In order to achieve and ensure economic stability in such a unique constellation there have been established several measures and frameworks with the Stability and Growth Pact as the centre point. Designed on the grounds of and motivated by the objective of stabilising the overall economy, the pact promotes fiscal discipline through limiting government deficits and debts in order to prevent adverse fiscal spillover effects and freeriding behaviour of national fiscal authorities which could risk price and overall macroeconomic stability of the common currency area. This however brings about limitations for governments to discretionarily react to national economic needs and conditions.

This bachelor thesis addresses the resulting tension between a theoretical and fundamental need for macroeconomic policy coordination in a monetary union environment and the politico-economic reality. The main goals are: to examine the main arguments in favour and against the pact under the areas of content, objectives and enforcement design; to highlight the resulting trade-offs; and to link these to developments and reforms of the pact but also to different economic contexts, namely the time period before and the time period during and after the crisis.

The main finding is that reforms regarding macroeconomic policy coordination which w]]>