Populism, Austerity And Democratic Deficit
Critiques of the European Union target a political problem – the so-called democratic deficit – and an economic (and social) one: austerity, sometimes subsumed under
Macron And The Nordic Model
Emmanuel Macron’s political success has surprised many political commentators. The fact that in a large country like France with long-standing political traditions and within a
The Varieties Of Populist Experience
Emmanuel Macron’s decisive defeat of Marine Le Pen in the French presidential runoff was a major victory for liberal Europe. But it was a battle,
Can Macron Move Europe Forward?
Can Emmanuel Macron succeed in reforming the European Union and the Eurozone? The European question was already central to the French Presidential campaign itself: the
Europe-Wide Inequality
Inequality within member states has become a much debated and researched issue over the last decade (see OECD here and here). Reducing the inequality between
Time For The Biggest Fair Tax Reform In European History
In the dying seconds of his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump published his ‘biggest tax cut in American history’. The spectacular cut
European Pillar Of Social Rights Mirrors EU Good Intentions And Contradictions
On 26 April the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal for establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights designed to achieve ‘upward convergence’. Very much
Is Germany Unbalanced Or Unhinged?
For US President Donald Trump, the measure of a country’s economic strength is its current-account balance – its exports of goods and services minus its
Can Macron Pull It Off?
Emmanuel Macron’s victory over Marine Le Pen was much-needed good news for anyone who favors open, liberal democratic societies over their nativist, xenophobic counterparts. But
Work-Life Balance Policies – A Game Changer For Europe?
The European Commission, mindful again – finally – of its political role and responsibilities to uphold the law and the values of the European Union,
Do We Know What Kind Of Brexit Theresa May Really Wants?
The first contacts between the lead European Commission Brexit negotiators and the UK prime minister Theresa May appear to have got off to a disastrous
French Voters Hold Key To Saving Europe
Even if it is likely to be averted in the second round of the Presidential election, France’s populist temptation should not be underestimated, as it
Smooth Brexit In Interests Of Germany As Much As UK
There is a general perception in the UK that the remaining EU states, and Germany especially, would like to punish Britain for withdrawing from the
The French Election and Europe’s Future
A lot can happen between now and the second round of the French presidential election on May 7, so it is still too early to
Basic Income – Tonic Catalyser
In her article ‘Unconditional Basic Income is a Dead End’, Anke Hassel rejects basic income as a threat to individual development and social integration, claiming
Getting The Robots To Pay Tax
Historically, tax systems evolve following the evolution of taxable bases (actual and potential). In other words, governments over the centuries and millennia used to “follow
We Need To Engage With Putin’s Russia
The greatest challenge facing a fragmented and divided Europe is how best to engage with Russia, with whom we share the European continent. The EU