CASE Policy Briefs, EU New Member States, Euro area, Europe, Institutional reforms, Macroeconomics and macroeconomic policy

Fiscal Consolidation in the EU's New Member States

"The global financial crisis has triggered exceptional responses in the Euro zone and the U.S. A similar policy thrust should apply to the use of EU funds in the New Member States (NMS) of Central and Eastern Europe. The stakes are too high for vacillating. The bottom line is this: more capital has to flow into NMSs in order to fund the production of capital goods during a time when national budgets are extremely strained. This period may last for years, but inaction may lead to future political and economic instability in the region."