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 (...)
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 (...)
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 (...)
Is Meritocracy all that bad?
by Sergio Beraldo 29 December 2020 0
The term meritocracy describes a social and political context in which merit is the key criterion to evaluate the distribution of rewards. If such distribution reflects individual merit, it is fair. It is unfair in the opposite case. The term was coined in 1958 by British sociologist Michael (...)
Is a CNN/FOX world inevitable?
by Luigi Curini 9 December 2020 0
Two distinct patterns have been characterizing the news media landscape lately, First, according to the World Press Trends data, for example, daily print newspaper circulation between 2012 and 2017 has declined by 20 percent in Europe, 12 percent in North America, and 31 percent in Oceania. Of (...)
Corona vaccine: volunteers first, even without approval!
by Alexander Fink, Fabian Kurz 1 December 2020 0
Good news in the fight against the Corona pandemic have accompanied us during the last few weeks. On November 8th, the Mainz-based pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its American partner Pfizer announced that their vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in the decisive third round of tests. (...)