Coping with Post-COVID Sovereign Debt Levels in the Euro Area

Note: 12:00 - 1:30 pm (CET, Central European Time)

As the world prepares for a post-COVID reality, the euro area must confront its growing fiscal and sovereign debts. But the very scale of the problem is controversial. High debt levels are not an issue if growth is stable and interest rates are low or even negative. At the same time, this reasoning may put the ECB under undue pressure to keep interest rates low even as inflationary pressures rise. Moreover, while the average debt situation in the euro area may still be sustainable, single countries may be at risk where high debt levels coincide with low growth potential.

What are the options and scenarios for dealing with public debt in the post-COVID euro area? This question will be at the heart of our digital seminar, jointly organized by ZEW Mannheim and EconPol Europe. Our debate will address debt sustainability, risks to ECB independence, the potential of debt restructuring operations and debt cancellation, and the capacity of growth strategies to alleviate sustainability problems.

The event will take place as a Webex webinar and is open to the public. It comprises short presentations by the speakers and concludes with a general Q&A session. Friedrich Heinemann from ZEW will moderate the event.

The webinar is a joint event of ZEW Mannheim and EconPol Europe in collaboration with the Brigitte Strube Stiftung.