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Comments on Amtenbrink & De Haan. DNB workshop on Macroeconomic Imbalances in the Euro Area 13/14 October 2011 Jeroen Hessel Senior Economist De Nederlandsche Bank. Outline paper eurobonds: legal & economic view. Failure of current governance: enforceability
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Comments on Amtenbrink & De Haan DNB workshop on Macroeconomic Imbalances in the Euro Area 13/14 October 2011Jeroen HesselSenior EconomistDe Nederlandsche Bank
Outline paper eurobonds: legal & economic view • Failure of current governance: enforceability • Eurobonds to i) increase budgetary discipline and ii) avoid market speculation • Feasibility under current European and national (German) law
Main comments: balance law & economics • Enforceability is very important, but not the only problem. That is a simplification. • If enforeability is the only problem, why far-reaching proposal to introduce eurobonds?
Enforceability (i): starting positions • Rules were insufficiently enforced for several peripheral countries, but not for all of them
Enforceability (iv): conclusion • Enforceability should definitely increase • But financial crisis was a very big shock • Role of “forgotten” macro-imbalances • Rules cannot foresee all future problems • Budgetary problems never fully excluded
Eurobonds (i): what reason? • If enforceability is key, why eurobonds? • Why should we prevent market speculation? Asian crisis, Latin American debt crisis • Key reason: is a monetary union different?
Eurobonds (iii): why is EMU special? • Political effectiveness? • Macro-imbalances and competitiveness • Larger risk of contagion • Deeper financial integration • Many countries in a similar position • De Grauwe (2011) inherent instability in EMU: • No exchange rate, monetary policy, lender of last resort
Eurobonds (iv): conclusion • Main reason eurobonds: • Budgetary and macro-rules never prevent all future budgetary problems • EMU inherently unstable once this leads to doubt about debt-sustainability