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Avatar photoPhilipp Heimberger

Philipp Heimberger is an economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw).

Fiscal Consolidation Costs Europe Jobs and Deepens Inequality

Philipp Heimberger and Anna Matzner

New research reveals that EU fiscal tightening reduces output, raises unemployment, and widens income gaps — especially during recessions.

Europe Needs A Public Investment Revolution To Secure Its Economic Future

Philipp Heimberger and Cara Dabrowski

Boosting infrastructure spending would stimulate growth and employment without threatening debt sustainability.

EU’s New Fiscal Rules: Balancing Budgets with Green and Digital Ambitions

Philipp Heimberger

The recently enacted EU fiscal framework aims for fiscal prudence but poses challenges for funding the green and digital transition.

An analysis of the new European fiscal rules

Sebastian Gechert, Dario Guarascio, Philipp Heimberger and Francesco Zezza

EU member states submit fiscal plans, influencing economic stability and public debt for years to come.

Reform of EU fiscal rules—more ambition needed

Philipp Heimberger

What the European Commission proposes makes sense as far as it goes. But that is not nearly far enough.

Towards a permanent EU investment fund

Philipp Heimberger and Andreas Lichtenberger

Meeting the EU’s climate and energy goals will mean ramping up public investment via a permanent fund.

The ECB should not hike interest rates

Philipp Heimberger

Europe’s central bank is under pressure to raise interest rates to counter rising inflation. It should resist it.

Higher public debt = lower growth?

Philipp Heimberger

The pandemic-induced crisis has seen fiscal policy relaxed. Ill-evidenced orthodoxy must not be allowed to reinstate austerity.

Corporate tax cuts do not boost growth

Philipp Heimberger and Sebastian Gechert

Implicit in the global ‘race to the bottom’ on corporation tax in recent decades has been that this favours growth. Yet does it?

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A more strategic Europe? Risks and opportunities for the world of work

Europe’s ambition to achieve strategic autonomy is at risk of being undermined from within, according to the annual flagship report by the ETUI and the ETUC. Despite signs of macroeconomic resilience, weakening investment, stalled decarbonisation and growing labour market fragilities are eroding the very foundations on which Europe’s power depends. Once again, the Benchmarking Working Europe 2026 report stands out as an invaluable resource, providing a comprehensive set of indicators illustrated through more than 60 graphs and tables, with analysis from ETUI researchers.

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Is financial resilience and trust in Europe faltering?

In this episode of Eurofound Talks, host Mary McCaughey and senior researcher Eszter Sandor unpack the results of the 2025 Living and Working in the EU e-survey. While headline inflation has stabilised at 2.1%, the data reveals a continent gripped by chronic precariousness, with 57% of respondents now at risk of depression. Mary and Eszter explore how this economic insecurity is impacting institutional trust and democratic engagement.

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The Spring issue of The Progressive Post is out!

In geopolitics, 2026 is challenging our certainties: from the abduction of the Venezuelan president, over the open US threats to 'take' Greenland, to the US-Israeli war on Iran. This issue tries to determine what comes next, debating power politics in the 21st century. We also examine the European Commission's first Anti-Poverty Strategy as well as the EU's need for proactive adaptation measures, exploring the legislation, resources and mechanisms to climate-proof our future.

READ THE MAGAZINE
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WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
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WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

DOWNLOAD THE PAPER

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