Prince Michael of Liechtenstein

The talks between Germany’s Christian Democrats (the CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (the SPD) have ended in an agreement that will create a coalition of the biggest losers of last September’s federal elections. The parties’ rank-and-file members must still approve the deal. For Chancellor Angela Merkel and SPD leader Martin Schulz, the coalition is the only […]

Markets work efficiently when they are based on competition. Cartels are damaging, and rightly are not allowed, because they eliminate competition. A successful internal market needs regional and regulatory competition, something that some countries – mostly those with excessive cost structures – frown upon. They use the terms “race to the bottom” and “unfair competition” […]

At their meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, in mid-September, European Union Finance Ministers discussed new measures for taxing internet-based companies. They want to establish a system that could be brought to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which would adapt these measures to global standards. Whew! Finally, wealthy companies like Google, Facebook and Apple […]

GIS statement by Prince Michael of Liechtenstein Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest country population-wise, is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil. The value of this export exceeds $12 billion per year, which accounts for some 8 percent of the value of Indonesia’s total exports. Palm oil production and export is a crucial part of the […]

The National Front’s lead in France’s election campaign has once again put the spotlight on populism. “Populism” has become a buzzword that is increasingly used as a negative label meant to discredit non-mainstream movements and kill any substantive discussion about the merits of their proposals. Such methods are intellectually arrogant. They imply a disrespect for […]