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Automatic fiscal stabilisers in the euro area and the COVID-19 crisis

Author

Listed:
  • Bouabdallah, Othman
  • Checherita-Westphal, Cristina
  • Freier, Maximilian
  • Muggenthaler, Philip
  • Müller, Georg
  • Nerlich, Carolin
  • Sławińska, Kamila

Abstract

Fiscal policy is playing a key role in stemming the economic fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition to the discretionary fiscal policy measures employed by governments, automatic fiscal stabilisers play an important role in cushioning the economic downturn. This article shows that automatic fiscal stabilisers are generally sizeable in the euro area, but vary significantly across Member States. However, their effectiveness may be more limited at the current juncture, given the nature of the COVID-19 crisis and the high uncertainty surrounding its effects. This provides a rationale for a stronger role of discretionary fiscal policy at national and European level. Over the medium term, fiscal policies could increasingly make use of quasi-automatic fiscal instruments that provide additional timely, targeted and temporary macroeconomic stabilisation for the euro area. Careful consideration should be given to the design of such instruments over the business cycle, their economic efficiency, and to the need for building fiscal buffers in good times. JEL Classification: H12, H20, E63

Suggested Citation

  • Bouabdallah, Othman & Checherita-Westphal, Cristina & Freier, Maximilian & Muggenthaler, Philip & Müller, Georg & Nerlich, Carolin & Sławińska, Kamila, 2020. "Automatic fiscal stabilisers in the euro area and the COVID-19 crisis," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 6.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbart:2020:0006:3
    Note: 2679249
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Lalinsky, Tibor & Anyfantaki, Sofia & Benkovskis, Konstantins & Bergeaud, Antonin & Bun, Maurice & Bunel, Simon & Colciago, Andrea & De Mulder, Jan & Lopez, Beatriz Gonzalez & Jarvis, Valerie & Krasno, 2024. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and policy support on productivity," Occasional Paper Series 341, European Central Bank.
    2. Philippa Sigl-Gloeckner & Max Krahé & Pola Schneemelcher & Florian Schuster & Viola Hilbert & Henrika Meyer, 2021. "A new fiscal policy for Germany," Working Papers 2a, Forum New Economy.
    3. Philipp Heimberger, 2022. "The Cyclical Behaviour of Fiscal Policy During the Covid-19 Crisis," wiiw Working Papers 220, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    4. Michael Christl & Silvia Poli & Tine Hufkens & Andreas Peichl & Mattia Ricci, 2023. "The role of short-time work and discretionary policy measures in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1107-1136, August.
    5. Sigl-Glöckner, Philippa & Krahé, Max & Schneemelcher, Pola & Schuster, Florian & Hilbert, Viola & Meyer, Henrika, 2021. "A new fiscal policy for Germany," Papers 277884, Dezernat Zukunft - Institute for Macrofinance, Berlin.
    6. Heimberger, Philipp, 2023. "This time truly is different: The cyclical behaviour of fiscal policy during the Covid-19 crisis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    7. Bergant, Katharina & Forbes, Kristin, 2023. "Policy packages and policy space: Lessons from COVID-19☆," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    8. Bodnár, Katalin & Nerlich, Carolin, 2022. "The macroeconomic and fiscal impact of population ageing," Occasional Paper Series 296, European Central Bank.
    9. João Tovar Jalles & Youssouf Kiendrebeogo & Raphael Lam & Roberto Piazza, 2024. "Revisiting the countercyclicality of fiscal policy," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 877-914, September.
    10. Graciela Schiliuk & Tullio Buccellato & Jens Lapointe-Rohde & Georgios Palaiodimos & Habib Attia & Marthe Memoracion Hinojales & Catharine Kho & Gennady Vasiliev & Tigran Kostanyan & Alexandra de Carv, 2021. "Regional responses to the Covid-19 crisis: a comparative study from economic, policy, and institutional perspectives," Discussion Papers 18, European Stability Mechanism, revised 08 Nov 2021.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Automatic fiscal stabilisers; COVID-19 crisis; Euro area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H12 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Crisis Management
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy

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