The unprecedented sovereign debt crisis across the eurozone has prompted a new generation of models with ‘self-fulfilling’ attacks on public debt. The model presented in this paper shows that multiple equilibria arise as investors have no direct information, and form heterogeneous rational beliefs, about the government's sustainable limit of the solvency primary balance. If beliefs of insolvency are sufficiently large, then the government is bound to default, although initial solvency conditions are satisfied. Several issues are discussed concerning the role of initial conditions, fiscal shocks and the policy options to escape from the default domain.​"> The unprecedented sovereign debt crisis across the eurozone has prompted a new generation of models with ‘self-fulfilling’ attacks on public debt. The model presented in this paper shows that multiple equilibria arise as investors have no direct information, and form heterogeneous rational beliefs, about the government's sustainable limit of the solvency primary balance. If beliefs of insolvency are sufficiently large, then the government is bound to default, although initial solvency conditions are satisfied. Several issues are discussed concerning the role of initial conditions, fiscal shocks and the policy options to escape from the default domain.​"> The unprecedented sovereign debt crisis across the eurozone has prompted a new generation of models with ‘self-fulfilling’ attacks on publ">
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Heterogeneous Market Beliefs, Fundamentals and the Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Eurozone

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  • Roberto Tamborini
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type="main" xml:id="ecca12155-abs-0001"> The unprecedented sovereign debt crisis across the eurozone has prompted a new generation of models with ‘self-fulfilling’ attacks on public debt. The model presented in this paper shows that multiple equilibria arise as investors have no direct information, and form heterogeneous rational beliefs, about the government's sustainable limit of the solvency primary balance. If beliefs of insolvency are sufficiently large, then the government is bound to default, although initial solvency conditions are satisfied. Several issues are discussed concerning the role of initial conditions, fiscal shocks and the policy options to escape from the default domain.​

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  • Roberto Tamborini, 2015. "Heterogeneous Market Beliefs, Fundamentals and the Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Eurozone," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82, pages 1153-1176, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:82:y:2015:i::p:1153-1176
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberto Tamborini, 2017. "Europe at the Interdependence War," EconPol Working Paper 2, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    2. Della Posta, Pompeo, 2018. "A model of currency crises with heterogeneous market beliefs," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 182-195.
    3. Pompeo Della Posta, 2018. "Fiscal austerity and monetary easing: which one is to be praised for ending the euro area crisis?," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 15(1), pages 165-189, June.
    4. Roberto Tamborini & Matteo Tomaselli, 2020. "When does public debt impair economic growth? A literature review in search of a theory," DEM Working Papers 2020/7, Department of Economics and Management.
    5. Ghulam, Yaseen & Derber, Julian, 2018. "Determinants of sovereign defaults," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 43-55.
    6. Pompeo Della Posta & Enrico Marelli & Marcello Signorelli, 2022. "COVID-19, Economic Policies and Public Debt Sustainability in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    7. Pompeo Della Posta & Enrico Marelli & Marcello Signorelli, 2020. "A market‐financed and growth‐enhancing investment plan for the euro area," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(3), pages 604-632, July.
    8. Esposito, Piero & Messori, Marcello, 2019. "Competitive or recession gains? On the recent macroeconomic rebalances in the EMU," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 147-167.
    9. Giovanni Dosi & Marcello Minenna & Andrea Roventini & Roberto Violi, 2021. "Making the Eurozone work: a risk-sharing reform of the European Stability Mechanism," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 299(1), pages 617-657, April.
    10. Pompeo Della Posta & Roberto Tamborini, 2021. "The Existential Trilemma of EMU in a Model of Fiscal Target Zone," EconPol Working Paper 66, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    11. Esposito, Piero & Messori, Marcello, 2016. "Improved Structural Competitiveness or Deep Recession? On the recent macroeconomic rebalances in the EMU," LEAP Working Papers 2016/3, Luiss Institute for European Analysis and Policy.
    12. Della Posta, Pompeo, 2018. "Central bank intervention, public debt and interest rate target zones," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 311-323.
    13. Roberto Tamborini, 2018. "Macroeconomic Imbalances and the Euro Zone. Alternative Views," EconPol Working Paper 14, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    14. Della Posta, Pompeo, 2023. "Public debt sustainability in a target zone model with heterogeneous agents," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 440-450.
    15. Della Posta, Pompeo, 2021. "Government size and speculative attacks on public debt," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 79-89.
    16. Pompeo Della Posta, 2021. "An analysis of the current backlash of economic globalization in a model with heterogeneous agents," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(1), pages 101-120, February.
    17. Pompeo Della Posta, 2022. "The Revival of Target Zone Modeling," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 775-805, September.

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