A bigger bazooka — Christopher Dembik

The likely growth slowdown in the euro area in the coming quarters will be the trigger for this new phase of expansionist fiscal policy.

However, uncertainty remains as to the scale and the implementation of the stimulus. If it is up to member countries, the stimulus is likely to be under-supplied as many governments will have little incentive to do much. Europe will face the same free-rider problem as in the past, with countries patiently waiting to benefit from the stimulus policies of their neighbours. The ideal scheme would be that of coordinated fiscal expansion through fiscal agreement or a proper common budget incorporating counter-cyclical mechanisms. That would involve highly sensitive political concessions, especially on risk-sharing, and high execution risk, but this would be the most efficient way for the eurozone to avert an upcoming economic downturn.

ZAWYA — A Thompson-Reuters site A bigger bazooka