Eastern Enlargement of the EU: How Much Is It Worth for Austria? |
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Authors: | Christian Keuschnigg & Wilhelm Kohler |
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Institution: | University of St. Gallen, Switzerland |
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Abstract: | For present member countries, eastern EU enlargement entails gains from integration as well as fiscal costs. The authors use a calibrated model to quantify the dynamic effects of discriminatory trade liberalization and immigration from eastern applicants. It is found that enlargement is expansionary and yields a remarkable fiscal dividend. Surprisingly, integration compresses the wage spread between skilled and unskilled labor. Overall, the (dynamic) gains from integration clearly outweigh the fiscal cost. While ambiguous a priori , enlargement is found to hold a remarkable net welfare gain for Austria. |
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