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Eurobonds Past and Present: A Comparative Review on Debt Mutualization in Europe

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  • Esteves Rui Pedro

    (University of Oxford, Oxford, UK)

  • Tunçer Ali Coşkun

    (University College London, London, UK)

Abstract

This paper reviews the economic and historical literature on debt mutualization in Europe with reference to pre-1914 guaranteed bonds and the current Eurobonds debate. We argue that, notwithstanding the differences in scale and nature, debt mutualization solutions similar to Eurobonds were tried before, and the closest historical examples to the present debate are the pre-1914 guaranteed bonds. We highlight three key characteristics of debt mutualization, which are apparent both in the current debate and in history: moral hazard, debt dilution and conditionality. We show that the fears about short-run dilution and moral hazard were not unknown to pre-1914 market participants. These problems were partly addressed by mechanisms of conditionality such as international financial control. The historical evidence suggests that the dilution of outstanding obligations may be overplayed in the current debate. On the contrary, creditors’ moral hazard (ignored in current debt mutualization proposals) was as problematic as the usual debtor’s moral hazard –especially when the groups of countries guaranteeing the bonds and the creditor nations did not overlap entirely.

Suggested Citation

  • Esteves Rui Pedro & Tunçer Ali Coşkun, 2016. "Eurobonds Past and Present: A Comparative Review on Debt Mutualization in Europe," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(3), pages 659-688, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:rlecon:v:12:y:2016:i:3:p:659-688:n:9
    DOI: 10.1515/rle-2016-0047
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    Cited by:

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    2. Nikolaos Stoupos & Apostolos Kiohos, 2022. "Euro Area: Towards a European Common Bond? – Empirical Evidence from the Sovereign Debt Markets," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1019-1046, July.
    3. Jopp, Tobias A., 2017. "How does the public perceive alliances? The Central and Allied Powers in World War I," IBF Paper Series 12-17, IBF – Institut für Bank- und Finanzgeschichte / Institute for Banking and Financial History, Frankfurt am Main.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    debt mutualization; debt dilution; moral hazard; conditionality; pre-1914;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • N24 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-

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