Monetary Policy and Debt

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics and Law, 6th Floor, Wing B, Room 605 Via del Castro Laurenziano, 9-00161 Rome, Italy
Interests: monetary policy analysis; business cycle fluctuations; financial frictions; macro banking; DSGE models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The nexus between monetary policy and debt has emerged as one of the most pressing themes in macroeconomic research and policy debate. Over the past two decades, the global economy has experienced an extraordinary sequence of shocks—from the global financial crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, inflationary pressures and tightening cycles across advanced and emerging markets. In response, central banks and fiscal authorities have deployed unprecedented measures, pushing public and private debt to new highs while reshaping the boundaries of monetary policy.

This Special Issue brings together a collection of contributions that examine the evolving relationship between debt dynamics and the conduct, transmission, and effectiveness of monetary policy. The articles span a wide range of topics, including the implications of high public debt for central bank independence, the role of monetary policy in debt sustainability, the interaction between interest rates and financial stability, and the potential consequences of fiscal–monetary coordination.

At the heart of this Special Issue lies a core set of questions: How do elevated debt levels constrain or amplify the effects of monetary policy? Can central banks maintain price stability in an environment of fiscal dominance? What tools are most effective when traditional interest rate policy is limited by debt-related concerns? And how should monetary authorities navigate the trade-offs between inflation control, financial stability, and debt sustainability?

By addressing these questions, this volume aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the complex and evolving macro-financial environment. The insights offered here are particularly relevant as policymakers around the world grapple with tightening financial conditions, elevated sovereign and corporate debt burdens, and growing calls for a rethinking of macroeconomic frameworks.

Dr. Marco Di Pietro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • monetary policy
  • debt
  • macroeconomic models
  • central banks

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 471 KB  
Article
Moral Hazard and Management of Debt Collateral in SME Financing: A Focus on Lease Contracts
by Francesco Alfani
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2026, 19(5), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm19050301 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 434
Abstract
This paper studies the effects of leasing on credit risk and access to credit. The repossession of a leased asset is generally easier than the enforcement of collateral associated with securing a standard loan agreement. We argue that this greater efficiency in enforcement [...] Read more.
This paper studies the effects of leasing on credit risk and access to credit. The repossession of a leased asset is generally easier than the enforcement of collateral associated with securing a standard loan agreement. We argue that this greater efficiency in enforcement mitigates, ceteris paribus, the counterparty’s moral hazard. To test this hypothesis, we developed a credit rationing model in which income is privately observed and non-verifiable, and financial intermediaries share credit risk information about borrowers. Financial contracts that are more rapidly enforced, such as in leasing, enable the screening of relatively safer projects or credit rationing reduction. We provide empirical evidence consistent with this prediction for the Italian credit market and considerations for the effects of monetary policy variables on the model’s equilibrium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monetary Policy and Debt)
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16 pages, 2847 KB  
Article
Monetary Policy and Fiscal Conditions: Interest Rates, Nominal Growth Rates, Tax Revenues, and Government Expenditures
by Yutaka Harada and Makoto Suzuki
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2026, 19(1), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm19010075 - 17 Jan 2026
Viewed by 973
Abstract
Two main perspectives exist regarding the interaction between fiscal deficits and expansionary monetary policy. The first perspective argues that fiscal deficits raise interest rates, thereby increasing interest payments and complicating monetary stabilization efforts. The second posits that expansionary monetary policy enhances nominal GDP [...] Read more.
Two main perspectives exist regarding the interaction between fiscal deficits and expansionary monetary policy. The first perspective argues that fiscal deficits raise interest rates, thereby increasing interest payments and complicating monetary stabilization efforts. The second posits that expansionary monetary policy enhances nominal GDP growth, which in turn reduces the government debt-to-GDP ratio and strengthens the fiscal position. Using panel data from the IMF World Economic Outlook covering advanced economies between 1980 and 2025, this study empirically evaluates which perspective is more consistent with observed data, while accounting for the dynamics of tax revenues, government expenditures, interest rates, and nominal GDP growth. Empirical evidence indicates that moderate monetary expansion—raising nominal GDP—tends to stabilize budget deficits, as government revenues generally outpace expenditures and interest rates do not increase proportionally with nominal growth. These results are further illustrated through case studies of Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monetary Policy and Debt)
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