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Fiscal devaluation in a monetary union

Author

Listed:
  • Engler, Philipp
  • Ganelli, Giovanni
  • Tervala, Juha
  • Voigts, Simon

Abstract

Between 1999 and the onset of the economic crisis in 2008 real ex-change rates in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain appreciated relative to the rest of the euro area. This divergence in competitiveness was reflected in the emergence of current account imbalances. Given that exchange rate devaluations are no longer available in a monetary union, one potential way to address such imbalances is through a fiscal devaluation. We use a DSGE model calibrated to the euro area to investigate the impact of a fiscal devaluation, modeled as a revenue-neutral shift from employers' social contributions to the Value Added Tax. We find that a fiscal devaluation carried out in 'Southern European countries' has a strong positive effect on output, but a mild effect on the trade balance of these countries. In addition, the negative effect on 'Central-Northern countries' output is weak.

Suggested Citation

  • Engler, Philipp & Ganelli, Giovanni & Tervala, Juha & Voigts, Simon, 2014. "Fiscal devaluation in a monetary union," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2014-011, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb649:sfb649dp2014-011
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal Devaluation; Fiscal Policy; euro area; currency union; current account;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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