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Last week, I telephoned a friend of mine who heads the economics research department of a major German company. As we talked through current affairs, I asked him if Chancellor Angela Merkel might be toppled by her own party over her handling of the refugee crisis. Read more
Despite the political turmoil the refugee crisis has created in Europe, it is often argued that the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees might help to solve the problem of Europe’s ageing population. And indeed, if you have a preference for rose-tinted glasses, the migrants will not only rejuvenate the old continent, but will bring their skills and qualifications and make their recipient countries stronger than they had been before. Read more
Trialling policy reform in regions that are keen to see the benefits could solve rather a few of the country’s policy problems. New Zealand has one of the world’s more centralised forms of government. Only about nine cents of every dollar of government expenditure is spent at the local level. Read more
Angela Merkel has been Germany’s Chancellor for 10 years, but this is the first time that she is facing serious challenges. Merkel may have survived the euro crisis without a dent in her popularity but Europe’s refugee crisis is leading observers to a hitherto unthinkable question: what if Merkel stumbles over the uncontrolled influx of migrants into her country? Read more
As Mahatma Gandhi once said: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win”. I was reminded of this quote when I read about George Osborne’s speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester last week. Read more
As Mahatma Gandhi once said: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win”. I was reminded of this quote when I read about George Osborne’s speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester last week. Read more
A year ago this week, the John Key-led government was sworn in for its third term. This followed a remarkable election night victory, revealing voters had turned their backs on both Kim Dotcom and David Cunliffe’s lurch to the left. Read more
With all the excitement around the Volkswagen affair, the refugee crisis and UK Labour’s return to socialism, the euro crisis has been relegated from the front pages. (It is still ongoing.) But at last, there are positive signs of a change. Read more
The Volkswagen emissions cheating affair is only the last in a long row of German corporate scandals, as I wrote last week (The fallout from the Volkswagen fiasco, 24 September). But it is not just a corporate scandal we are witnessing, what is on display is also a piece of crony (or at least cosy) capitalism. Read more
It was a great week for New Zealand – and for me personally. Statistics NZ reported a net gain of more than 60,000 people in the year to August. Read more