UK and Brexit

Worst-hit authorities are least able to respond to COVID

“The financial risk and resilience of English local authorities in the coronavirus crisis” By Kate Ogden and David Phillips, courtesy of IFS     Local authorities (LAs) across the country are among those on the front line of the coronavirus crisis. But geographical differences in demographic and economic structures make different parts of the country […]

UK and Brexit

Time to start worrying about 2021 deficits

“Don’t worry about today’s borrowing numbers. It’s next year’s that should worry us” By Carl Emmerson, Benjamin Nabarro, and Isabel Stockton, courtesy of the IFS     The ONS will release its latest monthly public finance estimates at 7 a.m. on Friday 19 June. They will show that across April and May government borrowing ran […]

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Washington Beyond the Headlines: Feds Shouldn’t Cover State Budget Shortfalls

By Andy Blom, TES Washington Editor   They say bad things come in threes. Well, we’ve had a pandemic, a wave of protests and riots, so what else does 2020 have in store for us? But no matter the obstacles, free market policy people keep right on working, offering perspective and policy options to lead […]

EU

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 […]

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EU Budget: Transfers or low-interest loans?

“Ten questions and answers on the Franco-German proposal” By Jürgen Matthes, courtesy of IW Koeln    Germany and France have proposed a European Recovery Fund of €500 billion, based on large loans taken out by the EU to be transferred exclusively as grants to EU member states particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The legal […]

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Emergency COVID-19 Stimulus Programs Are a Short-Term Solution

  By Thomas Hoenig, courtesy of the Mercatus Center   The federal government and the Federal Reserve have implemented unprecedented spending and monetary policies to combat the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These policies, while necessary in the short term, place an ever larger mortgage against the nation’s future income; and extending them […]

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Emergency stimulus plan will cost billions

    “A response to the Chancellor’s new package of support” By Carl Emmerson, Tom Waters and Xiaowei Xu, courtesy of the Institute of Fiscal Studies     The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has today announced a substantial package of support that will incentivise employers to keep hold of their employees over the next few months […]

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Spain faces tough choices for economic stimulus, qualitative reforms needed

  “Will economic measures against the coronavirus be effective?” By Hugo Pereira, courtesy of Civismo   We are, without a doubt, facing a historic moment. The coronavirus not only infected people, but practically all of the social spheres: politics, the economy, and even our own psychology. We have come to realize that we are not as […]

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Oil War Aims At U.S. Fracking

    By Daniel McGroarty, TES GeoPolicy Editor APRIL 14, 2020 UPDATE:  In one of the few non-COVID news stories still commanding attention, global economy watchers are focused on an Easter agreement brokered by Saudi Arabia that aims at global oil production cuts of at least 10%. The catch:  the cuts won’t come immediately, but in May. […]

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Washington Beyond the Headlines: Some good things in Trump’s budget (and bad ones)

    By Andy Blom, Washington TES Editor   Oh Boy! Congress is back at work! Now we’ll see some action (kidding). Meanwhile free market policy people keep working on issues and ideas that affect America, and the world.  Read on for this week’s news…   Good News and Bad News in Trump’s Budget. At […]