Reforming the Eurozone: How to Handle Sovereign Debt?

The challenges facing the Eurozone are multifaceted, with Greece still having a long road to recovery and Italy facing a dangerous mix of a large government deficit and an already high debt level. This Lunch Debate will be dedicated to discussing possible courses of action for the EU, if levels of sovereign debt become unsustainable. A special focus will be on how an insolvency procedure for sovereigns may be designed as well as the risks and opportunities this presents.

With the Eurogroup having agreed on a reform proposal for the EMU on 3 December 2018 (which foresees improved collective action clauses and the ESM assuming the role of a moderator in creditor negotiations), the topic will be of particular relevance given that the reforms are due to be implemented in spring this year.

Our Lunch Debate, which is jointly organised by ZEW and EconPol Europe (European Network for Economic and Fiscal Policy Research), will be based on an overview paper on possible design options for a sovereign debt restructuring mechanism, which will be published for the event.