Darvas, Ζ. (2015) “The convergence dream 25 years on – half of the former communist countries did not converge to advanced EU countries from 1989-2014“, Bruegel Institute, 06 January. The 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall was widely celebrated – rightly so. The fall of communism opened the way for democracy, personal freedoms, security, lawfulness, fairness and economic efficiency, among others. The transition also raised hopes that …Read More
A common sense guide to EU reform
Corbett, R. (2014) “A common sense guide to EU reform“, Future Europe – Signposts from the European Elections, Europe’s World Journal, 09 October. It is hard to find a politician in any EU country these days who doesn’t call for ‘reform’. But as to what those reforms should be, opinions differ widely. And while the anti-system parties, wanting either to leave or destroy the Union are the loudest, it …Read More
Incomplete information and bargaining in the EU: An explanation of first-reading non-agreements
Vibeke Wøien Hansen (2014) “Incomplete information and bargaining in the EU: An explanation of first-reading non-agreements“, European Union Politics Journal, December. According to the logic of standard veto bargaining models with complete information, bargaining in the European Union should never reach the second reading of the ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision). Even so, non-agreement at the first reading occurs frequently in European Union decision making. How can this be explained? …Read More
Lacklustre investment in the Eurozone: The policy response
Buti, M. (2014) “Lacklustre investment in the Eurozone: The policy response“, VoxEU Organisation, 22 December. Weak investment is a key macroeconomic problem in the Eurozone, and the new European Commission has proposed an ‘Investment Plan’ to complement existing policy initiatives. In this column, the Commission’s Chief Economist explains the key rationale behind the Investment Plan. Weak investment has been the main source of weakness in the Eurozone recovery (European …Read More
The sham of central bank independence
Mitchell, B. (2014) “The sham of central bank independence“, Bill Mitchell Blog: Modern Monetary Theory – Macroeconomic Reality, 23 December. Let it be noted that the Japanese government 10-year bond yield hit 0.33 per cent overnight. That tells you that all the scaremongering that has been going on over the last twenty years about hyperinflation, the Japanese government running out of money, the bond markets dumping the yen, and …Read More
How Japan Bankrupted Itself – Lessons For Europe, The story of Japan’s decline — and the lessons for Europe
Stelter, D. (2014) “How Japan Bankrupted Itself – Lessons For Europe, The story of Japan’s decline — and the lessons for Europe“, The Globalist, 19 December. Following the start of Abenomics in 2012, Japan moved back to the center of attention of global financial markets. After two and a half decades of economic stagnation, hopes were high that Japan would escape its long stagnation and deflation. Plenty of economists …Read More
Enhancing the Legitimacy of EMU Governance
Alcidi, C., Giovannini, A. & Piedrafita, S. (2014) “Enhancing the Legitimacy of EMU Governance“, Economic Policy, Politics and Institutions, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Special Reports, 18 December. This CEPS Special Report investigates ways to enhance the legitimacy of economic governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) without introducing Treaty changes. It suggests changes in the governance framework at both the institutional and economic level. Input-oriented legitimacy …Read More
Europe’s Misguided Investment Mania
Gros, D. (2014) “Europe’s Misguided Investment Mania“, Project Syndicate Opinion Page, 11 December. The mantra in Brussels and throughout Europe nowadays is that investment holds the key to economic recovery. The lynchpin of the new European Commission’s economic strategy is its recently unveiled plan to increase investment by €315 billion ($390 billion) over the next three years. But the Commission’s proposal is misguided, both in terms of its emphasis …Read More
Interview with Thomas Piketty: “The myth of national sovereignty helps big corporations screw us over”
Interview with Thomas Piketty: “The myth of national sovereignty helps big corporations screw us over”, The European Magazine, 12 December. French economist Thomas Piketty has put inequality back on the map and is being hailed as the Karl Marx of the 21st century. He talked to Max Tholl and Florian Guckelsberger about a globalization gone wrong, a Eurozone parliament and our obsession with economic growth. The European: Mr. …Read More
Mapping Statistics on Loss of Nationality in the EU: A New Online Database
Maarten Peter Vink & Ngo Chun Luk (2014) “Mapping Statistics on Loss of Nationality in the EU: A New Online Database“, Centre for European Policy Studies, Justice and Home Affairs, Liberty and Security in Europe Paper No. 76, December. Statistics can provide a useful perspective when assessing the practical relevance of varying rules and practices on the involuntary loss of nationality across EU Member States. Yet while much progress …Read More