Online Articles Archives - IREF Europe https://en.irefeurope.org/category/publications/online-articles/ Independent research and policy analysis on fiscal, monetary, and regulatory issues in Europe Sat, 12 Sep 2026 17:07:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://en.irefeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/IREF-LinkedIn-Profile-DarkBlue-scaled.png Online Articles Archives - IREF Europe https://en.irefeurope.org/category/publications/online-articles/ 32 32 Can Czech Households Pay More for Healthcare – And How Much? https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/can-czech-households-pay-more-for-healthcare-and-how-much/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-czech-households-pay-more-for-healthcare-and-how-much Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:15:57 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36861 The Czech healthcare system is under structural pressure. With 85% of expenditure financed through compulsory public insurance tied to payroll contributions, demographic ageing creates a double bind: rising demand for…

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]]> Universities and the Tyranny of the Status Quo https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/universities-and-the-tyranny-of-the-status-quo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=universities-and-the-tyranny-of-the-status-quo Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:20:17 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36845 Public universities suffer from a serious disease: what Milton and Rose Friedman called the tyranny of the status quo. Public universities are direct beneficiaries of central government subsidies that cover…

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]]> Why Do Central Bank Economists Listen to Some Countries More Than Others? https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/why-do-central-bank-economists-listen-to-some-countries-more-than-others/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-do-central-bank-economists-listen-to-some-countries-more-than-others Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:00:31 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36832 When central banks make decisions about inflation, interest rates, or financial stability, they rely heavily on economic research. But where does that research come from? And whose ideas end up…

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]]> Has the Euro Really Brought Europe Closer Together? https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/has-the-euro-really-brought-europe-closer-together/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=has-the-euro-really-brought-europe-closer-together Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:00:41 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36828 One of the main promises behind the euro was economic convergence. By sharing a common currency, European economies were expected to become more alike over time, making a single monetary…

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]]> Did ECB Policy Make Germany’s Banking System More Resilient? https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/did-ecb-policy-make-germanys-banking-system-more-resilient/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=did-ecb-policy-make-germanys-banking-system-more-resilient Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:04:59 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36823 For nearly two decades, the European Central Bank has relied on exceptionally low interest rates, massive asset purchases, and generous lending programs to support the economy. These policies were designed…

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]]> Inflation: the worst of all taxes https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/inflation-the-worst-of-all-taxes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inflation-the-worst-of-all-taxes Sun, 10 May 2026 15:12:52 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36785 Milton Friedman is often quoted as having said something to the effect that inflation is taxation without legislation on multiple occasions during his career (cf. for example Friedman and Friedman…

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]]> How Poland Became One of Europe’s Best-Performing Economies https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/how-poland-became-one-of-europes-best-performing-economies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-poland-became-one-of-europes-best-performing-economies https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/how-poland-became-one-of-europes-best-performing-economies/#respond Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:24:15 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36248 For much of the past decade, Europe has been weighed down by prolonged economic stagnation. Growth has slowed, productivity has stalled, and even the continent’s largest economies—Germany and France among…

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]]> https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/how-poland-became-one-of-europes-best-performing-economies/feed/ 0 Who pays and who should pay for travel? https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/who-pays-and-who-should-pay-for-travel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=who-pays-and-who-should-pay-for-travel https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/who-pays-and-who-should-pay-for-travel/#respond Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:22:13 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36250 As the story goes, there are no free rides. The costs of each journey must necessarily be borne by someone. They can be broken down into three categories: the monetary…

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]]> https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/who-pays-and-who-should-pay-for-travel/feed/ 0 Trump’s Housing Plan Misses the Real Cause of America’s Housing Crisis https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/trumps-housing-plan-misses-the-real-cause-of-americas-housing-crisis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trumps-housing-plan-misses-the-real-cause-of-americas-housing-crisis https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/trumps-housing-plan-misses-the-real-cause-of-americas-housing-crisis/#respond Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:43:29 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36241 America’s housing market is failing a growing share of households. Prices and rents are at record highs, and homeownership is steadily slipping out of reach for younger generations. In response…

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]]> https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/trumps-housing-plan-misses-the-real-cause-of-americas-housing-crisis/feed/ 0 UK government’s plans to track and de-risk its own ‘shadow debt’ show the costs of the Net Zero transition will be imposed directly onto businesses and consumers https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/uk-governments-plans-to-track-and-de-risk-its-own-shadow-debt-show-the-costs-of-the-net-zero-transition-will-be-imposed-directly-onto-businesses-and-consumers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=uk-governments-plans-to-track-and-de-risk-its-own-shadow-debt-show-the-costs-of-the-net-zero-transition-will-be-imposed-directly-onto-businesses-and-consumers https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/uk-governments-plans-to-track-and-de-risk-its-own-shadow-debt-show-the-costs-of-the-net-zero-transition-will-be-imposed-directly-onto-businesses-and-consumers/#respond Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:31:11 +0000 https://en.irefeurope.org/?p=36230 Introduction The UK Budget papers of November 2025 acknowledge the funding models through which the government plans to increase the liabilities of UK taxpayers, beyond the government borrowing the money…

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]]> https://en.irefeurope.org/publications/online-articles/article/uk-governments-plans-to-track-and-de-risk-its-own-shadow-debt-show-the-costs-of-the-net-zero-transition-will-be-imposed-directly-onto-businesses-and-consumers/feed/ 0