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Structural Distortions and Decentralized Fiscal Policies in EMU

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  • Beetsma, Roel
  • Bovenberg, Lans

Abstract

The combination of discretionary monetary policy, labour-market distortions and nominal wage rigidity yields an inflation bias as monetary policy tries to exploit nominal wage contracts to address labour-market distortions. Although an inflation target eliminates this inflation bias, it creates a conflict between monetary policy and discretionary fiscal policy if fiscal policy is set at a higher frequency than nominal wages are. To avoid the associated excessive accumulation of public debt, ceilings on public debt are called for. If countries differ substantially in terms of structural distortions or economic shocks, country-specific debt targets must complement uniform debt ceilings in order to prevent decentralized fiscal authorities from employing debt policy strategically.

Suggested Citation

  • Beetsma, Roel & Bovenberg, Lans, 2001. "Structural Distortions and Decentralized Fiscal Policies in EMU," CEPR Discussion Papers 2851, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2851
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    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Farooq Arby & Muhammad Nadeem Hanif, 2010. "Monetary and Fiscal Policies Coordination: Pakistan’s Experience," SBP Research Bulletin, State Bank of Pakistan, Research Department, vol. 6, pages 3-13.
    2. Kamal, Mona, 2010. "تجربة الاتحاد النقدي الأوروبي في مجال التنسيق بين السياستين المالية والنقدية [The Experience of the European Monetary Union in the Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policies]," MPRA Paper 27764, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. L. Lambertini & R. Rovelli, 2003. "Monetary and fiscal policy coordination and macroeconomic stabilization. A theoretical analysis," Working Papers 464, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    4. Georgios Chortareas & Christos Mavrodimitrakis, 2011. "Fiscal Policies and Monetary Leadership in a Monetary Union with a Deficit-Concerned Central Bank," Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, March.
    5. Chortareas, Georgios & Mavrodimitrakis, Christos, 2021. "Policy conflict, coordination, and leadership in a monetary union under imperfect instrument substitutability," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 342-361.
    6. Pasquale Foresti, 2018. "Monetary And Fiscal Policies Interaction In Monetary Unions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 226-248, February.
    7. Christos Mavrodimitrakis, 2022. "Debt stabilization and financial stability in a monetary union: Market versus authority‐based preventive solutions," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 2582-2599, April.
    8. Damir Šehović, 2013. "General Aspects of Monetary and Fiscal Policy Coordination," Journal of Central Banking Theory and Practice, Central bank of Montenegro, vol. 2(3), pages 5-27.
    9. Florin Bilbiie, 2001. "Fiscal Contracts for a Monetary Union," Working Papers hal-00515663, HAL.
    10. Mavrodimitrakis, Christos, 2025. "The macroeconomic stabilisation and welfare implications of alternative strategic and fiscal regimes in a monetary union," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    11. Fabrice Capoen & Jérôme Creel, 2007. "Efficiency of stability-oriented institutions: the European case," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-03461990, HAL.
    12. Roel Beetsma & Xavier Debrun & Frank Klaassen, 2001. "Is Fiscal Policy Coordination in EMU Desirable?," CESifo Working Paper Series 599, CESifo.
    13. Beetsma, Roel M.W.J. & Lans Bovenberg, A., 2006. "Political shocks and public debt: The case for a conservative central bank revisited," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1857-1883, November.
    14. Luca Gori & Francesco Purificato & Mauro Sodini, 2025. "Debt Stabilisation and Dynamic Interaction Between Monetary Authority and National Fiscal Authorities," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 65(2), pages 913-935, February.
    15. Sergey Merzlyakov, 2012. "Strategic Interaction Between Fiscal and Monetary Policies in an Export-Oriented Economy," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 59(2), pages 201-216, May.
    16. Beetsma, Roel & Bovenberg, Lans, 2001. "Structural Distortions and Decentralized Fiscal Policies in EMU," CEPR Discussion Papers 2851, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Andrei HREBENCIUC, 2013. "The lack of consistency in budget deficit criteria in the Stability and Growth Pact," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(1(578)), pages 63-72, January.
    18. Xi Wang & Jiayang Li & Guangbin Zhang, 2022. "Mixed Monetary–Fiscal Policies and Macroeconomic Fluctuations: An Analysis Based on the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 30(2), pages 167-196, March.
    19. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/2977 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Nizam, Ahmed Mehedi, 2021. "Effect of Government Transfer on Money Supply: A Closer Look into the Interaction Between Monetary and Fiscal Policy," MPRA Paper 109394, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/2977 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. repec:cbk:journl:v:2:y:2013:i:2:p:5-27 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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