear model of public debt with bonds and money finance," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(2), pages 457-498, July.
    5. Stefano Deriu & Marcello Signorelli & Claudio Socci & Rosita Pretaroli & Francesca Severini & Ludovica Almonti, 2024. "The impact of shocks and policies on debt-to-GDP ratio dynamics: a multisectoral approach," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(2), pages 417-438, July.
    6. Luciano Greco & Francesco Jacopo Pintus & Davide Raggi, 2023. "When Fiscal Discipline meets Macroeconomic Stability: the Euro-stability Bond," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0300, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    European Debt Agency; Fiscal Space; EMU Fiscal Governance; Growth and Stability Pact; Fiscal Rules; Risk Sharing; Public Debt; Debt Management;
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