Working Paper on financial novels as a new genre in Italy
by IREF 3 March 0
In a new IREF Working Paper Stefano Adamo of the University of Banja Luka turns to a young genre of Italian literature. Adamo analyzes four novels that revolve around the financial crises of the year 2008 and the government debt crises of the 2010s. What is special is that the authors of the (...)
FREE TRADE AFTER BREXIT
by Andrew Glencross 24 February 0
A year ago this month, Boris Johnson took to the stage in Greenwich to deliver a paean to free trade. His central message was that, thanks to Brexit, the UK was finally “re-emerging after decades of hibernation as a campaigner for global free trade”. Twelve months on, it is appropriate to reflect (...)
The African Continental Free Trade Area: A possible game-changer in African regional and international trade
by Mohamed Moutii 17 February 0
In 2018, the African heads of state signed an agreement that has eventually brought to life the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In July 2019, 54 of the 55 African Union states signed the Agreement, with Eritrea the only country staying out. Finally, on January 1st, 2021, the (...)
The ECB Accelerates Work on a Central Bank Digital Currency
by Gordon Kerr, Cavin O’Driscoll with Enrico Colombatto 10 February 0
Last October the ECB published a 55-page paper on the pros and cons of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This paper concluded that research should continue at only a modest pace. It was therefore surprising that a brief statement, accelerating the project, was recently issued. We learn (...)
Reducing global inequality: growth and migration
by Alexander Fink, Fabian Kurz, Translation by Anna-Maria Kohnke 4 February 0
According to a recent survey across 34 countries, more people worry about income inequality than about the current COVID-19 pandemic. Pessimism with regard to inequality appears to be particularly widespread in France, followed by Spain, Greece, and Germany. Global inequality increased until (...)
The EU minimum wage plan will do more harm than good
by Mohamed Moutii 27 January 0
When we see social interactions that seem unfair, people usually demand legislation that would prohibit the behavior they dislike. But this kind of intervention does not come without a price and has unintended consequences. On October 28th, the European Commission initiated a legislative (...)
Should Covid-19 Vaccination be Mandatory?
by Sergio Beraldo 20 January 0
Gallup conducted a panel survey in the very days the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was certified as effective. According to the survey, only 63% of Americans agree to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Things are similar in other Western countries. An article published by Nature Medicine (...)
The Brexit Agreement Omitted Financial Services, Decisions on Which Will be Taken in 2021. What do we Expect?
by Gordon Kerr, Cavin O’Driscoll with Enrico Colombatto 13 January 0
The UK’s 2019 current account deficit with the EU was GBP 118 billion. The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), commonly referred to as the Brexit agreement, is therefore of greater value to the EU by protecting this imbalance with tariff free trade, than to the UK. However, by excluding (...)
The Italian Financial Novel. Finance as Told by Financial Professionals
by IREF 9 January 0
WP 2021-02. The global financial crisis of 2008 and the sovereign debt crisis of 2011 have raised the salience of finance as a subject of public interest among the Italian public. Banking and financial affairs have become a recurring theme in Italian cultural productions, such as novels and (...)
Far-sighted citizens, short-sighted savers?
by Alexander Fink, Kalle Kappner, Translation by Anna-Maria Kohnke 6 January 0
Young people’s attitudes towards retirement are contradictory: on the one hand, they don’t trust public pay-as-you-go pensions. According to recent surveys, around half of the respondents do not expect significant retirement income from this source. On the other hand, private efforts are (...)