ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the effects of the fiscal consolidation measures taken by European governments. Fiscal consolidation was primarily aimed at the reduction of the budget deficit and debt accumulation, and the recovery of economic growth. Switching the methodological spectacles from qualitative case studies to include the quantitative findings of the COCOPS survey about the effects of the fiscal crisis on a number of aspects of public management. The chapter also considers three types of effects of the fiscal consolidation. The first type of effect was the fiscal and economic effect of fiscal consolidation plans of European governments, that is, the reduction of budget deficits and the recovery of economic growth. The second type of effect addressed was the political effect of fiscal consolidation. The third type of effect considered was the effect of the fiscal crisis and consolidation on Public Administration and management. Short-term fiscal targets tend to dominate over systematic analysis of shortcomings in the operation of administration.
