Barslund, M. & Busse, M. (2014) “Making the Most of EU Labour Mobility“, Social welfare policies, CEPS Task Force Reports, 07 Οκτωβρίου. This Task Force report combines the most recent data from Eurostat with national sources to highlight the most significant labour mobility trends within the EU. Overall, the recent recession has not induced previously immobile workers to become more mobile, at least not in the larger member states. …Read More
Implementing economic reforms – are EU Member States responding to European Semester recommendations?
Deroose, S. & Griesse, J. (2014) “Implementing economic reforms – are EU Member States responding to European Semester recommendations?“, ECFIN Economic Brief, Issue 37, Οκτώβριος 2014. Summary: For the past four years, the EU has issued country-specific recommendations for economic reform to its Member States under the European Semester. A synthetic indicator of EU-wide implementation of these recommendations shows a score of just over 40%. While this is higher …Read More
Europe is suffering from a psychological blind spot over migration in the Mediterranean
Zaiotti, R. (2014) “Europe is suffering from a psychological blind spot over migration in the Mediterranean“, LSE EUROPP, 10 Οκτωβρίου. The death of migrants in the Mediterranean remains a significant problem for EU migration policy. Ruben Zaiotti argues that Europe’s approach to the issue can effectively be termed a type of ‘externalisation’, in which the responsibility for migration has been off loaded to origin and transit countries. He writes …Read More
International Debt and Financial Crises
Joyce, P. J. (2014) “International Debt and Financial Crises“, Economonitor, 09 Οκτωβρίου. The latest issue of the IMF’s World Economic Outlook has a chapter on global imbalances that discusses the evolution of net foreign assets (also known as the net international investment position) in debtor and creditor nations. The authors warn that increases in the foreign holdings of domestic liabilities can raise the probability of different types of financial crises, including banking, currency, …Read More
Beware of Europe’s Policy Hardening
El-Erian, Α. Μ. (2014) “Beware of Europe’s Policy Hardening“, Bloomberg View, European Economy, 10 Οκτωβρίου. Judging from the recent remarks by European officials, policy positions are hardening once again in the euro zone. Fueled by disappointing economic performance, the risk is that the deepening difference in views in Europe will further complicate a much-needed recovery. This is regrettable because it need not be so. Having flirted with a disorderly …Read More
Identifying fiscal sustainability challenges in the areas of pension, health care and long-term care policies
Eckefeldt, P., Schwierz, C., Giamboni, L., Aarnout, M. & Carone, G. (2014) “Identifying fiscal sustainability challenges in the areas of pension, health care and long-term care policies“, European Economy – Occasional Papers, No. 201, European Commission: Economic and Financial Affairs, Οκτώβριος. This paper presents a horizontal assessment framework used by the Commission services to identify structural-fiscal reforms that are deemed necessary to address fiscal sustainability challenges in the Member …Read More
ECB Gets a Small Win
Gilbert, M. (2014) “ECB Gets a Small Win“, Bloomberg View, 10 Οκτωβρίου. The European Central Bank has been justifiably criticized for its claim that the magic of asset-backed bonds can reverse Europe’s slump back into recession. It got some support, though, from an unlikely source this week — the market for car loans in Finland. By the end of the year, Spain’s Banco Santander plans to bundle together a …Read More
Real-World Economics Review, Special issue on Piketty’s Capital
World Economics Association (WEA) Real-World Economics Review, Issue no. 69, 07 October 2014 Special Issue on Piketty’s Capital. Economists and other social scientists tend to study “problems”. Issues not studied tend to be seen as “natural”. “Poverty” and the “poor” are problems, the subject of a vast social science literature. Inequality, income concentration, the behaviour and influence of the super-rich tend to be treated as part of the natural …Read More
Europe’s sea of death for migrants is a result of war and escalating inequality
Seumas Milne, “Europe’s sea of death for migrants is a result of war and escalating inequality“, The Guardian, Thursday 9 October 2014. The carnage on our borders will only grow without a radical shift from an iniquitous and failed system The Mediterranean has become Europe’s sea of death. More than 3,000 refugees and migrants have already been killed this year trying to escape war and poverty in Africa and …Read More
Pragmatism is beginning to trump ideology in Europe’s ‘public-private’ debate over healthcare
Saltman, R. (2014) “Pragmatism is beginning to trump ideology in Europe’s ‘public-private’ debate over healthcare“, LSE EUROPP, 09 Οκτωβρίου. The merits of public vs private healthcare have traditionally formed one of the key ideological divisions between European political parties. Richard B. Saltman writes that while this debate has often been exceptionally heated, over the last few decades a number of European countries have started to take a more pragmatic …Read More