Blog post
06 February 2019
Whose (fiscal) debt is it anyway?
The authors map how much fiscal debt is in the hands of domestic and foreign holders in the euro area. While the market for debt was much more interna
Public debt
Showing 33-48 of 98 results
Blog post
21 January 2019
Is public debt a cheap lunch?
The fiscal and welfare costs of public debt, following Olivier Blanchard's presidential lecture at the American Economic Association, in which he sugg
Blog post
06 November 2018
The consequences of Italy’s increasing dependence on domestic debt-holders
Bruegel’s updated data set of sovereign bond holdings illustrates how a rising share of Italian debt is held by domestic investors – a development wi
Policy brief
24 October 2018
European fiscal rules require a major overhaul
In this Policy Contribution prepared for the French Conseil d’Analyse Économique, the authors assess current European fiscal rules and propose a major
Podcast
27 September 2018
Director’s Cut: The Italian government budget proposal for 2019
Guntram Wolff welcomes Bruegel affiliate fellow Silvia Merler to evaluate the Italian government’s planned budget for 2019, in this Director’s Cut of
Blog post
10 September 2018
The higher yield on Italian government securities could soon be a burden for the real economy
The increase in the spread between Italian (BTP) and German (Bund) government securities is directly an additional burden for Italy public finance, an
Policy brief
06 September 2018
High public debt in euro-area countries: comparing Belgium and Italy
This Policy Contribution looks at the evolution of public debt in Belgium and Italy since 1990 and uses the debt dynamics equation to explain the cont
Comment
28 August 2018
The ECB is compromising the attractiveness of euro-area sovereign bonds
The ECB should refine its collateral framework in order to continue protecting its balance sheet without putting at risk the safe-asset status of sove
Blog post
08 June 2018
Is the ECB collateral framework compromising the safe-asset status of euro-area sovereign bonds?
Central banks’ collateral frameworks play an important role in defining what is considered as a safe asset. However, the ECB’s framework is unsatisfac
Blog post
31 May 2018
Italian populism calls for hard choices
The economic agenda of Italian populists is likely to exacerbate rather than alleviate Italy’s longstanding problems. But the piecemeal, small-step ap
Blog post
28 May 2018
Are SBBS really the safe asset the euro area is looking for?
The European Commission is pushing to create a synthetic euro-area-wide safe asset in the form of sovereign bond-backed securities (SBBS). However, SB
Comment
27 May 2018
How worried should we be about an Italian debt crisis?
Political backlash to slow growth and immigration has produced the least cooperative government imaginable in Italy, a coalition between the left-popu
Blog post
22 May 2018
Argentina’s troubles
Argentina has abruptly called on the International Monetary Fund for financial help, amid currency pressures. We review recent economists’ position on
Blog post
04 May 2018
Europe needs a broader discussion of its future
When thinking about what will determine the prosperity and well-being of citizens living in the euro area, five issues are central. This column, part
Blog post
26 April 2018
Italy’s pension spending: Implications of an ageing population
The Italian debate on the pension system predominantly focuses on short-term aspects, neglecting relevant longer-term fundamentals. Based on long-term
Working paper
26 April 2018
State contingent debt as insurance for euro-area sovereigns
Since the financial crisis, EU countries' economies have recovered to the point that they are exiting their adjustment programmes. Institutional stabi