News Archive

Webinar on the Future of EU Energy Policy
|
Event
| News
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call for Europe regarding its levels of dependence on the energy and metals fronts, and the associated threats this posed to its competitiveness. Meanwhile, the need to decarbonize the economy has become ever more pressing. What is needed now, is the look ahead on the road towards a decarbonized energy system in a competitive Europe. We would like to discuss with you main challenges and chances and the role that individual members states and the EU should play on this road.

A Turning Point in German-Chinese Trade Relations?
|
Policy Brief
| News
The Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 marked not only a turning point (Zeitenwende) for German security policy but also for German foreign economic policy. From a European standpoint, the war served as a painful reminder of how economic dependencies can be used as political leverage, bringing the geopolitical dimension of trade relations and economic interdependencies into public focus. In particular, economic ties with the People’s Republic of China are increasingly being scrutinized.

How can the EU Escape the Middle Technology Trap?
|
Policy Report
| News
A joint report by a group of economists from France, Germany, and Italy criticizes the EU's innovation policy and the direction of research and development spending in Europe and calls for changes. The authors argue that the EU is losing the race to innovate, ceding economic prosperity as well as regulatory and geopolitical power. EU research investment is concentrated in the medical technology sector, especially the automotive industry, while Europe is falling behind in growing high-tech sectors such as the digital economy. The continent is caught in a mid-tech trap.

Understanding the Populist Voter
|
EconPol Forum
| News
Voters of right-wing populist parties are increasingly in favor of dismantling the welfare state in order to be able to compete with other countries. This is according to a survey of 12,000 voters in Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The right-wing populist spectrum sees the welfare state as a form of redistribution towards immigrants. Left-wing populist voters, meanwhile, are most strongly opposed to dismantling the welfare state. The views of voters of non-populist parties lie between those of the two populist groups.

Parenthood Increases Inequality between Women and Men
|
EconPol Forum
| News
Inequality in the labor market between men and women in Germany is at its greatest when there are children involved, finds an international research group that has examined the development of inequality in 17 countries in Europe and North America over the past 50 years. Among 30-year-olds, mothers earn on average 70 to 80 percent less than fathers. For childless people of the same age, the difference is much smaller and has fallen to less than 5 percent.