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Achieving geoeconomic goals by boosting the economy without raising the public debt ratio? New evidence on the effects of public investment in the European Union

Author

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  • Cara Dabrowski

    (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw)

  • Philipp Heimberger

    (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw)

Abstract

Public investment can support geoeconomic policy goals by strengthening economic resilience through the creation of public assets and by fostering domestic sources of economic growth. This paper presents new evidence on how public investment affects output, unemployment, private investment and public debt in the 27 EU member countries. Using forecast errors based on archival data to identify public investment shocks, we find that expansionary shocks (a) have favourable effects on output and unemployment in the short to medium run; (b) do not crowd out private investment; and (c) do not jeopardise public debt sustainability. Even though fiscal consolidation pressures linked to EU fiscal rules are high, promoting public investment may be critical – not only for economic development, but also to advance geostrategic goals in energy, infrastructure and resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Cara Dabrowski & Philipp Heimberger, 2025. "Achieving geoeconomic goals by boosting the economy without raising the public debt ratio? New evidence on the effects of public investment in the European Union," wiiw Policy Notes 99, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    • Handle: RePEc:wii:pnotes:pn:99
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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