The public’s business
‘Stakeholder capitalism’ has been promoted to balance the market and society but ultimately the only solution is to make firms more democratic.
Economy
Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on economic issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.
The ‘circular economy’—neither safe nor sustainable
The circular economy holds out the hope of living within the planet’s resources. Turning aspiration into action is another matter.
Avoiding a climate lockdown
The world is approaching a tipping point on climate change, when protecting the future of civilisation will require dramatic interventions.
The EU must overhaul its farming policy to save the Green Deal
European decision-makers are entering the final sprint of reform of the CAP. Their choices will make or break the European Green Deal.
The ‘bazooka’: Modern Monetary Theory in action
Peter Bofinger argues that large-scale injections of money to bring economies out of the coronavirus coma have vindicated Modern Monetary Theory.
Corona versus culture
The pandemic closed theatres, concerts and exhibitions, imperilling many freelances. How will the creative industry re-emerge?
Assar Lindbeck: an appreciation
The Swedish economist’s life of rich activity straddled theory and policy—and painting.
Enclosing the market
Despite increasing criticism of Big Tech, the business models of leading digital companies are still widely admired. That’s a problem.
Renovating Europe: a path to green recovery
A green recovery from the pandemic would heal its social scars by quickly creating jobs and fostering inclusion.
The politics of currencies
Adam Tooze argues that worrying about the euro exchange rate and a non-existent inflation enemy in Europe must give way to fiscal and monetary demand boosts.
US economy mired in viral stagnation loop
The travails of the US economy come amid a politics never so poisonous since the civil war.
Public debt monetisation and the credibility of the ECB
What stops public debt being monetised to avoid the pain of prolonged austerity after the pandemic? An obsolete economic theory of ‘credibility’.
The debt predators
The financial system has turned credit intermediation into a debt mint.
Pushing Europe’s economic levers for a greener world
The EU is reconsidering its approach to deforestation and palm oil. This could be a good thing.
Time to tackle the tax dodgers
With some bailed out companies continuing to pay dividends, the focus should shift to making big corporations contribute to the cost of recovery.
Priorities for the Covid-19 economy
The most urgent policy priorities have been obvious since the beginning, but they will require hard choices and a show of political will.
Emerging stronger from the crisis
Europe needs to do more at federal level if a recovery plan is to be successful.