Debating the future of EU government debt

Posted on 18 July 2016

Leading figures from the world of international finance will attend a symposium being hosted at the University of York this week to debate the future of public finances around advanced economies.

The 2016 York Fiscal Policy Symposium, organised by the Department of Economics and Related Studies, will bring together experts to debate how budgetary policies can support a global economic recovery, whilst facing pressures that population ageing puts on pension and health budgets.

Guest speakers include: Vitor Gaspar, Senior International Monetary Fund Official and former Portuguese Finance Minister; Rolf Strauch, Member of the Management Board in Europe's public debt restructuring fund, the European Stability Mechanism; Gilles Mourre, Senior European Commission Official and Jonathan Portes, former Director of the UK's National Institute for Economic and Social Research.

Keynote speeches on fiscal policy analysis will discuss:

How can we get the global economy back on the track of stable broad-based economic growth and stable moderate inflation? Ways in which budgetary policies can support unconventional steps in monetary policy and reforms to the labour and product markets will be discussed.
When should public debt be reduced? Is living with debt the best policy, and would attempts to reduce it by raising taxes make the cure worse than the disease?
In what ways does an ageing population affect healthcare budgets and what can be done to contain the pressures?
What is the impact of austerity measures, tax reforms and immigration on different groups of people?

Dr Michal Horvath, Lecturer in Economics at York and Symposium organiser, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome budgetary policy experts from many European countries and prominent international institutions to discuss questions such as how to use fiscal policy to support stable growth in living standards, whether we should worry about current debt levels in Europe and how to prevent their future build-up, or what we should be doing about population ageing and the consequences on government budgets.”

Further information:

The Symposium is organised through a University of York External Engagement Award to reinforce links between the Department of Economics and European independent fiscal councils – institutions with mandates similar to that of the Office for Budget Responsibility in the UK.
To view the symposium programme, visit: https://sites.google.com/site/fiscalsymposium/home