By Nafeez Ahmed, courtesy of the European Policy Centre Oil prices have crashed. The most visible cause has been the measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which have triggered record lows in global oil demand. Yet the crisis also exposes structural vulnerabilities in our fossil fuel-dependent economic system, which requires us […]
Author: Erik Sass
Euro budget proposals break with longstanding taboo
“The MFF recovery plan breaks with a fundamental taboo” By Jorge Núñez Ferrer, courtesy of CEPS The European Commission has presented a proposal to amend the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-27 of the EU budget – integrating a recovery plan as a post-Covid response. Many elements of the plan are clearly in line with the […]
US Remains Vulnerable to COVID-19 Scams. Here are the loopholes the FDA should close
By Jorge González-Gallarza Hernández, courtesy of the Mercatus Center As states and hospitals scour the world for urgently needed COVID-19 supplies, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to increase the importation of face masks, protective shields, and other products have come into conflict with the agency’s mandate to ensure that all medical devices entering […]
Washington Beyond the Headlines: Tax Cuts at Stake In November
By Andy Blom, TES Washington Editor Wow! Busy week. Some states are opening, some states are dragging their feet, the stock market is climbing, employment is rocketing back up but people are still social distancing unless they’re protesting. And, in the true American spirit, some people just have never stopped working through it all, […]
Mexico has division of powers for a reason
“Democracy, even if you don’t like it” By Manuel Guadarrama, courtesy of IMCO and El Sol del Mexico Reviewing the constitutional text helps to keep track. Last week, the president declared that he did not like the Court’s ruling, in which the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) and the Federal Commission on Economic […]
With emergency measures, European fiscal divide deepens
“ECB calls for European Integration via a Common Fiscal Policy Response” By Gordon Kerr, Cavin O’Driscoll and Enrico Colombatto, courtesy of IREF ECB President Lagarde announced a keenly awaited new policy statement on April 30th. There was to be no increase to the Euros 750 billion Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP), but the economic […]
Thriving UK food culture exists thanks to free trade
“Briefing: Free Trade and the Agriculture Bill 2019-21” Courtesy of the TaxPayers’ Alliance In recent decades, global food trade has liberalised substantially. According to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, Britain imports 47 per cent of its food, 19 per cent coming from outside the European Union. This means that, no matter […]
Flawed Imperial College study economic impact: Canada’s case
“The Flawed COVID-19 Model That Locked Down Canada” By Peter St. Onge and Gaël Campan, courtesy of IEDM Before mid-March, most Canadians saw COVID-19 as an overseas problem. The emphasis was on returning Canadians stuck in China, and there had been a single COVID-19 death in Canada, a BC man in his 80s with […]
Public health responses and their economic costs
“The consequences of the Covid-19 lockdown: what does history teach us?” By Sergio Beraldo, courtesy of IREF Last February, this website hosted an article titled “The unintended consequences of coronavirus”. At the time the article was published, the situation was not at all dramatic in Europe. For example, the official Covid-19 […]
How South Korea, Taiwan leveraged tech to contain COVID-19… and win FDI
By Frank Bickenbach and Wan-Hsin Liu, courtesy of IFW Kiel In the coronavirus crisis, Taiwan and South Korea have shown that they dispose of efficient governance systems, high-quality research and public services and highly developed digital skills and infrastructures, and that they can successfully use these capacities to meet challenges. These capacities are among […]