The volume collects the essays presented at the 15th Workshop on Public Finance organized by Banca d'Italia in Perugia from 4 to 6 April 2013. The workshop focused on the link between fiscal policy and macroeconomic imbalances and comprised four sessions. The first session concentrated on the interaction between fiscal policy and macroeconomic imbalances. The second session dealt with the specific problems of the euro area, where insufficient attention to macroeconomic developments contributed to increase fiscal and financial tensions. The third session scrutinized fiscal policy with an eye to the inequalities of emerging economies and resource-rich countries. The last session analyzed the experiences so far and the potential prescriptions about the use of fiscal tools in addressing macroeconomic problems.