Are half of all jobs bullshit? Bullshit!
by Alexander Fink, Kalle Kappner, Translated by Anna-Maria Kohnke 27 November 2019 0
In the 2000s, a short book by philosopher Harry Frankfurt made the term ‘bullshit’ socially acceptable. In 2018, anthropologist David Graeber published his bestseller, in which he argued that roughly half of the employment relations in the Western economies are ‘bullshit jobs’: they provide no (...)
“Mini Schengen” – Western Balkans’ Embrace of the Market
by Tanja Porčnik 20 November 2019 0
French President Emmanuel Macron’s spearheaded opposition to block European Union accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia during the European Council’s recent meeting in October. By doing so, he is not only dangerously and severely undermining the credibility of the EU accession process. (...)
Mafia and the market
by Sergio Beraldo 6 November 2019 0
Many people share the opinion that Mafia is a typical Italian phenomenon, something about which only Italians should worry. This opinion is wrong. Data recently released by Europol show that thousands of criminal organizations active in Europe can be labelled as of mafia-type, with about 70% of (...)
Principled Tax Competition
by Daniel Bunn, Elke Asen 30 October 2019 0
The structure of a country’s tax code is an important determinant of its economic performance. The Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index has ranked OECD countries’ tax systems for the last six years, and every year Estonia has been the number one country on the Index while (...)
Another Day, Another Ban
by Alexander Fink, Fabian Kurz, Translated by Anna-Maria Kohnke 16 October 2019 0
Summer is not only the season of swimming trunks and barbecues, but also of vociferous politicians. One of the warhorses of this year’s silly season are bans. Whether it is plastic cutlery, oil heating or domestic flights, calls for bans are becoming louder across the political spectrum. Bans, (...)
Supervisory schizophrenia?
by Leonardo Baggiani 10 October 2019 0
The Joint Committee of the three European Supervisory Authorities (European Banking Authority, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, European Securities and Market Authority) publishes a quarterly report on risks and vulnerabilities in the European financial system. This (...)
What Regulators Should Understand About the Sharing Economy
by Christian Nasulea, Diana Nasulea 1 October 2019 0
On September 10th, California lawmakers have passed the much disputed Assembly Bill 5 that targets a change in the status of gig economy workers, from freelancers to actual employees. The bill allegedly aims to protect workers that are treated unfairly by companies which avoid paying for (...)
The harsh fight of populism against reality
by Sergio Beraldo 25 September 2019 0
In May 2018, Giuseppe Conte became prime minister after an electoral campaign in which Italians were being told that a honey and milk Age was about to begin. It was clear to everybody that an unknown professor of Law, with no political legitimacy (he had not figured prominently in the electoral (...)
Why do central bankers tend to get it wrong?
by Leonardo Baggiani 11 September 2019 0
Central banks play a prominent role in regulating modern economies. They enjoy a high reputation for their technical competence, and provide analyses and forecasts that influence the behavior of markets and the policymakers’ decisions, with emphasis on monetary policy. What if their forecasts (...)
Mass Unemployment and Skilled Labour Shortage?
by Alexander Fink, Kalle Kappner, Translated by Anna-Maria Kohnke 4 September 2019 0
Germany’s labour market is buzzing. The unemployment rate is currently close to 5%. Althoughthe business cycle could cool down in the near future, the trend is not expected to reverse course in the coming years. In the long run, however, pessimism dominates. As automation intensifies, many (...)