Discretionary Fiscal Policy Measures and Growth in the Selected Eurozone Countries

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the effects on growth of discretionary fiscal policy measures in selected Eurozone countries in the period ranging from 2001 to 2013. The analysis suggests a positive effect of discretionary fiscal policy measures on GDP and support the conclusion that structural public balance adjustments have negative effects on growth irrespective of macroeconomic conditions. These results show that, if the reduction of the structural balance has to be considered as an objective to be achieved per se, such a goal should not be pursued in times of deteriorating macroeconomic conditions.