01895cas a2200265 a 4500 AALejournalIMF007148 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781455233151 1018-5941 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL Martin, Edouard. France : Lessons from Past Fiscal Consolidation Plans / Edouard Martin, Irina Yakadina, Irina Tytell. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2011. 1 online resource (26 pages) IMF Working Papers <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This paper analyzes past fiscal consolidation plans and their outcomes in France. It covers the early attempts at fiscal consolidation in the 1970s and the 1980s (Plan Barre and Virage de la Rigueur), the first episode of medium-term fiscal consolidation in 1994-97 ahead of joining the European Economic and Monetary Union, and the fiscal consolidation under the corrective arm of the European Stability and Growth Pact in 2003-07. These experiences offer important lessons for the future, suggesting that binding constraints help focus policymakers' attention and justify their actions; spending restraint needs to be shared and coordinated across all levels of government; and appropriate deficit targets could help in enforcing budgetary discipline in good times. Mode of access: Internet Tytell, Irina. Yakadina, Irina. IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 2011/089 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2011/089/001.2011.issue-089-en.xml IMF e-Library