The Nobel advocate fiscal federalism
Their remedy for the debt crisis in the eurozone was expected. After donning their new clothes Nobel Prize in Economics in 2011, Americans Christopher Sims and Thomas Sargent have shot so the map of fiscal federalism. Historical precedent should serve as a model according to them: the union of the budgets of the thirteen founding states of the United States with the Constitution of 1787. Christopher Sims, then this is a "definite solution" with which "we were born." And Thomas Sargent called the euro area to design "a way of sharing the fiscal burden to link budgetary powers to the European Central Bank (ECB) and the lender of last resort". According to him, the outlook for the euro will remain "dark" if those links "also remain unclear."
Although the idea is not new, it has resurfaced thanks to the Greek crisis.On Wednesday, the political and business across the EU (including billionaire George Soros and Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish Prime Minister) signed a platform calling the euro zone leaders to unite. Published by the Financial Times, the letter calls for the "establishment of a joint budget that would raise funds and to ensure fiscal discipline of the Member States." In this spirit, Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, has recently called Europe adopts "a federal Minister of Finance."
Judging "pragmatic" position of the two Nobel Jerome Creel, assistant director of studies at the OFCE and professor at the ESCP Europe also believes that this idea of fiscal federalism is "a must". Clearly, the euro area is expected to have a real "federal budget" next national budget.This would better "regulate the activity" of the Union through a "permanent reciprocity 'in bilateral relations between the world's strongest and weakest, especially in times of economic shocks. "When people buy Mercedes, Greeks contribute to German growth, so it is normal to help him when needed," the economist is an example.
"The euro has to walk on two legs"
The Assistance Fund of the euro area (EFSF), which has helped Portugal and Ireland, is seen by Jerome Creel as a draft of a further fiscal federalism low fee pay day loans. According to him, it applies to the current debate on the issue of Eurobonds ("that could eventually finance a large common budget"), like that, embryonic and far from unanimous, the tax on financial transactions.
To be effective advocates Jérôme Creel, the introduction of the federal budget will not happen without the ECB. "The euro must be able to walk on two legs: a lever for its independent ECB monetary and fiscal policy coordination," he says. Yet the institution of Frankfurt has so far only goal against inflation (unlike the U.S. Federal Reserve). Result, coordination and relations between the ECB and the U.S. are regularly strained: the economist recalled that in June 2008, including Nicolas Sarkozy had won against the institution in Frankfurt, who had decided to increase its key rate Director of 4% to 4.25% after soaring commodity prices.The ECB "should ask the question of economic growth" and "not just for inflation," lambasted the head of state, fearing a rise of the euro against the dollar penalizes exports of the area euro. Six months later, contagion from the financial crisis of U.S. forces in the Old Continent, the ECB has revised its rates three times down, up 0.75% at end 2008.
Problem: the establishment of a true federal budget involves a "significant transfer of sovereignty to the European" art Alexandre Delaigue, an economist blogger Econoclaste. "For this to work, it would require that Brussels can closely monitor and control deficits anything related to the competitiveness of the members, he insists.With the budget, it directly affects people's lives. "Collage, he cites the" retirement age, the conditions for unemployment insurance, "which would then indirectly controlled by the lever via Brussels budget. In addition, he said the United States, "the union budget could be made after the Civil War …"