The economist John Maynard Keynes famously dismissed long-term considerations with the argument that “in the long-run we’re all dead”. This is true – we are, but our children and grandchildren are not. By ensuring fiscal soundness today, we represent their voice in the current debate.
To sum up, I question the benefits of changing course, not because I am satisfied with the current situation, but because the alternatives available are worse. They mean placing shortterm expediency over long-term sustainability – which, for me, is the opposite of responsible policy-making.