But fiscal policy has been roughly neutral in recent years, and thus cannot be blamed for the German economy’s lack of dynamism. This year, the public-sector budget might move from a small deficit to what German officials call a “black zero” – a very small surplus.
显然，德国政府控制着德国的公共财政。但财政政策在近几年中基本上保持中性，因此不能把德国经济缺少活力归咎于财政政策。今年，德国公共部门预算可能从略有赤字变为德国官方所谓的“零或略有盈余”（black zero）。但这一相当于零点几个百分点GDP的紧缩对增长没有什么消极影响。