Some Exchange Rates Are More Stable than Others: Short-Run Evidence from Transition Countries

The paper investigates empirically the endogenous liquidity nexus of exchange rate determination on a sample of four transition economies. We find evidence in favor of the hypothesis of a nonlinear error correction process vis-a-vis longer-term trend deviations. The results suggest that early and successful exchange-rate market and financial-account liberalization pays off in terms of depth of the market and, hence, faster adjustment of national currencies to short-term shocks to the exchange rate.Exchange rate, endogenous liquidity, error-correction mechanism, nonlinearity.

External and Fiscal Sustainability of the Czech Economy: A Quick Look Through the IMF's Night-Vision Goggles

The paper presents the rationale for spreadsheet-based debt sustainability assessments. Policymakers can use these exercises in two ways. First, assessments of possible debt developments provide 'reality checks' of macroeconomic projections. Second, the financial stability exercise may indicate vulnerability to crises. Empirically, using the IMF debt sustainability template, the paper finds that the external position of the Czech Republic appears sustainable under most plausible history-based scenarios. However, a deep, two-year recession coupled with fiscal indiscipline might double the 2002 stock of foreign debt by the end of the decade. The fiscal position is significantly more fragile and the fiscal debt-to-GDP ratio quickly approaches 60 percent under some of the more pronounced shocks.Debt sustainability, Macroeconomic projections, Vulnerability.

Would Fast Sailing Towards the Euro Be Smooth?: What Fundamental Real Exchange Rates Tell Us About Acceding Economies

Computed fundamental real exchange rates in four acceding countries point out to difficulties in entering the ERM II too soon after the EU entry. Computations suggest that it is unlikely for the Czech, Hungarian and Polish economies to maintain low inflation during 2004-2010, and at the same time, to keep their currencies within the ERM II. In addition, those currencies were overvalued in 2003. Moreover, experience of Greece, Portugal, and Spain – viewed through the fundamental real exchange rates goggles - indicate both more stable paths of real exchange rates as well as smaller currency misalignments prior to the euro adoption than what can be expected from the acceding countries in the forthcoming years. If acceding countries sail too fast towards the euro, their sailing may not be as smooth as the one of frontrunners.Fundamental real exchange rates, Foreign direct investment, Euro, Acceding economies

The Maastricht Inflation Criterion: "Saints" and "Sinners"

The Maastricht inflation criterion, designed in the early 1990s to bring “high-inflation†EU countries into line with “low-inflation†countries prior to the introduction of the euro, poses challenges for both new EU member countries and the European Central Bank. While the criterion has positively influenced the public stance toward low inflation, it has biased the choice of the disinflation strategy toward short-run, fiat measures—rather than adopting structural reforms with longer-term benefits—with unpleasant consequences for the efficiency of the eurozone transmission mechanism. The criterion is also unnecessarily tight for new member countries, as it mainly reflects cyclical developments.ERM2, Maastricht inflation criterion, new EU member countries.

How Volatile and Unpredictable are Aid Flows, and What are the Policy Implications?

External aid, Volatility, Predictability, IMF-supported programs

Monetary Policy Rules with Financial Instability

To provide a rigorous analysis of monetary policy in the face of financial instability, we extend the standard dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model to include a financial system. Our simulations suggest that if financial instability affects output and inflation with a lag, and if the central bank has privileged information about credit risk, monetary policy responding instantly to increased credit risk can trade off more output and inflation instability today for a faster return to the trend than a policy that follows the simple Taylor rule. This augmented rule leads in some parameterizations to improved outcomes in terms of long-term welfare, however, the welfare impacts of such a rule appear to be negligible.DSGE models, financial instability, monetary policy rule.

Sustainable Real Exchange Rates in the New EU Member States: What Did the Great Recession Change?

The Great Recession affected export and import patterns in our sample of new EU member countries, and these changes, coupled with a more volatile external environment, have a profound impact on our estimates of real exchange rate misalignments and projections of sustainable real exchange rates. We find that real misalignments in several countries with pegged exchange rates and excessive external liabilities widened relative to earlier estimates. While countries with balanced net trade positions may experience sustainable appreciation during 2010-2014, several currencies are likely to require real depreciation to maintain sustainable net external debt.Foreign direct investment, Great Recession, new EU member states, sustainable exchange rates.

Business Cycle in Czechoslovakia Under Central Planning

This paper examines credit origins of the business cycle in the former Czechoslovakia. Industrial production is found to be cointegrated with various measures of bank credit during 1976-90 and it is shown that noninvestment credits are Granger-causing industrial production and that a feedback relation exists between investment credits and industrial production. Although the potency of credit supply shocks to industrial production has been changing, production decline (growth) seems to follow credit tightening (loosening). However, the paper confirms that credit shocks were only a minor part of the output decline in 1989-90.