The Spanish fiscal policy during the recent "great recession"

This paper examines the fiscal strategy followed by the Spanish government in order to stop the fall of aggregate demand induced by the financial crisis. The Spanish economy provides the best example among the countries of the European Monetary Union of the contradictions between the discretionary fiscal policy in the crisis and the fiscal rules. The intensity of the crisis and some initial badly designed fiscal stimulus shortened the fiscal space, raising the deficit over the limit established in the Stability and Growth Pact. As a consequence of the enforcement of the rule, the Spanish administration has to apply a restrictive fiscal policy without having left the recession, while keeping one of the lowest indebtedness levels in the euro zone countries.