Europe

  For decades, Germany was the economic engine of Europe. Its prosperity rested on a highly competitive industrial sector, a strong export orientation and a reputation for engineering excellence. Even as other advanced economies shifted toward services, Germany maintained a large manufacturing base that became central to its economic model. Today, however, the German economy […]

  There is a growing discussion surrounding the potential end of the bloodshed in Ukraine. Washington is pushing for a resolution, the pope is calling for peace, and various countries and individuals are either proposing or stepping forward to mediate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter, suggesting […]

  France once took great pride in its position in Africa and its close ties with African countries, especially those in the francophone world. Yet over the past decade, those relationships have steadily deteriorated. The decline accelerated shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017. Remarks he made about African demographics and family […]

  by Tom Bugdalle and Moritz Pfeifer, Institute for Economic Policy, Department of Economics, University of Leipzig We revisit the euro’s promise of convergence through a new Divergence Monitor tracking business and financial cycle synchronization since the 1980s. Business cycles became more aligned after 1999, but financial cycles stayed volatile and split into persistent core–periphery […]

  When it comes to the global tech race, the European Union is so far behind it is not even near the racetrack. Lagging in almost every technological innovation category and falling behind global peers in high-tech manufacturing, the EU has turned, as usual, to regulation: local content rules (LCRs). These are supposed to save […]