Unemployment: EMU Policymakers Focus On The Wrong Problem
Last week François Hollande lifted the veil on the much-awaited measures for tackling French unemployment (3.6m/10.6%), defined as a “national emergency”. The plan made the
The Coming Wave Of Oil Refugees
The idea that oil wealth can be a curse is an old one – and it should need no explaining. Every few decades, energy prices
The Italian Bad Bank: A Better Alternative
The severe financial crisis of recent years hit Eurozone industrial production; in a bank-centric currency area this resulted in tremendous growth of NPLs (non-performing loans),
What Comes Next After Pax Americana?
The start of 2016 has been anything but calm. Falling equity prices in China have destabilized markets worldwide. Emerging economies seem to have stalled. The
The Global Economy’s New Abnormal
Since the beginning of the year, the world economy has faced a new bout of severe financial market volatility, marked by sharply falling prices for
Economy, Culture And Discourse: Social Democracy In A Cosmopolitanism Trap?
Globalisation has changed our worlds domestically and beyond the nation state. Our societies are facing opportunities and risks. It depends not at least on political
Five Reasons Why A Basic Income Won’t Solve Technological Unemployment
There has been a buzz recently about the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) and why it could be a solution to technological unemployment.
Economics In The Age Of Abundance
Until very recently, one of the biggest challenges facing mankind was making sure there was enough to eat. From the dawn of agriculture until well
The Case For Universal Support For European Families
Austerity measures introduced during the crisis have disproportionately concerned cuts in the measures that are most vital for reducing child poverty: cash and tax benefits,
Migration’s Economic Positives And Negatives
I have always been a strong believer that geography determines one’s worldview (I think it is de Gaulle who is credited for saying that “history is
How Much Debt Is Too Much?
Is there a “safe” debt/income ratio for households or debt/GDP ratio for governments? In both cases, the answer is yes. And in both cases, it
The Real Cost Of Negative Integration In Europe
The death of 129 people in the Paris terrorist attacks of November 2015 triggered a discreet mea culpa from the 28 European Ministers of Justice
Break The Vicious Circle Of Falling Prices And Wages
The IMF has recently released its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update pointing to persistently weak growth and another downward revision of its projected growth
The Problem With ‘Illiberal Democracy’
Poland’s turn toward authoritarian rule has set off alarm bells across the European Union and within NATO. Since coming to power in October, Jarosław Kaczyński’s
A Tale Of Two Europes: East And West
Although West European policy makers have been slow to recognise the fact, the Iron Curtain was never the only or necessarily the most important feature