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Austerity in the Euro area: The sad state of economic policy in Germany and the EU

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  • Truger, Achim

Abstract

The Euro area is currently going through its worst period of recession and economic stagnation since the Great Depression and World War II. The article tries to give an impression of the extraordinary degree of fiscal austerity and the devastating economic effects it has already had and must be expected to have in the near future. In addition it is argued that both the lack of economic justification and the devastating consequences of the fiscal policies currently executed should have been absolutely obvious even from a mainstream perspective. Therefore the sad state of economic policies in the Euro area is that it did not even follow moderate mainstream proposals but instead seemed to rely on radical and outdated theoretical or purely ideological foundations. Germany as the most economically and politically influential member state of the Euro area seems to be most infected by such radical ideas.

Suggested Citation

  • Truger, Achim, 2013. "Austerity in the Euro area: The sad state of economic policy in Germany and the EU," IPE Working Papers 22/2013, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:222013
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    Cited by:

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    2. Philipp Heimberger & Jakob Kapeller, 2017. "The performativity of potential output: pro-cyclicality and path dependency in coordinating European fiscal policies," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 904-928, September.
    3. Achim Truger, 2016. "The golden rule of public investment – a necessary and sufficient reform of the EU fiscal framework?," IMK Working Paper 168-2016, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    4. Karsten Kohler & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2022. "Growing differently? Financial cycles, austerity, and competitiveness in growth models since the Global Financial Crisis," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(4), pages 1314-1341, July.
    5. Pühringer, Stephan, 2017. "The "eternal character" of austerity measures in European crisis policies: Evidences from the Fiscal Compact discourse in Austria," Working Paper Series Ök-32, Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung, Institut für Ökonomie.
    6. Hans Pitlik & Michael Klien & Stefan Schiman, 2017. "Stabilitätskonforme Berücksichtigung nachhaltiger öffentlicher Investitionen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 60595, April.
    7. Till van Treeck, 2015. "r>g: Why the ‘Piketty Debate’ Unsettles Germany’s Economic Experts," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 16(1), pages 26-34, May.
    8. Doris Prammer & Lukas Reiss, 2019. "(How) has EMU affected fiscal policy in Austria?," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue 19/Q1-Q2, pages 71-84.
    9. Achim Truger, 2015. "The Fiscal Compact, Cyclical Adjustment and the Remaining Leeway for Expansionary Fiscal Policies in the Euro Area," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 62(2), pages 157-175, June.
    10. Vlassis Missos, 2021. "Introducing a Safety Net: The Effects of Neoliberal Policy on Welfare, Poverty, and the Net Social Wage during the Greek Crisis," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 53(1), pages 58-76, March.
    11. Orsola Costantini, 2020. "The Eurozone as a Trap and a Hostage: Obstacles and Prospects of the Debate on European Fiscal Rules," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 55(5), pages 284-291, September.
    12. Landwehr, Jannik J., 2020. "The case for a job guarantee policy in Germany: A political-economic analysis of the potential benefits and obstacles," IPE Working Papers 150/2020, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    13. Jesús Ferreiro & Catalina Gálvez & Ana González, 2015. "Fiscal Policies in the European Union during the Crisis," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 62(2), pages 131-155, June.
    14. Till van Treeck, 2015. "r>g: Why the ‘Piketty Debate’ Unsettles Germany’s Economic Experts," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 16(01), pages 26-34, May.
    15. Doris Prammer & Lukas Reiss, 2019. "(How) has EMU affected fiscal policy in Austria?," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q1-Q2-/19, pages 71-84.
    16. De Jong, Jasper F.M. & Gilbert, Niels D., 2020. "Fiscal discipline in EMU? Testing the effectiveness of the Excessive Deficit Procedure," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    17. Truger, Achim, 2015. "Austerity, cyclical adjustment and the remaining leeway for expansionary fiscal policies within the current EU fiscal framework," IPE Working Papers 50/2015, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    18. Achim Truger, 2014. "Austerity, cyclical adjustment and the remaining leeway for expansionary fiscal policies in the Euro area," IMK Working Paper 140-2014, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    19. De Jong, Jasper F.M. & Gilbert, Niels D., 2020. "Fiscal discipline in EMU? Testing the effectiveness of the Excessive Deficit Procedure," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fiscal policy; Hamburg appeal; austerity; debt brake; fiscal compact; Germany; Euro area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • E64 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Incomes Policy; Price Policy
    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes

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