Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece

Abstract Since the mid-2000s, internal and external imbalances have increased in many EU countries. This contributed to the debate over whether government budget deficits affect current account deficits, known as twin deficits hypothesis. It implies that public debt is actually a burden for future t...

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Main Authors: Konstantinos P. Panousis, Minoas Koukouritakis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2020-10-01
Series:Intereconomics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-020-0924-y
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author Konstantinos P. Panousis
Minoas Koukouritakis
author_facet Konstantinos P. Panousis
Minoas Koukouritakis
author_sort Konstantinos P. Panousis
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Since the mid-2000s, internal and external imbalances have increased in many EU countries. This contributed to the debate over whether government budget deficits affect current account deficits, known as twin deficits hypothesis. It implies that public debt is actually a burden for future taxpayers and thus a dangerous way for budget financing. Therefore, the fiscal measures implemented by policymakers may also affect the current account. This article tests the twin deficits hypothesis for Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece for the period 1999–2017. The empirical analysis presented in the article finds evidence that strongly supports this hypothesis only for Italy and Greece. For Portugal and Spain, however, the evidence is quite weak.
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spelling doaj-art-60f9d023554a4201bbda5a6c85b0e73e2025-01-17T08:34:12ZengSpringerIntereconomics0020-53461613-964X2020-10-0155533233810.1007/s10272-020-0924-yTwin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and GreeceKonstantinos P. Panousis0Minoas Koukouritakis1Cosmote Mobile TelecommunicationsDepartment of Economics, A2.002, University of CreteAbstract Since the mid-2000s, internal and external imbalances have increased in many EU countries. This contributed to the debate over whether government budget deficits affect current account deficits, known as twin deficits hypothesis. It implies that public debt is actually a burden for future taxpayers and thus a dangerous way for budget financing. Therefore, the fiscal measures implemented by policymakers may also affect the current account. This article tests the twin deficits hypothesis for Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece for the period 1999–2017. The empirical analysis presented in the article finds evidence that strongly supports this hypothesis only for Italy and Greece. For Portugal and Spain, however, the evidence is quite weak.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-020-0924-y
spellingShingle Konstantinos P. Panousis
Minoas Koukouritakis
Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
Intereconomics
title Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
title_full Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
title_fullStr Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
title_full_unstemmed Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
title_short Twin Deficits: Evidence From Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece
title_sort twin deficits evidence from portugal italy spain and greece
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-020-0924-y
work_keys_str_mv AT konstantinosppanousis twindeficitsevidencefromportugalitalyspainandgreece
AT minoaskoukouritakis twindeficitsevidencefromportugalitalyspainandgreece