Political resistance to fiscal stability institutions: The case of Romania
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Published:
Mar 22, 2017
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2017-03-22
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2017-03-22 (1)
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze the revealed resistance to fiscal stability institutions recently showed by Romanian politicians. Establishing the context, the design of the present-day institutional environment for fiscal stability is investigated, with special attention being paid to its legal protection against political pressure. Typical opinions recently expressed by key political actors on certain issues related to fiscal stability are analyzed and categorized into a number of main arguments. To this end, insights from the political discourse analysis field are employed as tools for decoding the political meaning of written and spoken text. The public debates around the 2015-2016 tax cut program are presented as a case study for the investigation of political resistance to settled fiscal stability institutions.
Keywords: fiscal stability; fiscal governance; political discourse analysis; Romania
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Simandan, R. (2017). Political resistance to fiscal stability institutions: The case of Romania. New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(4), 219–228. https://doi.org/10.18844/prosoc.v3i4.1572
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Bratu, V. (2015). Ministrul de Finanțe cere acordul ECOFIN pentru depașirea țintei de deficit bugetar cu investițiile in infrastructura [Finance minister asks for ECOFIN’s accord to overshoot budget deficit target with infrastructure expenditures]. Curs de Guvernare. Retrieved from http://cursdeguvernare.ro/ministrul-de-finante-cere-acordul-ecofin-pentru-depasirea-tintei-de-deficit-bugetar-cu-investitiile-in-infrastructura.html.
Breazu, M. (2009). Boc va cere majorarea deficitului bugetar [Boc to ask for higher budget deficit]. Radio Romania Actualitaţi. Retrieved from
http://romania-actualitati.ro/boc_va_cere_majorarea_deficitului_bugetar-2050.
Calmfors, L. & Wren-Lewis, S. (2011). What should fiscal councils do?. CESifo Working Paper. No. 3382.
Chirileasa, A. (2015). Romanian Government detonates “fiscal nukeâ€: major tax cuts in plan. Romania Insider. Retrieved from http://www.romania-insider.com/romanian-government-detonates-fiscal-nuke-major-tax-cuts-in-plan/142447/.
Cireasa, D. (2014). Excedentul bugetar îngroapa economia [The budget surplus is burying the economy]. Romania libera. Retrieved from http://www.romanialibera.ro/economie/finante-banci/excedentul-bugetar-ingroapa-economia-355273.
Daianu, D. (2013). Scaderea cheltuielilor publice ar invita recesiunea din nou [Cutting public expenditures now would invite in the recession]. Contributors. Retrieved from http://www.contributors.ro/economie/scaderea-cheltuielilor-publice-ar-invita-recesiunea-din-nou-cum-platim-datoriile-externe-conteaza-pentru-pib/.
Dobre, A. (2015). Autoritatile noastre vor sa ne supraindatoreze, Comisia Europeana refuza [Our authorities want higher level of indebtedness. The European Commission refuses]. National. Retrieved from http://www.enational.ro/news/business/autoritatile-noastre-vor-sa-ne-supraindatoreze-comisia-europeana-refuza-505125.html/
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Fiscal Council (2015). Fiscal Council’s opinion on the State Budget Law, the Social Insurance Budget Law for 2016 and the Fiscal Strategy for 2016-2018. Retrieved from http://www.fiscalcouncil.ro/FCopinion2016budget.pdf.
Fiscal Responsibility Law 2010. 69 (Ro.). Retrieved from https://static.anaf.ro/static/10/Anaf/legislatie/L_69_2010R.pdf.
Gallagher, T. (2013). Romania and the European Union: How the weak vanquished the strong. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hajer, M. (1995). The politics of environmental discourse. ecological modernization and the policy process. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hotnews (2015). Isarescu, avertisment dur la adresa implementarii Codului Fiscal: Nu rezista democratia. E obsesia noastra ca cineva din exterior ne impiedica sa crestem [Isarescu, harsh worning against the Fiscal Code: the democracy won’t hold. It is our obsession that someone from the outside does not allow us to grow]. Retrieved from http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-esential-20317930-isarescu-avertisment-dur-adresa-implementarii-codului-fiscal-nu-rezista-democratia-obsesia-noastra-cineva-din-exterior-impiedica-crestem.htm.
Imf (2015). Statement at the conclusion of an IMF staff visit to Romania. Press Release No. 15/474. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2015/pr15474.htm.
Imf (2015). Romania Selected Issues. IMF Country Report. 15/80.
Mediafax (2015). Ponta: Consiliul Fiscal ne-a dat mereu avize negative, a susţinut politica lui Basescu si Boc [The Fiscal Council has always issued negative opinions against us, but they sustained the policies of Basescu and Boc]. Retrieved from http://www.mediafax.ro/economic/ponta-consiliul-fiscal-ne-a-dat-mereu-avize-negative-a-sustinut-politica-lui-basescu-si-boc-14085104.
Realitatea.net (2015). Prima reacÈ›ie a BNR dupa “consensul†pe Codul Fiscal: “Problemele raman aceleaÈ™i†[First reaction of the NBR after the “consensus†on the Fiscal Code: “Problems remain the sameâ€]. Retrieved from http://www.realitatea.net/prima-reac-ie-a-bnr-dupa-consensul-pe-codul-fiscal-problemele-raman-acelea-i_1773982.html.
Schuknecht, L., Moutot, P., Rother, P. & Stark, J. (2011). The stability and growth pact: crisis and reform. ECB Occasional, 129.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1997). What is political discourse analysis?. Belgian Journal of Linguistics 11 (1), 11-52.
Wall-street.ro (2014). Ponta, apel catre ministri sa cheltuiasca banii de investitii [Ponta: appeal to ministers to spend on investment]. Retrieved from http://www.wall-street.ro/articol/Politic/174706/ponta-apel-catre-ministri-sa-cheltuiasca-banii-de-investitii.html.
Ziare.com (2010). Berceanu: Romania nu iese din recesiune daca FMI nu accepta cresterea deficitului [Romania will not exit the recession if the IMF does not accept an increase of the budget deficit]. Retrieved from http://www.ziare.com/economie/recesiune/berceanu-romania-nu-iese-din-recesiune-daca-fmi-nu-accepta-cresterea-deficitului-1013206.