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The economic recovery in the euro area remains moderate. While several sentiment indicators have improved considerably over the past few months, and therefore suggest that the recovery might gain some momentum, this has not yet been reflected in hard data, in particular not in the quarterly GDP growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2016. So far, there is a lack of striking evidence for a sustained acceleration of the recently recorded moderate pace of economic recovery. Meanwhile, political uncertainty will remain elevated over the forecast horizon due to upcoming elections in four out of five of the biggest member states, negotiations with the United Kingdom on terms and conditions for leaving the EU, and possible changes in trade policies triggered by the new US government. Nevertheless, the euro area economy is set to continue its recovery - unemployment continues to decline, numerous early activity indicators point upwards, fiscal policy is expected to be mildly expansionary over the forecast horizon, and the recovery is continuously supported by low interest rates and the low external value of the euro. ; Short English version, full version available only in German language. ; Wir erwarten für das laufende Jahr eine Zunahme des Bruttoinlandsprodukts um 1,8 Prozent, im kommenden Jahr um 1,7 Prozent. Verschiedene Stimmungsindikatoren haben sich in den vergangenen Monaten verbessert und deuten auf eine beschleunigte konjunkturelle Grundtendenz hin. Allerdings sind wichtige harte (nicht umfragebasierte) Indikatoren zuletzt hinter den gestiegenen Erwartungen zurückgeblieben, allen voran die Zuwachsrate des Bruttoinlandsprodukts im vierten Quartal 2016. So gibt es derzeit noch zu wenig belastbare Evidenz für eine spürbare Belebung der bis zuletzt verzeichneten moderaten Expansionsdynamik. Diese vollzieht sich weiter unter einer Fülle politischer Risiken im Prognosezeitraum. Zu diesen Unwägbarkeiten zählen die bevorstehenden EU-Austrittsverhandlungen mit dem Vereinigten Königreich, wichtige Wahlen in vier der fünf größten Mitgliedsländer, sowie die schwer kalkulierbare Wirtschafts- und Handelspolitik der neuen US-Administration. Unter dem Strich sind die Auftriebskräfte im Euroraum gleichwohl intakt - die Arbeitslosigkeit ist weiter rückläufig, viele Frühindikatoren sind erkennbar aufwärts gerichtet und die Konjunktur wird weiterhin durch niedrige Zinsen und den geringen Außenwert des Euro unterstützt; zudem wird die Finanzpolitik voraussichtlich leicht expansiv ausgerichtet sein. Unterdessen ist die Verbraucherpreisinflation zuletzt sprunghaft auf 2,0 Prozent gestiegen. Mit dem Abklingen der derzeit preissteigernden Effekte vonseiten der Energiepreise dürfte sich die Preisdynamik allerdings wieder etwas abschwächen und die Inflationsrate Ende 2018 bei knapp eineinhalb Prozent liegen.

We provide empirical estimates of the risk-sharing and redistributive properties of the German federal fiscal system based on data from 1970 until 2006, with special attention to the effects of German unification. We find that tax revenue sharing between the states and the federal government and the fiscal equalization mechanism (Länderfinanzausgleich) together reduce differences in per-capita state incomes by 37 percent during period 1970 to 1994. After the full integration of East German states into the mechanism in 1995, the redistributive effects increase slightly to about 39 percent. With respect to the insurance effect of the German fiscal system, our results indicate that the federal fiscal system offsets 47 percent of an asymmetric shock to state per-capita incomes. This effect has significantly decreased after the inclusion of the East German states in 1995. Furthermore, we find that the German fiscal system provides almost perfect insurance for state government budgets against asymmetric revenue shocks; also, its redistributive effect with regard to the tax resources available to state governments is very strong.

We provide empirical estimates of the risk-sharing and redistributive properties of the German federal from 1970 until 2006, with special attention to the effects of German fiscal system base unification. We find that tax revenue sharing between the states and the federal government and the fiscal equalization mechanism (Länderfinanzausgleich) together reduce differences in per-capita state incomes by 36.9 percent during period 1970 to 1994. After the full integration of East German states into the mechanism in 1995, the redistributive effects increase slightly to about 38.6 percent. With respect to the insurance effect of the German fiscal system, our results indicate that the federal fiscal system offsets 47 percent of an asymmetric shock to state per-capita incomes. This effect has significantly decreased after the inclusion of the East German states in 1995. Furthermore, we find that the German fiscal system provides almost perfect insurance for state government budgets against asymmetric revenue shocks; also, its redistributive effect with regard to the tax resources available to state governments is very strong.

In recent years, fiscal performance in Central Europe has steadily deteriorated, in contrast to the improvement in the Baltics. This paper explores the determinants of such differences among countries on the path to EU accession. Regression estimates suggest that economic and institutional fundamentals do not provide a full explanation. An alternative explanation lies in the political economy of the accession process, and a game-theoretic model illustrates why a country with a stronger bargaining position might have an incentive to deviate from convergence to the Maastricht criteria. The model generates alternative fiscal policy regimes—allowing for regime shifts—depending on country characteristics and EU policies.