Myopic Fiscal Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Intergenerational Burden

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected global social and economic activities. While German economic output has declined dramatically, the German federal government's reactions to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic have resulted in an unprecedented public deficit. Leading politicians urge repaying the debts induced by the pandemic, as this rather myopic fiscal policy raises questions regarding fiscal sustainability. This study analyses policymakers who are designing amortisation solutions; employing the method of generational accounting provides fundamental insights into the effects of diverse amortisation scenarios on intergenerational burden sharing. The results demonstrate that current and future generations are unequally burdened depending on the period, instrument and amortisation target. These findings indicate that a long-term amortisation process initiated promptly after the COVID-19 crisis is crucial for intergenerational equity.