The EMU Experience of Portugal: Current Account Targeting Hypothesis versus Twin Deficit Hypothesis

This Working Papaer analyses the relation between Portugal’s government budget balance and current account balance from 1999  – when Portugal joined the Euro – until 2019. The study arrives at three main conclusions: First, a tightening of fiscal policy improves the external balance of the Portuguese economy, although not substantially. Second, the share of public consumption on GDP has a negative impact on the current account balance. This means, that any policy that stimulates economic activity leading to an increase in public consumption needs to be applied carefully. Finally, the research shows that the investment rate negatively affects the cyclical component of the current account balance, suggesting a high degree of integration of the Portuguese economy in international financial markets. Even though public policy measures promoting investment have a negative impact on external accounts in the short-term, they contribute to the structural improvement of the government balance in the long-run.