Debt rules at the crossroads of public policy

Getting public finances right is one of the fundamental challenges of modern statehood. Debt rules, which exist in various European countries and at the EU level, attempt to create a framework for sustainable fiscal policy while at the same time ensuring sufficient flexibility for economic and socio-political goals.

On 19 June, Prof. Dr. Martin Kocher, former Austrian Federal Minister of Labour and Economics and former Scientific Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), will report on this highly topical area of tension. His lecture (in German) "Schuldenregeln im Spannungsfeld staatlicher Politik" (Debt rules at the crossroads of public policy) starts at 18:00 in lecture hall AUDI 11 of the Auditorium, Weender Landstraße 2, 37073 Göttingen..

This tension is particularly evident in the financing of pressing current and future challenges: how can public institutions reconcile long-term fiscal sustainability with the growing need to invest in ecological transformation and climate change mitigation? At the same time, rising geopolitical tensions raise the question of how to finance increased defence spending and strengthen European security structures - another area where fiscal rules face new realities.

The debate is further complicated by differences in national economic structures, political priorities and historical experiences across Europe. Different perspectives characterise both the national discussions and the negotiations at the European level on common fiscal frameworks.

About Martin Kocher:

As an expert in behavioural economics, Martin Kocher has worked in both research and practical policy-making. He will take over as Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in September 2025.