Imagining a New Bretton Woods
The financial meltdown of 2008 prompted calls for a global financial system that curtails trade imbalances, moderates speculative capital flows, and prevents systemic contagion. That,
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.
Germany’s Costly Fiscal Fetish
The European Central Bank is under heavy attack in Germany, a country that has long prided itself on defending the principle of central-bank independence. Indeed,
The Central Problem With Banks Is “Too Complex To Fail” Not “Too Big To Fail”
Poor Bernie Sanders. How can you expect to become US president if you are not familiar with the relative spheres of competence of the Federal Reserve
A Progressive Logic Of Trade
The global trade regime has never been very popular in the United States. Neither the World Trade Organization nor the multitudes of regional trade deals
The Brexit Alarm
I have no special expertise on the question of whether Britain should leave (or “Brexit”) the European Union. True, I did live in the United
What’s Wrong With Negative Interest Rates?
I wrote at the beginning of January that economic conditions this year were set to be as weak as in 2015, which was the worst year since
Basic Income And Social Democracy
The basic income approach is absolutely essential, but it is not part of the social democratic tradition. Think about it. The post-war consensus was all
Conclusion Of Greek Bailout Review To Be Coupled With Investments
In January 2015 Syriza came to power with the aim of tackling austerity, bringing back social justice and growth, building on a challenging but necessary reform
Bringing The IMF Into The Eurozone Crisis Was Political Bankruptcy
It was wrong from the start. Going on the incorrect assumption that the Eurozone crisis could only be overcome with the help of the crisis-proven
The Six-Pack: EU Mandate For Bad Economic Policy
History provides many examples of authoritarian rule achieved through formally democratic procedures. To these we should add the EU Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance
Unconventional Monetary Policy On Stilts
With most advanced economies experiencing anemic recoveries from the 2008 financial crisis, their central banks have been forced to move from conventional monetary policy –
Preparing For Europe’s Next Recession
If you do not understand what is happening to the eurozone economy, you are not alone. One day we are told that growth is definitely
Time For Common Sense On Negative Interest Rates
This was to have been the year of exit from quantitative easing. Instead, 2016 is going to be the year of negative interest rates. For more
Why The World Economy Needs Fiscal Policy To Overcome Stagnation
The world economy is visibly sinking, and the policymakers who are supposed to be its stewards are tying themselves in knots. Or so suggest the
How Political Elites Have Failed To Ensure Social Justice Across Generations
Something interesting has emerged in voting patterns on both sides of the Atlantic: Young people are voting in ways that are markedly different from their
Greek Pensions: Tsipras’ Last Ditch Fight Versus Troika
The Troika is in Athens and will not leave without deep cuts to pensions, even though the country is back in recession. Far from last summer’s media
A State-Powered Green Revolution
Discussions about building a green future tend to focus on the need to improve the generation of energy from renewable sources. But that is just