public spending

European economy, In Europe 13th March 2023

Most Eurozone growth in 4Q2022 comes from public spending; data point to slowdown in 1Q23

Santander Corporate & Investment | The final outcome will probably be determined by the economy but, as our economists remind us, the 4Q eurozone GDP data released late last week (0.0% quarter-on-quarter and 1.8% year-on-year, Exp 0.0%/1.9%, Last 0.4%/2.4%) mask weak dynamics. The fact is that most of the growth is coming from public spending while weak domestic demand was dragging down imports and explaining the second (poor) growth driver:…

Spanish economy 7th July 2022

The Airef Says That Revaluing Pensions With The CPI (13.5 Billion Euros) Leaves The Government With No Margin For More Public Spending

Cristina Herrero, president of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (Airef) calculates that pensions will have to be revalued at 9%, which will cost 13.500 billion euros of the 15 billion increase in spending recommended for 2023. This would leave the government with no margin to increase social or defence spending. Herrero warned that “inflation increases revenue in the short term but deteriorates public finances in the medium term because…

Spanish economy 30th May 2022

Spain’s Public Spending Consolidates Above 50% Of GDP, With 14 Consecutive Years Of Deficits

Spain’s public spending breaks records and settles above 50% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The country has thus accumulated two consecutive years – 2020 and 2021 – in which the average disbursement reaches 51.5%, after surpassing all historical spending milestones. However, the revenue figures do not match the expenditure figures and the public deficit is widening. In 2021, with record tax pressure and state revenue, revenue has not managed to…

World economy 23rd March 2017

The Huge Fallacy Of The Modern Monetary Theory: Money Is Not Free

There’s a new monetary theory doing the rounds here which claims to be revolutionary: the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT. Not to be confused with the Market Monetary Theory). I agree with some of its points. But when some of its supporters say the state deficit and debt are not important – that they don’t have damaging consequences – the theory becomes a huge deliberate fallacy.

In Europe 30th May 2014

Spanish GDP: The crystal clear lie

MADRID | By Luis Arroyo | Spanish 1Q GDP was released on Friday. Data were shameful and let me explain you why: in order to reduce the public deficit, the government transfered 2013 4Q public spending to 2014 1Q. So these last numbers are those they had tried to hide under the carpet. In the graph above, the blue and line represent private and public consumption, respectively.