News

4th LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey

The European Institute, Systemic Risk Centre and Contemporary Turkish Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science are jointly organising the 4th LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey.

The workshop will be hybrid (at LSE campus & online), and will take place on 2nd June 2023. It will feature around 7 selected presentations, and culminate in a public keynote lecture by Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan (University of Maryland). The event is co-organised by Dr. Orkun Saka alongside a programme committee including EI faculty members Prof. Chris Anderson, Prof. Paul De Grauwe and Prof. Yaprak Gursoy.

The call for papers can be found here and the workshop website here.

UK Strikes

Dr Orkun Saka has recently been interviewed by TRT Haber (news channel of Turkish State TV) on the issue of ongoing labour strikes in UK.

He commented that the potential bans on certain professions (such as nursing) will not be sufficient to prevent the strikes in the short-term and the increased push on wages due to labour shortages in the post-Brexit period will continue to affect the country in the medium-term.

Policy-makers must not look to the “Nordic model” for sex trade legislation

The “Nordic model” of sex trade legislation purports to target sex buyers and third-parties, ostensibly removing sex sellers from criminalisation. However, this approach leaves sex sellers, in particular migrant workers, ever more vulnerable to violence and exploitation, according to a report published by Dr Niina Vuolajärvi.

The report’s conclusions are based on 210 formal interviews with sex workers, police, social workers, and policymakers in Sweden, Norway and Finland, alongside policy and legal analysis.

Read Dr Vuolajärvi's report here.

Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks

Dr Orkun Saka has published a new working paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks.

With his co-author Barry Eichengreen, they employ hand-collected data spanning more than a decade on European banks’ sovereign debt portfolios and show that the trust of residents of a bank’s countries of operation in the residents of a potential target country of investment has a positive effect on the bank's cross-border exposures. They go on to trace how cultural stereotypes could spread from bank branches to headquarters through internal managerial flows within banks and illustrate how negative stereotypes become more salient during times of sovereign debt crises.

The NBER working paper can be accessed here. You can also read it on CEPR here.

‘I’m in crisis every day’: prices outpace Belgians’ inflation-matched pay

Paul De Grauwe has been featured in an article from the Guardian, discussing the impact of inflation on the cost of living in Belgium.

"Paul De Grauwe, an economist at the London School of Economics and former Belgian MP and senator, does not see much evidence of a wage-price spiral. Belgian inflation is close to the European average, he points out, and its consumer prices index in November was slightly lower than Germany’s (11.3% as estimated by Eurostat).

Indexation could prove tricky for some firms, however. “The adjustment will be 10-11% all at once in January, so that is potentially a big shock,” De Grauwe said."

Read the full article here.

Broken Britain feeling the pinch as RMT leads Christmas strikes

Professor Bob Hancké has been quoted in an article from the National News, discussing the forthcoming strike action over the Christmas period.

He said: "Trade unions have understandably not been very happy with 12 years of Tory government. The austerity of the first seven years, and the incompetence of the last five, including some of the corruption and sleaze, has now also cut through to the public at large, and unions in the sectors on strike are capitalising on the combination of labour market power and a broad sense of political malaise."

Read the full article here.

Lessons from Italy’s economic decline: Exploring how some of Italy’s traps may become future challenges for the UK economy

Is the British economy following Italy’s declining growth path, as The Economist recently suggested for politics?

In a recent comparative paper with Giampaolo Galli on “Lessons from Italy’s economic decline: Exploring how some of Italy’s traps may become future challenges for the UK economy”, Lorenzo Codogno discussed what (negative) lessons could be drawn from Italy’s experience.

It is a chapter of a book published by the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance and Resolution Foundation as part of a large-scale project called the “Economy 2030 Inquiry”, which will set out ideas for the UK as it navigates economic challenges in coming years. Mr Codogno recently presented the paper at a round table on “Britain’s next decade: Lessons from overseas” at the “Festival of Economics 2022” in partnership with Economics Observatory and Bristol Ideas, Bristol, 17 November 2022.

 Read more here.

The world is in a mess… it usually is

Professor Kevin Featherstone has written a new article for eKathimerini, discussing the impact and state of various global situations.

He writes: "After a period of uncertainty and speculation as to his whereabouts, Oscar Wilde responded to journalists’ questions by declaring, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Those convinced that current international threats and instability presage the decline of the West warrant a similar response."

Read the full interview here.

Book Review: Europe: A Philosophical History, Parts 1 and 2 by Simon Glendinning

Professor Simon Glendinning's new two-volume book has been featured for a review by LSE Blogs.

"In his two-volume work Europe: A Philosophical History, Simon Glendinning explores how emblematic European philosophers have understood Europe and detected a pattern or trajectory to its development. Full of illuminating detail, there is much to be gained from reading these books, writes Jonathan Wolff, as Glendinning’s skill as reader, expositor and critic shines throughout."

Read the full review here.

Economic Challenges for Europe After the Pandemic

Lorenzo Codogno has contributed a chapter to a new book recently published: Economic Challenges for Europe After the Pandemic.

His chapter, titled 'Assessing Next Generation EU', looks at the unprecedented fiscal package adopted by the European Council in Summer 2020. Learn more here.

Restorative walk: healing through interaction with abuser

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. In this episode, guest Gemma Maria Varona Martinez describes “restorative walks” as a concept, especially in times of human rights violations.

Gemma explains why a concept like restorative walk is needed for a person’s search for justice, not only in political violence cases but also in environmental cases, and how an activity like walking could repair harm for victims.

Listen to the episode here.

Trust and Monetary Policy

Professor Paul De Grauwe will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Murcia, Spain on 7 October. Congratulations!

He will also give a seminar on "Trust and Monetary Policy" during his stay in Murcia.

Financing higher education : A strategy and lessons from the UK

Professor Nicholas Barr gave an online lecture on 'Financing higher education: A strategy and lessons from the UK' at the Sixth panel of scholars and academics: Rethinking the funding system of higher education: A new public education for Chile on 4 October.

Pension: What have we learned since 2000?

An article co-authored by Professor Nicholas Barr has been published in a Spanish language paper reflecting on 20 years of pension reform.

Read it here, on pages 51-95: Prosperidad Y Pensiones

30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty International Conference

Professor Paul De Grauwe gave a keynote lecture on the governance of the Eurozone, while attending the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty International Conference in Maastricht on 29 September.

Reforming pensions to protect adequate and sustainable benefits

Professor Nicholas Barr has written an article discussing the reformation of pension design, to protect workers close to retirement.

He writes: "Given the number of people and the costs involved, it is important that pensions adjust to changing economic and demographic circumstances. The design of a country’s pension system, including benefit levels, pension age, and incentives that influence the choices individuals face when planning for their retirement, matter both for safeguarding old-age security and to protect the long-term financial stability of the system."

Read the full post here.

Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy

Natascha Zaun has published a new journal article, titled: "Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy: The Role of (Nativist) Populist Governments in EU Policymaking on Refugee Distribution".

She writes: "We still know very little of how populist governments behave as compared to mainstream governments in Council decision-making. Studying the ‘crucial case’ of negotiations around refugee distribution in the EU, an issue which allows populists to mobilize both anti-EU and anti-immigrant sentiment, we demonstrate that populist governments differ from mainstream ones in three important ways."

Read it here.

Trussonomics for dummies

Professor Nicholas Barr has published a blog discussing the recent mini-budget revealed by the Government.

He writes: "In the face of high inflation, the government’s mini-budget on 23 September was concerned mainly with the largest tax cuts in 40 years, projected at nearly £45bn by 2027, together with an increase in government borrowing of £72bn (see also analyses by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation)."

Read the full post here.

Reconciliation must be part of peace

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. This time, she spoke with the women from the Parents Circle, an organization that consists of more than 600 bereaved families from Palestine and Israel who believe in non-violence and reconciliation.

Guests Robi Damelin and Layla Alsheikh talk about the importance of reconciliation and seeing the other as human and developing empathy despite the ongoing occupation and warfare in their countries.

Listen to the episode here.

Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy

Dr Natascha Zaun has published a new paper, titled Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy: The Role of (Nativist) Populist Governments in EU Policymaking on Refugee Distribution.

She writes: "We still know very little of how populist governments behave as compared to mainstream governments in Council decision-making. Studying the ‘crucial case’ of negotiations around refugee distribution in the EU, an issue which allows populists to mobilize both anti-EU and anti-immigrant sentiment, we demonstrate that populist governments differ from mainstream ones in three important ways."

Read the full article here.

Planning for the future: the funding challenge

Professor Nicholas Barr gave a talk on ‘Planning for the future: the funding challenge’ at the Universities UK Annual Conference: Facing the future with confidence, in Leicester on 7 September 2022.

Meritocracy, Growth, & Lessons from Italy’s Economic Decline

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a new book recently published by Oxford University Press, Meritocracy, Growth, & Lessons from Italy’s Economic Decline: Lobbies (and Ideologies) Against Competition and Talent.

The book investigates the deep-rooted causes of Italy’s failure to deliver on economic growth and prosperity, explores the complex historical vicissitudes that led to the prominence of connections over merit in many key aspects of Italian society and economy, uses international comparisons on social capital, governance, the role of the public sector, social mobility, financial structures, and more to evaluate Italy’s economic performance.

Learn more here.

The United Kingdom’s next prime minister may be an even bigger Brexiteer than Boris Johnson

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been quoted in an article, discussing the politics of the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.

He said: "Kevin Featherstone, a professorial research fellow in the European Institute at the London School of Economics, said that toughness on the EU has transcended actual policy goals and is now a culture war issue. To go after bureaucrats in Brussels is to shore up your populist appeal. Being anti-EU is a vibe, whatever the policy stakes and fallout."

Read the full article here.

The relevance of strengthening welfare states and the role of the state in pension systems

On 31 August, Professor Nicholas Barr gave a keynote lecture [online] on the topic of ‘The relevance of strengthening welfare states and the role of the state in pension systems’.

The speech took place at the Second Regional Seminar on Social Development: ‘Social Security and the Protracted Crisis: An Opportunity to Combat Inequality in the Framework of a Welfare State in Latin America and the Caribbean’, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Santiago, Chile.

You can view here the video and Professor Barr's slides.

Hatred is mostly born from lack of freedom

Dr Sanja Vico was interviewed about Western Balkans politics for Al Jazeera Balkans. She discussed the issues of democracy, identity, transitional justice, and talked about her research on the role social media in transitional justice process, part of LSE JUSTINT project. Available here.

Her main arguments can be summarised as: (1) identity politics hinders democracy in the WB region, (2) constitutional patriotism may be a good solution for overcoming divisions in the region, and (3) social media are like a stage and therefore have a limited potential to facilitate a genuine dialogue on the issues of past conflicts.

Italy’s Far-Right Favorite Aims to Stick to EU Budget Rules

Dr. Marta Lorimer has been quoted in an article from Yahoo News, regarding Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni planning to stick to European Union budget rules if she leads the next government.

Dr. Lorimer said: “Meloni has been very good at differentiating herself from mainstream parties without scaring voters off. While Orban remains a great source of inspiration for all right-wing parties, she won’t campaign on an anti-euro agenda like Salvini once did and her economic policies will focus more on cutting taxes than on state intervention.”

Read the article here.

Citizens' assembly for managing conflict

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. In this episode, they discuss the Citizens’ Assembly in Ireland which resolved the most contentios abortion issue in Ireland through a deliberative democracy model. Guest Barry O’Mahoney, who was a facilitator in the assembly, argues that if the Brexit was discussed on the basis of a citizens assembly it would have turned out differently.

"Citizens' assembly is a deliberative democracy model especially for talking about contentious issues in society. It worked in Ireland to resolve a never ending contentious issue like abortion. How was this model developed; how did it work; how were citizens selected, on the basis of which criteria; what were the principles employed during the process; can it be used in other countries?"

Listen to the episode here.

Gen Z: How young people are changing activism

The BBC conducted an interview with Dr. Orkun Saka about the potential impact of Covid-19 on how Gen Z views politics, based on Dr. Saka's recent research into the topic. 

Dr. Saka was quoted saying: “[After epidemics] While young individuals withdraw from formal politics – which is not that surprising, given their lack of trust – they also tend to increase their participation in the democratic process via alternative and more direct means. They may become more critical towards their political leaders and governments, which is not a bad consequence in and of itself.”

The related academic article has recently been accepted for publication at The Economic Journal and an open access version can be found here.

The Boris story: Ending like it started

Professor Kevin Featherstone has written an article published in eKathimerini, discussing the resignation of Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister.

Professor Featherstone writes: "His impact was one of the lowering of moral standards in public life and bravado about Brexit, while creating a mess. An official investigation will report his unacceptable delays in dealing with Covid. The Boris effect was more about emotions than substance. As Christine Lagarde might say, “the adults are back in the room.”"

Read the full article here.

Digital Divide Exacerbated During Recent Epidemics, Research Reveals

The Fintech Times, world’s leading media outlet on FinTech issues, featured a research paper co-authored by Dr. Orkun Saka on how epidemics affect individuals’ usage and adoption of various financial technologies, which is now forthcoming in the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking. Various other outlets such as Crowdfund Insider and Finextra also covered the same research paper.

Dr. Saka was quoted saying: “This evidence tells us that although we have seen a swap from in-person to online banking over recent epidemics, including Covid-19, banks should think twice before permanently closing bricks and mortar branches. After every epidemic we studied, people almost always returned to in-person banking.” 

The forthcoming version of the academic article can be found here and an open access version here.

Italy's president refuses Prime Minister Draghi's resignation

Lorenzo Codogno has been quoted in an article from the Times of Malta, discussing Italian President Sergio Mattarella's refusal to accept Prime Minister Mario Draghi's resignation.

The article reads: ""Unless there is a last-ditch compromise, a formal government crisis looks inevitable," Lorenzo Codogno, a professor at the London School of Economics".

Read the full piece here.

Inflation: What's going on right now?

Demand is going up, supply is going down, and costs are rising. Everything that causes inflation is operating together. 

In this short video, Professor Nick Barr explains what's happening to cause prices to rise so drastically in 2022 — not just in the UK, but around the world.

Watch the video here.

World Bank funding may come back to haunt us

BizNews featured a research paper co-authored by Dr. Orkun Saka on the government’s strategic manipulation of state-bank lending in Turkey, which was published in The Economic Journal last year.

It said: "[These findings] should be cause for great concern, not only because of the ruling party’s well documented history of malfeasance, but also because of the surge of political party opposition in the country where the ruling party continues to lose in key municipal battlegrounds."

The published version of the academic article can be found here and an open access version here.

Meritocracy, Growth, and Lessons from Italy's Economic Decline

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a new book, looking at the economic state of Italy.

The book investigates the deep-rooted causes of Italy's failure to deliver on economic growth and prosperity, Explores the complex historical vicissitudes that led to the prominence of connections over merit in many key aspects of Italian society and economy and uses international comparisons on social capital, governance, the role of the public sector, social mobility, financial structures, and more to evaluate Italy's economic performance.

Learn more here.

Retirement dreams, busted

Professor Nicholas Barr’s has been quoted in an article from Politico, discussing the issue with European pension schemes being stretched thin.

He said: "You've got the long-term needs of a pension plan colliding with the pressures of short-term politics. And the pressure of short-term politics say young people don't vote and old people do. So you’ve got a political bias."

Read it here.

Crisis and Complementarities: A Comparative Political Economy of Economic Policies after COVID-19

Dr. Bob Hancké, Toon Van Overbeke and Dustin Voss have published a new paper in Perspectives on Politics, looking at economic policies post-COVID-19 pandemic.

They write: "Our results serve as a cautionary tale to policymakers that introducing policy elements developed in other institutional contexts is complex and challenge us to consider systematically the way in which institutional frameworks actively shape policy outcomes."

Read it here.

Pensions: how much choice?

Professor Nicholas Barr’s paper ‘Pensions: How much choice?’, was published by CENIE International Centre on Aging and in Spanish as  ‘Pensiones: ¿Cuántas opciones hay?’, Centro Internacional sobre el Envejecimiento.

Read it here.

Economics of the Monetary Union

The fourteenth edition of Professor Paul de Grauwe's book, Economics of the Monetary Union, has now been released.

In the only textbook to focus on both the costs and benefits of monetary unions, Paul De Grauwe explores current issues surrounding the Eurozone and critically analyses the theories and policies relating to monetary union.

New information in this edition includes content related to the effects of Covid-19 on the Eurozone and European Central Bank, as well as additional end-of-chapter questions enabling students to recap their understanding of the concepts and theories presented. Learn more here.

Perspectives on staying & leaving in war

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. The latest episode looks at the stories of two people affected by the conflict in Ukraine: Tatyana Bilyk, a family mediator from Ukraine who has shared her experience through two letters, and Sergey Ponomarev, a Russian photographer who had to leave Russia after government pressure, and who has covered significant incidents in Russia and beyond through his career.

Dr Elveris said: "I wanted to tell their stories for several reasons: the somewhat ironic fact that [Tatyana] is still in Ukraine while [Sergey] left Russia, their respective professions playing out in unexpected ways in the current conflict (her role as mediator but now finding herself in the midst of conflict, his role of photographer of refugees becoming a refugee himself)."

Listen to the episode here.

Ideas and European Education Policy 1973-2020

Dr. Marina Cino Pagliarello has published a new book, Ideas and European Education Policy 1973-2020. The book is the main output of her PhD and of the ESRC grant she was awarded.

According to publishers Palgrave MacMillan, the book "constructs a novel three-stage analytical framework which captures how ideas open new political spaces, chronicles the transformation of European education from a national to a supranational concern and highlights questions about the role of European business in education".

Learn more here.

International Genç Ekonomistler Congress

Dr. Orkun Saka has delivered a keynote speech for the 5th International Genç Ekonomistler Congress on the political consequences of financial crises and epidemics. The recording of his full speech (in Turkish) can be found here.

Political Scar of Epidemics

A research article by Dr. Orkun Saka and his co-authors (Barry Eichengreen and Cevat Aksoy) on the “Political Scar of Epidemics” has been accepted for publication by The Economic Journal, one of the world’s oldest and leading journals in economics.

They write: "Epidemic exposure in an individual’s “impressionable years” (ages 18 to 25) has a persistent negative effect on confidence in political institutions and leaders. This loss of trust is associated with epidemic-induced economic difficulties, such as lower income and unemployment later in life."

The latest NBER working paper can be found here.

We need a regional approach to justice after mass atrocity

Dr. Denisa Kostovicova has been featured in an article discussing countries confronting their legacies of atrocity in order to build peace.

Dr. Kostovicova writes: "My research shines new light on the hotly debated role of civil society and human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in post-conflict peace-building. It points to the perils of the prevailing narrative, in much of the recent scholarship and in some practitioner circles, about the negative role of civil society and human rights NGOs in post-conflict societies."

Read the full piece here.

Less choice is better: LSE research guides Swedish pension reform

Professor Nicholas Barr was featured in a piece looking at Swedish pension reform and his role in it.

"The conclusion of nearly a decade of discussion and collaboration, the Law Council referral (preliminary bill or “lagrådsremiss” in Swedish) “quotes the extraordinary consultation of the London School of Economics”, the email continues. While, inevitably, compromises have been made along the way, a system facing significant stresses is now more sustainable, with changes that will benefit ordinary citizens. As the official puts it – “the dream is alive!”."

Read the full piece here.

COVID-19 and Trust among the Young

Dr. Orkun Saka's has co-authored a new opinion piece in the June issue of the IMF’s Finance & Development, looking at the impact of governments' response to major world events on the trust young people have in politicians.

They write: "Without trust, politicians struggle to convince people to follow their advice and instructions. From COVID-19 to climate change and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine, governments are asking or telling people to alter their behavior and make sacrifices—great sacrifices in the case of war."

Read the full article here.

LSE's Research Excellence Framework 2021 results announced

The results of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been released, with the European Institute found amongst the top departments of European study.

Professor Jonathan White, department Deputy Head, said: "REF 2021 results have now been published, and the European Institute is proud to be ranked amongst the very top departments for the study of Europe.

"Our research environment was ranked second amongst the units assessed, and our impact fifth. 94% of our evaluations were scored 4* or 3*, putting us fifth overall by this measure. We were seventh across all of Area Studies in REF 2021.

"As a department with global expertise on the study of Europe in its many dimensions, we look forward to extending our research in the coming years to keep pace with Europe’s shifting challenges and rapidly evolving place in the world."

Find out more about the School's results here.

Labour: Election results ‘not quite good enough’ for Starmer to topple Tories - expert

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been featured in an article analysing the results of the recent local elections.

"Professor Kevin Featherstone, a politics academic at the London School of Economics and Political Finance, told Express.co.uk that while the local election results were disappointing for the Tories they’re “still not quite good enough for the opposition parties”."

Read the full article here.

Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson: Will the PM face a Tory leadership vote?

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been interviewed in the Express, looking at the potential results of the forthcoming local elections and its ramifications for the Prime Minister.

He said: "Even if the Privileges Committee came back to say that he should be suspended for a day etcetera, I think Boris might still survive on the basis that like the fixed penalty notice he’s apologised and accepted that he was wrong."

Read the full article here.

The European Institute and me

Closing our series to mark the 30th anniversary of the European institute at LSE, Adam Austerfield (MSc Political Economy of Transition in Europe, 1998) shares his own story.

He writes: "It was a lot of fun, and LSE began to get under my skin and into my brain (often making the latter hurt). I would often discreetly slide away from my desk and “bunk off” to listen to faculty on areas I had found myself working with, or daytime public lectures on a whole range of subjects."

Read the full blog article here.

Income-contingent loans and the finance of higher education

Nicholas Barr gave an online keynote lecture on ‘Income-contingent loans and the finance of higher education: Lessons from economic theory and international experience’ at a conference on Higher education funding models and the possible impact of changing the funding system, Tartu, Estonia 28 April 2022.

A lesser evil: Young French voters struggle to back Macron despite worries over Le Pen

Dr Marta Lorimer has been interviewed by Yahoo News, for an article looking into young French voters' uncertainty around the election.

She said: "It has become more evident that yes, Le Pen has detoxified the brand and changed some of its positions, but also that there’s not much of a difference between the fundamentals of the old National Front and the new National Rally. I think voters are beginning to see that. Some voters have always seen it."

Read the full article here.

Epidemics can lead to a long-term loss of confidence in leaders

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on epidemics and political trust has recently been quoted by a South African news publisher, EWN.

"This point is further elevated by Orkun Saka, visiting fellow in the European Institute, who conducted extensive research on the impact of epidemics on young people’s confidence in those in power and produced thought-provoking results showing that public trust is vital if governments are to effectively lead. Once lost, that trust is hard to win back and cannot be disputed that pandemic opened a gap between authorities and electorates."

Read the full article here.

Le Pen’s Resilience Makes France’s Election a Much Closer Race

Dr Marta Lorimer has been quoted in Bloomberg Quint, discussing the forthcoming election in France.

"“It’s one of the perverse ways in which a more extreme candidate validates her claim that she is less extreme than she actually is,” said Marta Lorimer, an expert on the French far right at the London School of Economics. “Le Pen hasn’t really changed that much, substantively. A lot is the same. She has been both lucky and has demonstrated that she is more of a politician than Zemmour.”"

Read the full article here.

Whatever happens now, Putin has changed politics in Europe

Professor Kevin Featherstone has published an article on eKathimerini, reflecting on the impact Putin's war in Ukraine has had and will have on Europe.

He writes: "There’s an immediate cause and effect here between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the European Union signaling a new strategy of developing a stronger security role for itself. In Lenin’s terms, the EU has moved “decades” with its declaration at Versailles and its deliberations at the European Council last week."

Read the article here.

From pension policy to practice

Professor Nicholas Barr was an interviewee at an episode of Pioneering Pensions: interview with Stefan Lundbergh, aired 7 April 2022.

Professor Barr and Stefan Lundbergh discuss experiences and identify lessons from pension systems across the world. What does good look like when it comes to the pension choices that are offered? Do we focus too much on how we think people should act, rather than looking at how they do act?

Watch the full interview here.

Epidemic Exposure, Financial Technology, and the Digital Divide

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on how epidemics shape financial technology adoption around the globe is now forthcoming at the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking.

Dr. Saka and his co-authors (Barry Eichengreen and Cevat Aksoy) exploit a new dataset combining Gallup World Polls and Global Findex surveys for some 250,000 individuals in 140 countries and find that epidemics lead to an increase in remote-access (online/mobile) banking and substitution from bank branch-based to ATM-based activity. However, these effects are mostly determined by the pre-existing inequalities in the same society in the form of income, employment and digital infrastructure.

NBER working paper version can be freely accessed here.

Central banks must switch to a war footing

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has written a piece for the OMFIF, looking at the changes central banks must make to their policy due to the war in Ukraine.

He writes: "However, it would not be business as usual for central banks. Sanctions and disruptions to the global supply chain are here to stay. Central banks will lack clarity on the effects of these economic phenomena. The risk of a long-lasting impact on supply with a persistent adverse consequence on economic growth cannot be easily dismissed." 

Read the full article here.

Trust and Monetary Policy

 Professor Paul de Grauwe has co-authored a new publication "Trust and Monetary Policy", analysing how trust affects the transmission of negative demand and supply shocks.

He and co-author Yuemei Ji wrote: "We define trust to have two dimensions: there is trust in the central bank's inflation target and trust in the future of economic activity. We use a behavioural macroeconomic model that is characterized by the fact that individuals lack the cognitive ability to understand the underlying model and to know the distribution of the shocks that hit the economy." 

Professor de Grauwe will also be taking part in a seminar on this topic at NIESSR on 31 March.

Find out more here.

The European Institute’s first decade

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the European Institute at LSE, Professor Nicholas Barr looks back at the set up, early years and expansion of the EI and the people involved, against a backdrop of change in Europe.

He writes: "As the 1980s turned into the 1990s, the EU was developing what would become the 1992 Maastricht Treaty (which, among other things, introduced European citizenship) and giving early consideration to whether, when and on what basis the reforming former-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe might become Member States. Against that backdrop, the School established the European Institute as a focus for colleagues across departments who worked on different aspects of Europe."

Read it in full here. 

Brexit Article 16: Should the UK trigger protocol? Experts have their say

Professor Kevin Featherstone was interviewed by the Express, debating the triggering of Brexit Article 16.

"Professor Featherstone believes now is not the time “to stoke the fires of protest on the streets of Northern Ireland”. The academic added that as “more time passes” the clearer it is becoming that Theresa May’s Brexit plan - which she spent more than two years negotiating - would have been the “better choice” to move forward with."

Read the full article here.

Covid-19 has so far cost the world as much as $114-trillion — and counting

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on epidemics and political trust has recently been quoted by the Daily Maverick. 

"In a report titled “The Scars of Covid”, Cevat Giray Aksoy, Barry Eichengreen and Orkun Saka warn: “Covid-19 is likely to accelerate long-term trends towards declining trust in public authorities. This scarring impact could prove particularly profound on young people in their ‘impressionable’ years.”"

Read the full article here.

Why an ambitious directive on adequate minimum wages is the right approach in a time of inflation 

Professor Paul De Grauwe has taken part in a webinar, organised by the European Trade Unions, discussing the need for an ambitious directive on adequate minimum wages in the current climate. Other participants included Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary at the ETUC, and Torsten Müller, Senior Researcher at the ETUI.  

Find out more here.

The Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy

As part of the European Institute's 30th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to be honouring one of the longest-serving members of the European Institute, Professor Nicholas Barr, with our new Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy.

Find out more about the Fellowship here.

The EU is facing many difficulties, but Brexit isn’t one of them

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has written a piece in The Guardian, looking at Brexit two years on.

He writes: "Nearly 52% of UK voters supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum. Nearly 100% of citizens elsewhere in the bloc were shocked by the result, and the first concern was that Brexit could mark the unravelling of the whole European project. That did not happen: indeed, quite the opposite."

Read the full article here.

The Scars of Covid-19

OECD have published an op-ed co-authored by Visiting Fellow Dr. Orkun Saka in its Forum, summarising and discussing the implications of his research on the long-term “trust consequences” of the pandemic.

The op-ed can be read in full here.

The related research papers can be accessed here and here.

Reflections on the development of the European Institute at LSE

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the European Institute at LSE, Professor Kevin Featherstone recounts the establishment of the European Institute, reviews its management structures and discusses its previous and ongoing cross-disciplinary research and teaching accomplishments.

He writes: "The European Institute has come a long way over its 30 years, and it deserves to celebrate its achievements. Its profile and reputation are much higher. Its intellectual coherence is reflected in its teaching and its student recruitment has been consolidated. Worthy of special mention is that its research has regularly been deemed outstanding."

Read it in full here. 

Tweeting terrorism: Vernacular conceptions of Muslims and terror in the wake of the Manchester Bombing on Twitter

Dr. Joseph Downing and Sarah Gerwins have co-authored a new article in Critical Studies on Terrorism, in which they analyse tweets posted after the 2017 Manchester bombing, exploring how terror attacks are constructed on social media.

They write: "Both vernacular security studies and critical terrorism studies (CTS) offer constructivist analyses of security couched in understandings of security speak. However, neither adequately take account of the ways in which social media presents important opportunities for greater insight into how terrorism is constructed."

Read the full article here.

Flexible Europe: Differentiated Integration, Fairness, and Democracy

Dr Marta Lorimer has co-authored a new book, Flexible Europe: Differentiated Integration, Fairness, and Democracy. Written with Richard Bellamy and Sandra Kröger, Flexible Europe provides fresh thinking on the future of the EU, exploring the alternative of a flexible EU based on differentiated rather than uniform integration.

Listen to Dr Lorimer and her co-authors discussing the book on the New Books Network podcast here.

Learn about Flexible Europe here.

Testifying to Violence Environmentally: Knowing, Sensing, Politicizing

Dr Eray Çaylı guest-edited the issue 'Testifying to Violence Environmentally: Knowing, Sensing, Politicizing' of the Journal of Visual Culture.

The issue puts a series of questions about the concepts of violence and environment and the changes in approaches to them: "What are the political possibilities and limitations of enlisting environments as authoritative witnesses to violence? What might the sensorial multiplicity associated with testifying to violence environmentally entail for both the primacy of the visual and its critique as a Eurocentrism? How do the truths produced through such testimony bear upon the various politically pragmatic ends it is expected to serve, such as verification, adjudication, resubjectivation, reparation and reconciliation?"

Read more about the issue here.

Europe must reimagine its cultural policies

In his newly published blog post on reimagining the EU's cultural policies, Gijs de Vries shares his thoughts about the founding values of the EU - respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human right. 

He says: "Today these values are at risk from religious extremists and unscrupulous political entrepreneurs, from sabotage by foreign governments and from Europeans’ own occasional indifference or reluctance to uphold them." The writer also discusses how those crucial values can be protected and preserved in the future.

Read it in full here. 

If the UK manages to recover, it will not be because of Brexit, but despite Brexit

Professor Lorenzo Codogno discusses the situation of the UK when the first anniversary of Brexit is coming. In 2016, nearly 52% of British voters supported Brexit for a variety of reasons. A recent poll showed changes in the number. More than 60% of voters said Brexit went ‘badly’ or ‘worse than expected’. Furthermore, 42% of former supporters have changed their view and are worrying about the future. 

To answer the question of "What remains of the hopes linked to Brexit?", professor Codogno says: "It remains the stubbornness and determination of a nation that has overcome difficult challenges in the past and seems to have still many cards to play. But if that happens, it will not be for Brexit, but despite Brexit."

Read the full article here.

Attitude change about the legacy of war: the role of digital media and civil society

In her interview with Oslobodjenje, Dr Sanja Vico talked about her reasearch on the factors that lead to attitude change about the legacy of war. She focused on the role of digital media and society in promoting acknowledgement and the change of dominant discourse of denial of war crimes committed by members of one's own ethnicity. 

Read the full interview here.

EU faces crisis year ahead as Germany and France to outmuscle small nations

The new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, went to Paris on his first out-of-state visit, strengthening the relations between Germany and France. If these two countries try to lead the EU unilaterally, there could be some tension in the bloc from other member states.

Professor Iain Begg commented on this: "The weight of their power, and the fact that Italy is now aligning quite closely with what Macron wants, I think does create a new momentum that wasn’t there maybe two years ago."

Read the full article here.

Political uncertainty and Brexit will slow UK recovery in 2022

The UK's economy is facing many challenges in 2022: high energy prices, labour shortages, disruption to supply chains, climate change risks, and pandemic-related problems - waves of virus infections and inflationary pressures.

Brexit is said to be a factor that slows the recovery of the country. Professor Paul de Grauwe was quoted on Financial Times: “Recoveries are driven by optimism about the future. Brexit will impose chronic pessimism about the future of the UK economy.”

Read the full article here.

UK's race to jab millions won't prevent Covid surge in coming weeks

Professor Iain Begg was quoted in an article about the response of the government to the rapid spread of Omicron. The highest daily infections in the UK since the start of the pandemic were reported on 15 December.

The UK is attempting to increase the vaccination rates. Professor Iain Begg said: 'My view is that the government, under pressure from the medical and scientific advisers, is erring on the side of caution while awaiting more extensive information on the risk from the Omicron variant.' According to the experts, new restrictions should be introduced. 

Read the full article here.

Making fiscal rules friendly to public investment

Professor Paul De Grauwe participated in a podcast on Future Is Blue, discussing the need for the EU to have new fiscal rules to preserve recovery, gradually consolidate publid deficits and protect public investment.

Listen to the podcast here.

Why do states admit refugees? A comparative analysis of resettlement policies in OECD countries

Dr Philipp Lutz and his co-author write about asylum policies of many refugee-receiving countries. Those countries have applied restrictive border control policies for asylum seekers. However, at the same time, they have introduced refugee resettlement schemes or increased the number of refugees they resettle.

The asymlum policies between 1980 and 2019 of 33 OECD countries have been analysed. The authors say: 'We find that the supply-side factor of wealth best predicts whether a country engages in refugee resettlement. The number of effective resettlement admissions tends to fluctuate with the demand-side factor of humanitarian need. Nevertheless, the expansion of resettlement policies has not resulted in a subsequent expansion of humanitarian protection.'

Read the full article here.

Extractivism: A violent geopolitical force

From 24 - 25 November, Dr Eray Çayli will participate in the event 'SSoA Theory Forum' - an annual event of the Sheffield School of Architecture. This year, the theme of the event is 'Present.' 

He will be a guest speaker, and his talk will be about extractivism as a violent geopolitical force that operates not only through industries of extraction proper such as mining but also through material and visual culture and its theorisations.

Europe's COVID crisis pits vaccinated against unvaccinated

Europe is still the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. After nearly two years of restrictions, the governments are imposting rules limiting choices for the unvaccinated to hopefully increase rates of vaccinations. 

“No single individual freedom is absolute,' Professor Paul De Grauwe said on Liberales, 'The freedom not to be vaccinated needs to be limited to guarantee the freedom of others to enjoy good health.'

Read more here.

How pandemics affect the financial system: Fintech adoption, and the digital divide 

Dr Orkun Saka contributed to a policy brief published on the European Money and Finance Forum. He and the other authors studied how different socioeconomic groups utilise new technologies in the context of fintech adoption.

'We find strong evidence of epidemic-induced changes in economic and financial behavior, of differences in the extent of such shifts by more and less economically advantaged individuals, and of a role for IT infrastructure in spreading or limiting the benefits of technological alternatives.' 

Read the policy brief here.

The related academic paper can be found here.

Rethinking UK Economic Policy

In the latest publication of CESifo Forum, professor Iain Begg wrote the article 'Rethinking UK Economic Policy', examining the policy responses and the emerging policy approaches of the UK as the economy recovers.

Read his artical and the journal here.

The French election: Macron and the other candidates

The French election will take place in April 2022. The experts think the incumbent president, Emmanuel Macron, is likely to win. However, there are other candidates chasing him and the situation could change quickly.

At the moment, the left is said to be 'in disarray, split and torn apart by infighting.' Commenting on the issues facing the left, Dr Marta Lorimer says: 'They cannot seem to agree on having one single candidate to run as the unity candidate of the left. This is a major issue because you’re already splintering a fairly smallish part of the electorate into several parts.'

Read more here.

Fault with coronavirus app puts family getaways at risk for travelling to Europe for Christmas

Professor Iain Begg was quoted in The Times, following a letter to the Editor he had published, expressing his dismay about booster jabs not being recorded on the Covid travel pass.

Read more here.

The fragility of the eurozone: Has it disappeared?

Professor Paul De Grauwe discusses the fragility of the Eurozone on a newly published article on the Journal of International Money and Finance.

He and his colleague examined how the fragility has evolved and how it has been influenced by the reforms in the governance of the Eurozone since the sovereign debt crisis of 2010-12. They also discuss the questions of 'whether the fragility of the Eurozone is a thing of the past.'

Read more here.

"Could a lack of sleep lead to justice problems?"

In his article published on The Journal of Political Philosophy, professor Jonathan White argues that sleep problems can cause more serious consequences.

“When sleep is widely lacking or disrupted, and especially when such problems are unevenly spread, problems of justice are likely to arise.”

Read more here.

Exchange Rate: A Shock Absorber or a Shock Generator?

Professor Paul De Grauwe will participate in the conference 'Exchange Rate: a Shock Absorber or Shock Generator'. The event will be organised by the Czeck National Bank on 6 December.

The professor will give a keynote lecture on 'Animal Spirits in the Foreign Exchange Markets.'

Read more about the conference here.

An entire generation has never experienced high inflation. And someone can get an unpleasant surprise.

Mr Poul Thomsen participated in an interview about inflation and its impacts on the Danish. He focuses on the ability of central banks and politicians to respond in a context of high inflation.

Read more here.

How has the The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) impacted upon UK-EU relations?

Writing in the LSE European Politics and Policy Blog, Dr Bob Hancké reports on TCA and the issues of labour and environment, agricultural and food products, and trade in digital services.

Read more here.

Urban Affectivities: The Afterlives of Urban Conflict Between State and Sensoria in Amed and the West Bank

Dr. Eray Çaylı is delivering a talk as part of the series "In War's Wake: Mobility, Belonging, and Becoming in the Aftermath of Urban Conflict".

The series is organized by the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge.

Register here.

Barbados Today: When options are not real choices

Dr Orkun Saka has recently been quoted by Barbados Today in an editorial discussing the country’s health policy responses to the fast-developing Covid-19 situation.

He said "Public trust is vital if governments are to effectively lead. And once lost, that trust is hard to win back.”

The editorial can be read here and the related academic paper can be accessed here.

The great powers redouble the battle of the microchips

Dr Bob Hancké gave an interview with Spanish-language news outlet El Pais to discuss the factors which have caused shortages of microchips across the world.

He said, "The imbalance between extremely high entry costs and relatively modest financial returns is at the heart of the problem."

Read more here.

The de-institutionalisation of power beyond the state

Professor Jonathan White has published a new article in the European Journal of International Relations, which looks at how institutions across the continent have been reshaped by the last decade of 'crisis politics'.

Professor White's article is available to download and read here.

What determines society’s trust in science? 

Dr. Orkun Saka has recently joined a podcast discussion based upon his joint research with Dr. Saka and his co-author, Prof. Barry Eichengreen from UC Berkeley.

Dr Saka answered questions about how the current pandemic may shape future generation’s faith in science/scientists and what can be done to minimise the damage.

The podcast can be listened to via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Why COVID-19 is eroding young people’s trust in their leaders

Dr. Orkun Saka has recently been interviewed by LSE Research for the World on the potential political consequences of the Covid-19 experience of young people.

You can watch his short video interview, which is based upon joint research with Barry Eichengreen and Cevat Aksoy, here.

Symbolic and material struggles along right-wing terror

Dr. Eray Çaylı has contributed to a new publication called 'Racism. Power. Forget.From Munich via the NSU to Hanau: symbolic and material struggles along right-wing terror'.

Dr.Çaylı has written the chapter entitled, 'Truth, Memory and Justice in times of cognitive cultural-capitalism: A cautionary example from Frankfurt-Bockenheim.'

You can read the book here.

The politics of emergencies

Speaking to Le Grand Continent, Professor Jonathan White discussed his theory of emergency politics and his latest book, 'Politics of Last Resort'.

He said, "Emergency politics' is based on the idea that exceptional times demand exceptional measures."

Read the interview here.

Human Mobility: Towards Enhanced Integration and Social Cohesion

Dr. Angelo Martelli has co-authored a new policy brief for the Think20 Summit.

The T20 Summit sees policy makers and experts discuss multilateral challenges for the G20.

You can read Dr. Martelli's brief and find out more about the Summit here.

Will increases in growth fix Italy's public finances?

Professor Lorenzo Codogno spoke to Italian TV channel LeFonti.TV about Italy's optimistic stance on emerging out of their debt problems with a 'bet' on continuously increasing levels of growth.

You can watch the interview here (Italian).

Architectures of Emergency in Turkey

Dr. Eray Çaylı is speaking at the launch of the anthology Architectures of Emergency in Turkey: Heritage, Displacement and Catastrophe.

Dr. Çaylı has co-edited the publication, as well as authoring the introduction and co-authoring a chapter.

Find out more information and register here.

Will pandemic mistrust eventually improve health care?

Financial Post, Canada’s leading financial newspaper, has featured Dr Orkun Saka’s recent research on the political consequences of epidemics. 

It said: “Less appreciated but maybe even more serious is the opening of political scars that cause voters to lose trust in governments, leaders and election integrity. The damage could be long lasting, especially with pandemic policies themselves having become even more politicized."

The FP piece can be read here and Dr. Saka’s working paper on the political scar of epidemics can be freely accessed here.

How will Brexit shape future relations between the UK and Germany?

With Germany going to the polls on Sunday, Professor Waltraud Schelkle talks to POLITICO about the impact of Brexit upon future UK-German relations.

She writes, "There’s no consideration of how mainland Europeans will see the UK's 'erratic' behaviour on security and foreign policy. This is so alien to Germany’s policymaking."

Read more here.

Discussing 'chip sovereignty' in Europe

Professor Bob Hancké spoke to Tech Monitor to discuss the EU's new so-called 'Chips Act'.

He said, "The current shortage of semiconductors is induced by the economic coma that followed the Covid-19 surge: chip production shifted from unsold cars to highly desired home appliances and computers."

Read more here.

Conflict, Justice and Peace platform

Attention all research enthusiasts of conflict, justice and peace issues!

Hosted by the European Institute, the new Conflict, Justice and Peace platform will support, showcase and integrate research on these issues from Departments, Centres and Units across LSE.

Visit their website and follow them on Twitter for more updates.

How Path-Breaking Was the EU's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Professor Waltraud Schelkle has written a new article in the Journal of Common Market Studies which analyses the EU's fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She writes, "The legacy of failure in the EA (Eurozone) crisis spurred attempts by major protagonists to break with a path that they saw as politically disastrous for the EU polity as a whole."

Read more here.

EU Counterterrorism Policy 2005-2020

Visiting Fellow Gijs De Vries has published a chapter in the book, 'The fight against terrorism: achievements and challenges', by Liber Amicorum and Gilles de Kerchove.

Mr De Vries' chapter reviews the past 20 years of EU counter-terrorism policy.

You can view the book here.

The fall of the Berlin Wall, the media’s response and 'the end of history'

Professor Simon Gledinning examines Europe’s perception of itself and its complex role in world history, focusing on the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

You can read the article here.

Young people are paying for social care with little in return

The UK Government recently announced a rise in National Insurance rates to fund social care.

Writing in the Financial Times, Professor Nicholas Barr has outlined alternative methods of funding social care. You can read the article here.

Professor Barr has also written on the subject of National Insurance for the LSE COVID-19 Blog. You can read his blog entry here.

Assessing the ECB's monetary policy

Professor Lorenzo Codogno spoke to Italian outlet Il Foglio about the meeting of the European Central Bank on September 9.

He said, "The ECB is in no hurry to change monetary policy. It is unlikely that there will be interventions on interest rates, forward indications and everything else, as the accommodative turn will remain unchanged."

Read more here.

Ahead of the ECB

Professor Iain Begg spoke to the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum ahead of the meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

In the podcast, Professor Begg spoke about the ECB's strategy review and their impending policy announcement.

Listen to the podcast here.

British Academy Research Grant

Dr. Orkun Saka has been awarded a research grant by The British Academy in order to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 on financial technology adoption in the UK.

His ongoing work on how past epidemics have influenced FinTech adoption can be found here.

Congratulations, Orkun!

Pension Design and the Failed Economics of Squirrels

Professor Nicholas Barr has written an entry for the latest Volume of the LSE Public Policy Review, which is available to read now.

Professor Barr's piece explores the nature of reciprocity between workers and pensioners.

You can read it here.

Angela Merkel, Britain and Europe: a view from offshore

Professor Iain Begg has written an essay for the Federal Trust for Education and Research, assessing the chancellorship of Angela Merkel as she prepares to leave office after 16 years.

He wrote, "Whether it is defending the euro during the sovereign debt crisis, resisting calls for restrictions on free movement, offering leadership in the refugee crisis or pushing for the pandemic recovery package, Merkel has been consistent, maybe too cautious at times, yet bold when necessary."

Read more here.

The Costs of Political Misalignment: Forest Fires and Bank Loans in Turkey

Recent wildfires in Turkey have not only destroyed more than 95,000 hectares of its coastal forestland but also divided the country further into its political colors.

Dr. Orkun Saka has published a new opinion piece discussing the implications of the recent stand-off between central and local governments and explores in detail how the costs of political misalignment may similarly affect the banks’ lending practices in the country.

The piece can be read here and the academic paper can be downloaded here.

Euro4Europe project

Professor Paul De Grauwe is giving a keynote lecture at the Conference "Reassessment of the ‘Optimal Currency Area’ theory in the persistently heterogeneous European Union" in Vilnius, Lithuania on 9-10 September.

The key concepts of the Conference are 'National Business Cycle Synchronization', 'Economic Integration &Transmission of Macroeconomics Shocks' and 'The Impact of Economic Integration on Regional Business Cycle Synchronization'.

You can learn more about the Conference and register here.

Applying economic complexity theory to the  EU’s pandemic recovery and resilience plans

Dr. Corrado Macchiarelli has co-written a blog post for the LSE European Politics and Policy Blog which focuses on the #NextGenEU fiscal recovery package.

Dr. Macchiarelli and his co-authors write, "We argue that the deployment of EU funds and the frontloading of reforms in some key areas in the context of the RRF should find their natural place in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) theory which should inform the implementation of national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) based on each EU member state’s sectorial and productive structure."

Read more here.

Investing Italy’s Next Generation EU funds

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has given an exclusive interview to WeBuildValue Magazine, discussing post COVID-19 economic recovery in both Italy and across Europe.

He said, "The economic recovery can only by derailed by a new wave of hospitalizations. If intensive care units start to fill up again, this would force governments to enact a new round of restrictive measures."

Read more from Professor Codogno here.

In the Name of Europe

Professor Simon Gledinning has written an entry for the LSE Philosophy Blog reflecting on his recent work on the philosophy of Europe.

He writes, "The philosophy of Europe does not proceed through an empirical investigation of the formation of a European community in history: it is not a question of tracing an historical development that takes us from ancient origins to Europe today.

"Instead, it is the interpretive excavation of the major scansions or mutations in the history of a distinctively European self-understanding."

You can read Professor Gledinning's work here.

Is the European Central Bank becoming too political?

In his latest blog post for UK In a Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg examines the new monetary policy of the European Central Bank.

He writes, "The new approach reaffirms the commitment to ‘maintain price stability in the euro area’ as the primary objective of monetary policy. In this the ECB has no choice, because its mandate is set in the EU treaties; the much more interesting question is how much weight will be accorded to other policy objectives in shaping monetary policy decisions."

Read Professor Begg's entry here.

Broadening the discussion on political finance

Dr Orkun Saka has co-authored a new opinion piece that summarises the discussions and research presented at the 2nd London Political Finance (POLFIN) Workshop.

It lays out some of the important takeaways and suggests directions for further research that can shed light on the remaining puzzles in the field of political finance.

The piece can be accessed here and the materials related to POLFIN Workshop can be accessed here.

Transformative Industrial Strategy for the Long Term

Dr. Steve Coulter has written a new report for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which sets out a new way of thinking about industrial strategy.

He writes, "The dual shocks of Brexit and Covid-19 are disrupting the main export-earning and job-creation sectors of the economy."

You can read the report in full here.

Assesssing the UK's policies on migration

Dr. Joseph Downing spoke to The Express about the Home Secretary's plans to crack down on 'illegal migration' to the UK.

He said, "The problem with the current situation is that you don’t reduce labour migration, you just create a strata of illegal migrants.You’re not going to stop people from Romania or Bulgaria coming to work in agriculture, they’ll just come here illegally."

Read more from Dr. Downing here.

The Digital Divide During Epidemics: Who Benefits From New Financial Technologies?

Dr Orkun Saka has co-authored a new opinion piece about his recent research on past epidemics and the adoption of financial technologies.

Dr. Saka and his co-authors find that exposure to an epidemic in the current year significantly increases the likelihood that an individual completes financial transactions via remote-access technologies such as mobile banking or ATMs.

You can read the opinion piece here.

The NBER working paper can be freely accessed here.

Examining the rise of inflation in the industrialised world

Professor Paul de Grauwe has written an article for the Intereconomics – Review of European Economic Policy journal.

In it, Professor de Grauwe says, "What are the causes of this increase in inflation? The short answer is that it has everything to do with the economic recovery from the pandemic that hit the world in 2020. This recovery has been made possible by two things: the release of excess savings accumulated during 2020 and strong expansionary fiscal and monetary policies."

Read more here.

Europe in far-right ideology

Dr Marta Lorimer has written an entry for the Ideology Theory Practice blog, in which she summarises her in-depth research on the far-right in Europe.

She writes, "Far-right parties are frequently, and not without cause, painted as fervent Eurosceptics, or even ‘Europhobes’. But how accurate is this narrative? Are far-right parties really naturally ‘Eurosceptic’, and what does it even mean to be ‘Eurosceptic’?

Read more from Dr. Lorimer here.

The end of capitalism

What would a world beyond capitalism look like?

In a new blog post for the European Politics and Policy (EUROPP) Blog, Professor Simon Glendinning looks for answers in the work of the Italian economist Piero Sraffa.

You can read the blog entry here.

LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey

Dr. Orkun Saka is co-organising the 3rd LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey (jointly sponsored by the European Institute and the Systemic Risk Centre).

The workshop will take place online on 3 September, and Prof. Daron Acemoglu (MIT) will deliver the keynote speech.

Deadline for paper submissions is 13 August. The call for papers can be accessed here.

Beyond the analytic and continental divide

Professor Simon Glendinning has writen a new article for The Institute of Arts and Ideas.

In 2006, Professor Glendinning made two predictions about the two prevailing models of philosophy. In the article, he re-evaluates those predictions from a contemporary perspective, with new evidence and insight.

You can read the article here.

Examining reaction to France's 'vaccine passes'

With COVID-19 cases rising in France amidst the introduction of new 'vaccine passes', Dr. Joseph Downing gave his opinion of recent events to France24.

You can listen to Dr. Downing's interview here.

What About the Risk of a Bursting Asset Bubble?

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has contributed to a 'Symposium of Views' piece in the International Economy Magazine.

Professor Codogno writes, "The only way out for such a cornering of available policy options would be a surprising boost in productivity triggered by the structural changes accelerated by the pandemic crisis."

Read the piece in full here.

Europe's economic recovery from COVID-19

Professor Iain Begg gave a detailed overview of the potential options for Europe's post-COVID recovery to UK in a Changing Europe.

He said, "As lockdowns ease and the drive to vaccinate reaches further into the adult population, there is good reason to be optimistic about the prospects for economic recovery."

Read more from Professor Begg here.

The impact of England's COVID-19 regulation easening on the EU

Professor Kevin Featherstone spoke to The Daily Express about the potential consequences for Europe of England's widespread removal of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

He said, ""Either it works in the UK and this third wave is managed ‒ the darker scenario, is that it doesn't work, and from the European point of view the problem will be what to do with British tourists."

Read more from Professor Featherstone here.

Europe: A Philosophical History

Professor Simon Glendinning has released a new two-part book, 'Europe: A Philosophical History', which explores how the history of Europe is closely tied to philosophy.

You can purchase Part One of Professor Glendinning's book here, and Part Two here.

Examining the EU's relationship with China

On July 13, Dr. Robert Basedow spoke at Chatham House on the issue of the European Union's future relations with China.

Sitting alongside several other esteemed academics and researchers, Dr. Basedow and the rest of the panel explored a number of questions and presented some of the findings of an upcoming Chatham House report on EU-China economic relations.

You can find out more about the event here.

Epidemic Exposure, Fintech Adoption, and the Digital Divide

Dr. Orkun Saka has co-authored a new piece in the working paper series of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Dr. Saka and his co-authors are investigating a dataset of quarter of a million individuals to understand how past epidemics affected their tendency to switch to alternative financial technologies.

The article can be freely accessed here and VoxEU summary can be found here.

Greece and the Euro: From Crisis to Recovery

Professor Kevin Featherstone has contributed to and co-edited a new book which details the recent governemnt debt crisis in Greece.

Professor Featherstone has co-edited the book alongside Professor George Alogoskoufis, Research Associate at the LSE Hellenic Observatory and Greece's former Minister of Economy and Finance.

You can read the book in full here.

NextGenerationEU and the future of the Economic and Monetary Union

Lorenzo Codogno, Visiting Professor in Practice at the European Institute, took part in a roundtable discussion focusing on the future of the economic and monetary union across Europe.

The event was organised by organised by I.D.E.A, and was attended by representatives of the Cabinet of the President of the European Commission.

You can learn more about the NextGenerationEU plan here.

Will Covid-19 Renew or Diminish Public Trust in Science?

FORSAL, an influential business news outlet in Poland, has cited Dr. Orkun Saka’s research on how epidemics may shape public trust in science and scientists. 

Dr Saka and his co-authors employ a novel dataset merging information on all epidemic events that occurred across the globe in the past half century with surveys of individuals in 138 countries. 

The article can be freely accessed via the website of the National Bureau of Economic Research here.

The impact of emergency politics and civil disobedience in the 21st century

Professor Jonathan White has given a series of short interviews focusing on his recent research into the growth of 'emergency politics'.

Speaking to EXPeditions, Professor White discussed 'Emergency politics in the 21st century', 'Civil disobedience as a form of emergency politics', and 'New global powers, transnational order and exceptional measures'.

You can watch the interviews here.

The impact of Nissan's new '£1bn electric vehicle hub'

Dr Bob Hancké spoke to Reuters about the proposed £1bn electric vehicle hub to be built in Sunderland by car manufacturers Nissan.

He said, "Any investment now runs the risk of closing of technologically more advanced options a few years from now."

You can read in full here.

How is Britain’s financial services industry faring after Brexit?

Speaking to BBC Business correspondent Victoria Craig, Professor Iain Begg explained the impact of Brexit upon British financial services.

He said, "So far, there’s been a trickle of jobs and certain activities, which are very clearly related to the Euro... but overall, it’s relatively limited."

You can read the transcript or listen to the interview here.

European Union Recovery Summit, June 2021

Professor Paul de Grauwe spoke at the Recovery Summit hosted by the Portuguese Ministry of Finance on Wednesday 30 June 2021.

The high-level conference featured speakers from across Portugal and Europe, with a focus on the EU's post-COVID economic recovery and future economic governance.

You can learn more about the Summit here.

EU-UK 2030: future relations between Europe and the United Kingdom

Associate Professor in European Politics Dr. Sara Hagemann has has contributed to the recently published #EUUK2030 Report from UK in a Changing Europe.

Dr Hagemann's work focuses on the future relationship between Denmark and the United Kingdom.

You can read the Report here.

Mary Creagh CBE

We're thrilled to share the news that our alumna Mary Creagh (European Studies, 1997) has received a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours this year.

Mary served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wakefield from 2005 to 2019, and the award recognises her work in parliamentary and political service.

Everyone at the European Institute wishes Mary the very warmest congratulations.

Europe’s economic recovery effort should be smarter, not bigger

Lorenzo Codogno, Visiting Professor in Practice at the European Institute, has written an op-ed peice for the Financial Times.

Mr Codogno explains, "There is no doubt that fiscal discipline across the EU must be restored at some point. In the larger picture, however, the overriding goal is to reform Europe’s economies and prepare them for future challenges."

Read more here.

Do financial crises always lead to government market interventions?

Dr Orkun Saka has recently published a working paper co-authored with Professor Paul De Grauwe and Dr. Yuemei Ji from UCL.

In this research project, the authors employ a novel dataset covering half a century of financial policies across 94 countries, finding that a big portion of the policy interventions in the aftermath of financial crises can be traced back to policymakers’ private interests.

You can freely access and download the working paper here.

How has COVID-19 affected economies across Europe?

Dr. Bob Hancké has co-written a paper with EI PhD candidates Toon Van Overbeke and Dustin Voss for the Perspectives on Politics Journal.

The paper compares the economic policies used to tackle the pandemic in both Germany and the UK.

Read it here.

Understanding the 'sausage war' between London and Brussels

Professor Iain Begg recently discussed the ongoing trade negotiations between London and Brussels with France 24.

He said, "There is a legalistic vision of the Trade Agreement text, embodied by the EU, opposed to a more pragmatic approach which the British government defends."

Read more from Professor Begg here.

Global Civil Society, Peacebuilding, and Statebuilding

Dr. Denisa Kostovicova has co-written a chapter with Professor Mary Kaldor for the 'The Oxford Handbook of Peacebuilding, Statebuilding, and Peace Formation'.

The chapter grounds a definition of global civil society in the existence of international law and links with international networks of either international NGOs or support groups crucial for enabling civil society groups in postconflict countries to operate.

You can read Dr. Kostovicova's chapter here.

London Political Finance (POLFIN) Workshop

Dr Orkun Saka is co-organizing the 2nd London Political Finance (POLFIN) Workshop to take place virtually on 24-25 June.

The workshop brings together the world’s leading economists to discuss the latest research on the interaction between politics and finance.

See the workshop website here for the programme and registration.

Persistence of informal networks and liberal peace‑building

Dr. Denisa Kostovicova has co-written a new article for the Journal of International Relations and Development.

Using Social Network Analysis and other evidence from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Dr. Kostovicova, Dr. Vesna Bojičić-Dželilović and Professor Ahmet K. Suerdem reveal the inner workings of a war-time informal network.

You can read the article here.

The Political Scars of the Pandemic

Schweizer Monat, a Swiss monthly magazine, published an op-ed co-authored by Dr Orkun Saka summarising and discussing the implications of his research on the long-term “trust consequences” of the pandemic.

Read the op-ed piece here.

The related research papers can be freely accessed here and here.

Analysing the COVID-19 response across the European Union

Three EI academics, Professor Waltraud Schelkle, Dr. Zbigniew Truchlewski and Dr. Joseph Ganderson have co-written a new article for the West European Politics journal.

The article examines a number of COVID-19 related policies in order to ascertain whether the pandemic has stimulated deliberation and compromise across the continent.

You can read the article here.

LSE Phelan US Centre Summer Research Grant 2021

Congratulations to Tommaso Crescioli, a PhD candidate at the European Institute, who has been awarded a Summer Research Grant by the Phelan United States Centre.

Tommaso's research investigates the influence of political factors on the level of market competition in a country, specifically comparing the recent rise in market concentration observed in the US with European trends.

You can find out more about Tommaso's research here.

Assessing the importance of transnational 'emergency politics'

Professor Jonathan White has co-written a forum piece for the International Studies Review, examining the growing importance of international co-operation in order to deal with major emergencies.

Read Professor White's piece here.

France's civil war warning

Dr. Joseph Downing examines domestic security problems in France in an entry for LSE EUROPP Blog.

Following the publication of two letters warning of a potential civil war, Dr. Downing discusses the French military, Islam, and the far-right.

Read here.

Pension design for the 21st century

Professor Nicholas Barr gave a keynote lecture at the Santander Asset Management 'Global Pension Summit' on Tuesday 1 June.

Find out more information about the Summit here.

"Let governments take advantage of the low interest rates while they can."

Speaking to Financial Investigator magazine, Professor Paul de Grauwe discusses the economic response to COVID-19 in both America and Europe.

Read the interview with Professor de Grauwe here.

Can contemporary art facilitate critical insight into the geopolitics of ecology?

Dr Eray Çaylı has written a paper for the Royal Geographical Society, which examines a body of art made in Turkey's Kurdistan.

Read Dr. Çaylı's paper here.

On the Transmission of Small and Large Shocks

Professor Paul de Grauwe has co-written a paper for the Centre for Economic Policy Research.

Working with Dr Yuemei Ji of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, Professor de Grauwe analyzes how small and large demand and supply shocks are transmitted in the economy.

Read the paper here.

The Aesthetics and Publics of Testimony

Writing in the Cambridge Journal of Anthropology, Dr Eray Çaylı explores how racialization has permeated the visual and spatial methods of commemoration, as well as being challenged through them.

Dr Çaylı's article focuses on the Solingen arson attack, which took place in Germany in 1993.

Read here.

After Covid-19: a most wanted recovery

Professor Paul de Grauwe spoke at a round-table event at Bruegel, a Brussels-based economic think tank, on Wednesday 19 May.

The event focused on strategies for a swift and sustainable economic recovery for Europe.

You can watch a recording of the event here.

The possible effects of 'economic long-Covid' across Europe

Speaking to the Daily Express, Professor Iain Begg disucssed the possibility of long term economic disrupition to several key sectors across Europe, including transport and tourism, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read more here.

Recovery, investments and rates: the three unknowns of growth

Visiting Professor in Practice Lorenzo Codogno has written an op-ed piece for the Italian daily newspaper, Domani.

He examines the uncertainty surrounding the Italian economy and the potential impact of the National Recovery and Resilience Programme.

Read Professor Codogno's article here.

Could the UK Government provide financial support to save Eurostar?

Professor Iain Begg has provided an in-depth analysis of the future of Eurostar to the Daily Express.

Professor Begg outlined several financial and environmental factors which could impact the future of the international high-speed rail service.

He also discussed the likelihood of financial involvement from the UK Government, including a bailout.

Addressing 'hopelessness' as a major side-effect of Covid-19

Bloomberg recently featured research from Dr Orkun Saka regarding the long-term effects of pandemic experience on young people’s political trust, suggesting that “hopelessness could be one of the long-haul side effects of Covid-19”.

Read the Bloomberg article here.

The NBER working paper relating to Dr Saka’s research can be accessed here.

Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) in the post-Covid world

This policy note, writen by Professor Iain Begg and published by Spanish outlet Funcas, outlines the fundamental principles of Modern Monetary Theory and the likelihood of its implementation across Europe in the aftermath of the global pandemic.

Read more here.

Annalena Baerbock: The Green candidate hoping to succeed Angela Merkel

Speaking to CNN, Professor Waltraud Schelkle discussed the rapid rise of Annalena Baerbock, the Green candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming German federal elections.

Read Professor Schelkle's thoughts here.

Delphi Economic Forum Annual Conference

Professor Kevin Featherstone and Professor Iain Begg spoke at the 6th Annual Delphi Forum Conference on Wednesday 12 May.

Both professors attended the seminar, 'Going Forward or Being Held Back? Can the EU manage both solidarity and the turn towards illiberalism'.

Find out more about the Conference here.

Resemblance and Discrimination in Elections

Dr Raluca L. Pahontu has released a co-authored working paper, entitled 'Resemblance and Discrimination in Elections'.

In the paper, the authors explore a novel form of electoral discrimination: candidate resemblance. They find that within-party facial resemblance has a strong effect for Republican voters in the US, and Conservative voters in the UK.

Find out more here.

Read the LSE US Centre blog post here.

Higher statutory minimum wages and stronger collective bargaining benefit the economy

Professor Paul de Grauwe has joined a group of economists in an opinion piece on the European Commission's recently-announced bill that aims not only to significantly increase minimum wages in Europe, but also to strengthen collective bargaining - the first of its kind.

They argue that the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must be wage-driven.

Read here (French).

Higher Brexit support and higher wealth

Dr Raluca L. Pahontu's co-authored research explaining reasons for Brexit voting patterns has been featured on The UK in a Changing Europe.

The blog post, based on Dr Pahontu's working paper, highlights that many Eurosceptics actually sided with Remain due to concerns about the uncertainty and risks associated with leaving.

Read here.

Portugal’s fiscal policy choices during the pandemic

Professor Paul de Grauwe  has published a preliminary evaluation on Portugal's fiscal policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the Portuguese Public Finance Council.

He finds that Portugual's fiscal spending has been relatively cautious compared to other EU countries, who took more expansionary budgetary approaches.

Read here.

Creating Compliance in Crisis

Professor Chris Anderson has co-authored a paper with Professor Sara Hobolt, entitled 'Creating Compliance in Crisis: Messages, Messengers, and Masking Up in Britain', which they also presented at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference.

Focusing on how public health information shapes people’s willingness to wear masks, the authors find that information about individual risk and collective responsibility encourages individuals to make sacrifices in times of crisis.

Read here.

Fiscal rules in the European Union

Professor Paul de Grauwe's research was cited in a Project Syndicate article by Jean Pisani-Ferry.

In the context of the EU's detailed and prescriptive fiscal rules, the article notes that euro members are in a similar position to countries that borrow in a foreign currency.

Read here.

Are Right-Wing Populists Immune to Covid-19?

Professor Chris Anderson and Dr Diane Bolet presented their paper, 'Are Right-Wing Populists Immune to Covid-19? Health Risks, Elite Cues, and Compliance Among Right-Wing Populist Voters in France' at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference.

Using individual-level panel data from France, the authors find that supporters of right-wing populist parties are no less compliant with health and policy measures, and are sensitive to elite cues, especially when there is an objective risk to their health. 

Read here.

Greece: 200 years of economic survival

Professor Kevin Featherstone was a keynote speaker at a conference organised by The Economist, in which he spoke about 200 years of contemporary Greece, challenges and achievements.

Watch here.

The use of pseudo-causal narratives in EU policies

Dr Natascha Zaun has co-authored an article, analysing the 'European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa', which aims to address the ‘root causes of migration’ by providing development assistance to countries of origin and transit.

The authors advance a new framework for understanding the emergence and success of pseudo-causal narratives in EU policymaking.

Find out more.

40 years of Greece’s EU membership

Professor Kevin Featherstone spoke on a roundtable organised by the European Parliamentary Research Service, entitled ‘From democratisation to accession: 40 years of Greece’s EU membership'.

Professor Featherstone spoke on the institutional and reform capacities seen in Greece since EU membership, as well as responding to issues of weak institutions.

Watch here (14:55).

What the EU is and does

Gijs de Vries contributed to a MOOT, produced by the Dutch Society for Public Management, explaining what the EU is and what it does.

Dr de Vries' contribution explores treaties and the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Watch it here (Dutch).

Online News Making, Cultural Translation, and Journalism Industry in Exile

Dr Kübra Zeynep Sarıaslan has written an article for Platpus, the CASTAC blog, which explores the attack of journalism under autocracy in Turkey, and how transnational online journalism offers greater freedom of expression for those who can no longer take part in journalistic practices in their country.

Find out more.

Bicentenary of the Greek revolution

Both Professor Kevin Featherstone and Dr Spyros Economides contributed to the Embassy of Greece in London's audio-visual project, in celebration of the 200 year anniversary of the Greek revolution.

Watch here (Professor Featherstone at 28:22 and Dr Economides at 38:20).

The EU and Sustainable Development

Gijs de Vries participated in an EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) two-day workshop on the EU and Sustainable Development, which also had inputs from UNESCO EU and the EU Commission.

The workshop was inspired by the research and thinking of Mr de Vries.

Find out more.

How Turkey’s New Internet Law Threatens Journalists

Dr Kübra Zeynep Sarıaslan has written an article for the online German magazine, Geschichte der Gegenwart, on the restrictions caused by Turkey's recent amendments to its Internet Law. 

Dr Sarıaslan explores the importance of social media as a source of news and place for free expression of opinions.

Read here.

The ambiguous role of Germany in EU Asylum policies

Dr Natascha Zaun has published a paper in the Journal of European Integration, assessing Germany’s ambiguous role in EU asylum policies.

Drawing on the Core State Power framework, it shows that though Germany has not taken the role of leader, nor pursued any consistent course regarding the institutional setup or content of EU asylum policies, it does not mean the country does not have any preferences in this area.

Find out more.

89 Initiative: Shaping a EUrope fit for the future

Gijs de Vries contributed to the opening session of the annual 89 Initiative Policy Conference on the future of Europe.

Watch the panel recording here.

The Value of Money: Controversial Economic Cultures in Europe

Lorenzo Codogno has contributed a chapter to a recently-published volume, 'The Value of Money: Controversial Economic Cultures in Europe: Italy and Germany', which compares Italian and German macro-economic cultures and performances.

Mr Codogno's chapter is entitled 'The legacy of Banca d’Italia'.

Find out more.

Fiscal Capacity and a Eurobond in the Eurozone

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a paper with Paul van den Noord, published in the Review of Economics and Finance, which  examines the impact of rebalancing the policy mix away from monetary towards fiscal stimulus in the Euro zone.

Using a stylised model of the economy of the Eurozone, the authors find that that 'had a Eurobond/fiscal capacity existed at the onset of the Great Financial Crisis, the recession would have been much more muted, and with much less need for unconventional monetary policy.'

Find out more.

The Democratic Dilemmas of Differentiated Integration

Dr Marta Lorimer has co-authored a paper on differentiated integration among Member States, published in the Swiss Political Science Review.

Drawing on 35 interviews with party actors in seven Member States, the authors find many considered differentiated integration could support self‐determination at the national level, but worried it might result in arbitrary exclusion and growing inequality at the EU level. 

Find out more.

Matilde Rosina wins PhD prize

Congratulations to Dr Matilde Rosina, who has been awarded a King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize for 2021! This prize was decided by a panel of judges in recognition of her doctoral thesis, which questioned the effectiveness of deterrence measures in reducing irregular migration to Europe.

Dr Rosina's research concluded 'that the criminalisation of migration, as an example of deterrence, had not been effective in either of the countries examined, Italy and France, but rather led to a number of negative consequences.'

Find out more here.

New publication: Architectures of Emergency in Turkey

Dr Eray Çaylı has co-edited a newly-published volume, entitled 'Architectures of Emergency in Turkey: Heritage, Displacement and Catastrophe'.

The volume explores what states of emergency might have to do with the built environment, and how they are produced and contested spatially.

Dr Çaylı has also co-authored a chapter, entitled 'Emergency as Normalcy in Mid-2010s' Amed/Diyarbakir'.

Find out more.

 How the pandemic impacts trust in institutions

The Turkish newspaper, Daily Sabah, featured Dr Orkun Saka’s research regarding the long-term effects of pandemic experience on young people’s trust in political institutions. 

Dr Saka and his co-authors employ a novel dataset merging information on all epidemic events that occurred across the globe in the past half century with surveys of individuals in 138 countries. They find that such experience significantly reduces trust in politicians, government and elections, especially for the individuals who experienced epidemics under weak governments that were less likely to come up with effective policy responses.

The NBER working paper can be freely accessed via the website here.

Kevin Featherstone bestowed Grand Commander, Order of the Phoenix of the Hellenic Republic award

On Monday 19 April, Professor Kevin Featherstone was bestowed the award of Grand Commander, Order of the Phoenix of the Hellenic Republic, by H.E. Mr Ioannis Raptakis, Ambassador of Greece, for his contribution in enhancing knowledge about Greece in the United Kingdom and reinforcing ties between the two countries.

The award has been made to 23 philhellenes around the world, to celebrate the bicentenary of Greece’s “war of independence”. The list also includes Nancy Pelosi in the USA and Stephen Fry in the UK. 
 
The award is the equivalent of a KCMG (Knight Commander of the Order of SS Michael and George) in the UK.

Congratulations Professor Featherstone!

Women’s Influence in Transitional Justice and Peace-Making

The JUSTINT team presented European Research Council (ERC)-funded research by Dr Denisa Kostovicova, Dr Tolga Sinmazdemir, Lana Bilalova and Dr Vesna Popovski, and previous research by Dr Denisa Kostovicova and Dr Tom Pakshalis, on women’s participation in transitional justice debates in parliaments and civil society at a session organised by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) and their global network of partners.

A representative from Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) from Uganda, that works with women political leaders to support them to effectively influence political decision-making, reflected on implications for practice of the JUSTINT team’s research and its insights.

These insights informed ideas on how to support women to gain more influence in political dialogues and politics, and on developing an understanding of the notion of feminist leadership. The meeting was attended by NIMD’s partners from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Guatemala, Colombia, Myanmar, and others. 

Read the paper on which this session was based.

Redistribution under EA: the case of Greece and Ireland

Dr Chrysoula Papalexatou and Dr Angelos Angelou have written an article for LSE Hellenic Observatory blog, exploring peripheral countries' experiences after adopting the Euro.

The authors suggest that under soft budget constraints, Euroarea member states could avoid the path of fiscal retrenchment, and also increase social spending.

Find out more.

Germany’s Transition to the Knowledge Economy

Dr Sebastian Diessner has co-authored a paper entitled 'Skill-Biased Liberalization: Germany’s Transition to the Knowledge Economy', published in Politics and Society.

The article conceptualizes the evolution of the German political economy as the codevelopment of technological and institutional change.

Read more. 

Alienation, mobilisation and models of democracy

Dr Miriam Sorace participated in the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) 2021 Annual Conference, in the Representation and Accountability panel.

Dr Sorace presented her paper, co-authored with Dr Diane Bolet, “Vox Populi, Vox Dei? Alienation, Mobilisation and Models of Democracy”.

Find out more.

Brexit and Northern Ireland

Professor Iain Begg participated in a in a live edition of France Culture's 'Affaires Etrangeres' programme, discussing Northern Ireland amidst recent conflict.

Listen here (French).

Costs of Political Misalignment

Dr Orkun Saka has published an article in The Economic Journal. The paper provides new evidence that state-owned banks systematically engage in tactical redistribution of credit in line with the political incentives of those in power.

Analysing the geographical distribution of all lending and economic activity in Turkey, it shows that the central government uses commercial lending by state-owned banks to support allies in local elections. It further illustrates that, during lending cycles, financial resources and factors of production are misallocated as more efficient provinces and industries suffer the greatest constraints, reducing aggregate productivity in the country.

Read here.

100 days after Brexit

Professor Iain Begg was quoted in an article by Argentinian news website, Infobae, on the fallout of Brexit.

Read here (Spanish).

Assessing Next Generation EU

Lorenzo Codogno and Paul van den Noord presented their paper 'Assessing Next Generation EU' at an Amsterdam Centre for European Studies event.

Watch it here.

What is British Islam, what is French Islam?

Dr Joseph Downing participated in the Religion Media Centre Festival, 'Exploring Belief', in a discussion on 'What is British Islam, what is French Islam?'.

In part, Dr Downing spoke on the dangers of homogenising the diversity of "French Islam" of "French Muslims" in public policy.

The current social unrest in Northern Ireland

Professor Iain Begg has been interviewed by Sputnik on the current social unrest in Northern Ireland, following the death of former IRA leader, Bobby Storey.

Professor Begg spoke in detail about the history of the conflict between nationalists and unionists, and suggested possible solutions to the conflict.

Read here.

The ethics of interviews in conflict research

Dr Denisa Kostovicova co-authored a paper exploring the   need to (re)consider the ethical challenges of unpredictability and change that emerge within research interviews, in particular for scholars of conflict processes where these challenges and their effects are amplified. 

Read here.

Paying for Next Generation EU

Professor Iain Begg has contributed to a Special Issue of CCEIA's (University of Nicosia) newsletter, on The Socioeconomic and Political Impact of COVID 19 and the Response of the EU: A Critical Assessment.

Professor Begg analyses the Next Generation EU recovery package.

Read here.

The Aesthetics and Publics of Testimony

A paper by Dr Eray Çaylı entitled 'The Aesthetics and Publics of Testimony: Participation and Agency in Architectural Memorializations of the 1993 Solingen Arson Attack' has been published in The Cambridge Journal of Anthropology.

Through a case study on the 1993 Solingen Arson Attack, Dr Çaylı explores 'the ways violence structures the material, spatial and visual means employed in testifying to the past'.

Read more here.

Next Generation EU: can we do better?

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a SUERF (The European Money and Finance Forum) policy brief with Paul van de Noord of the Amsterdam School of Economics.

The brief analyses the fiscal recovery package adopted by the European Council in 2020, and explores a range of potential alternatives and improvements.

Read here.

Putting the China-EU investment agreement in perspective – and assessing the lessons for the UK

In an article for EUROPP blog, Dr Robert Basedow examines the content of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) and assesses what lessons the UK can draw from the negotiations as it seeks to establish its own post-Brexit relationship with China.

Read here.

Debt cancellation by the ECB: does it make a difference?

In this SUERF (The European Money and Finance Forum) policy note, Professor Paul de Grauwe explores the recent call from hundreds of economists for the ECB to cancel the government debt it holds.

However, Professor de Grauwe argues 'even if the ECB did cancel this debt, nothing of substance would change economically for national governments'.

Read here.

Why does the European Right accommodate backsliding states?

Dr Julian Hoerner has co-authored a paper looking at the behaviour of the European People’s Party (EPP), democracy and the Hungarian Fidesz government.

Through analysing the votes of EEP MEPS, from 2011-2019, the authors 'seek to understand how cohesive the EPP group has been on fundamental values-related votes, how the position of EPP MEPs on these issues has evolved over time, and what explains intra-EPP disagreement on whether to accommodate fundamental values violators within the EU.' 

Read the paper here.
Read the Mirage News feature.

The Politics of last Resort

Professor Jonathan White will be discussing his 2019 book 'The Politics of last Resort: Governing by Emergency in the European Union' in an event with Amsterdam Centre for European Studies, on 14 April 2021.

Find out more and register here.

The EU and regional economic integration

Professor Iain Begg has been commissioned by the EP Research Service think-tank, of the European Parliament, to write an essay on the EU as a provider of public goods.

The paper 'reflects on the distinctive characteristics of the EU as the world's leading exemplar of regional economic integration, and its unique experience since the 1950s in generating collective public goods for its Member States as a foundation for the continent's collective prosperity'.

Find out more.

Voting for Your Pocketbook, but against Your Pocketbook?

A newly published article, co-authored by Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni, explores the Brexit puzzle which saw many people supposedly voting against their own economic interest.

Through a study of five local authorities in England and Wales, the authors find that 'localized economic experiences, interpreted through local-level narratives, paved the way for local-level discourses of resilience and nationwide optimistic messaging about the economic impacts of Brexit to resonate'.

Find out more.

Fabian Mushövel receives Marie Curie Fellowship

Congratulations to Dr Fabian Mushövel, who has received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship for his project on Tech Change and Welfare State Reform.

EU funding totalling €328 million will support 1630 experienced post-doctoral researchers, from top universities as well as the private sector and SMEs.

 Find out more.

Detention centers and migrants-led protests in France

EI Master's student Marie-Aminata Peron has written for the LSE Researching Sociology blog on the topic 'Detention centers and migrants-led protests in France: between disciple and revolt'.

The article explores French detention centres, looking specifically at state sovereign power and detainees-led social movements.

Read here.

How do pandemics affect young people's trust in science and scientists? 

Both Forbes and Frankfurter Allgemeine have featured Dr Orkun Saka’s research regarding the long-term effects of pandemic experience on young people’s trust in science and scientists. 

Dr Saka and his co-authors employ a novel dataset merging information on all epidemic events that occurred across the globe in the past half century with surveys of individuals in 138 countries. They find that such experience significantly reduces trust in scientists and in the benefits of their work, especially for the individuals with little previous training in science subjects.

The published article can be freely accessed via the journal’s website here.

Read the Forbes and Frankfurter Allgemeine articles.

Debt cancellation by the ECB: Does it make a difference?

Over 100 economists have called for the ECB to cancel the government debt it holds. But 'even if [it] did cancel this debt, nothing of substance would change economically for national governments', argues Professor Paul de Grauwe in an article for EUROPP blog.

Read more.

Why Women Don't Influence Peacemaking

Dr Denisa Kostovicova has co-authored a paper, published in International Studies Quarterly, called 'Gender, Justice and Deliberation: Why Women Don't Influence Peacemaking'.

Through examining women's speaking behavior in transitional justice debates in the post-conflict Balkans, the authors find that find that 'men's domination of turn-taking and the absence of topics reflecting women's needs and interests lead to a gendered outcome' in peacemaking. 

Find out more.

Auke Willems publishes book on EU Criminal Law

Dr Auke Willems has published a book entitled 'The Principle of Mutual Trust in EU Criminal Law'.

The book develops a conceptual framework of the principle of mutual trust in EU criminal law, demonstrating that mutual trust is multi-faceted.

Find out more.

Paul de Grauwe joins the T20 Task Force

Congratulations to Professor Paul de Grauwe, who will be part of a G20 Task Force on International Finance.

The Task Force will be preparing a policy brief on "Exiting the COVID-19 global recession: policy proposals" for the next G20 meeting.

Find out more.

Angelo Martelli joins the T20 Task Force

Congratulations to Dr Angelo Martelli, who has been appointed to the T20 Task Force on Migration for the upcoming G20.

Dr Martelli's work with Dominik Hangartner (ETH Zurich) and Bilal Malaeb (World Bank), 'Human Mobility: Towards Enhanced Integration and Social Cohesion', has been selected among 650 proposals to contribute to the work of the T20, the "ideas bank" of the G20.

He has also been asked to be a member of T20 Migration Task Force, which will produce a set of recommendations that will feature in the final communique of the G20 summit.

How 1990s French rappers defined belonging

In an article published in French Politics, Culture & Society, Dr Joseph Downing analyses rap tracks from the 1990s in order to analyse how territorial boundaries can create and reenforce marginalization, focusing on Marseille and Paris.

Whereas Parisian rap lyrics reinforce existing socioeconomic and territorial boundaries, those from Marseille did the opposite.

Find out more.

Why wealthy voters support Brexit

An article in The Guardian is based on a recent working paper co-authored by Dr Raluca L. Pahontu.  Looking at wealth and insurance, the article explores why wealthy voters were happy to back a 'Leave vote gamble'.

Read more.

Access Dr Pahontu's paper, 'Mind the Gap: Why Wealthy Voters Support Brexit' here.

The fate of the British car industry

Though the British automobile industry was spared from costly tariffs in the Brexit deal, Dr Bob Hancké argues its demise could be near if the UK doesn’t boost its efforts to establish a large-scale battery supply chain.

Find out more.

Why are Central Eastern and Southern Member States only now becoming active in EU asylum policies?

Prior to the 2015 asylum crisis, Central Eastern and Southern Member States largely remained silent on EU asylum debates. However, the crisis has motivated these states to adopt stronger positions at the European level, argues Dr Natascha Zaun.

Find out more.

Myanmar's military coup must not end democracy

Writing for the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre blog, Professor Stefan Collignon analyses the recent military coup in Myanmar, and the power struggles behind the scene between the democratic government and the military dictators.

Read here.

Syposium: Reciprocity across the Life-Cycle

On 23 February, Professor Nicholas Barr is co-hosting a  Beveridge 2.0 Symposium on Reciprocity across the Life-Cycle, with Professor Michael Otsuka.

Professor Barr will be speaking on 'Pension design and the failed economics of squirrels'.

Find out more.

Italy's government crisis

Lorenzo Codogno was interviewed on CNBC, on the topic: 'vote of confidence in Conte government: a pass at the Lower House, but it will be crunch time at the Senate'.

Watch here.

Anthony Teasdale teaches at SIPA

Visiting Professor in Practice, Anthony Teasdale, is teaching a course this term (online) on 'EU policy-making and new global challenges' at Columbia University, New York, where he is adjunct professor at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

Valery Giscard d’Estaing – a European Dreamer

In an opinion article for The Federal Trust, Professor Stefan Collignon writes about the achievements of former French President, Valery Giscard d'Estain, a 'dreamer of Europe'.

Read here.

Italy's shaky government coalition

In an interview on CNBC, Lorenzo Codogno spoke on Italy's shaky government coalition amid tension over the use of the Recovery Fund.

Watch here.

 Epidemics and Trump

Exame, the leading business magazine in Brazil, includes an interview in which Dr Orkun Saka’s co-author, Professor Barry Eichengreen, discusses their joint work on the political consequences of epidemics and its implications for Donald Trump’s legacy in the United States.

Find out more (Portuguese).

Modern Monetary Theory

Professor Paul de Grauwe participated in a webinar hosted by Radix Think Tank, on Modern Monetary Theory.

Watch the video recording here.

Exposure to epidemics and trust in science

Dr Orkun Saka has co-authored an opinion piece for IZA World of Labor about his recent research on past epidemics and trust in scientists.

The authors say: "At a minimum, our findings suggest that scientists working on public health matters and others concerned with scientific communication should think harder about how to communicate trustworthiness and honesty and, specifically, about how the generation currently in their impressionable years (Generation Z) perceives such attributes".  

Read here.

The art of following the science

Writing for LSE EUROPP blog, Richard Bronk analyses the notion of expert fatigue in society, as well as how scientific data is used by governments.

He argues 'there is a danger that continual reference by elected governments to scientific modelling to justify contentious policy choices may further undermine scientific expertise and evidence-based policy in the eyes of the electorate'.

Find out more.

Dr Orkun Saka joins CESifo

Upon invitation, Dr Orkun Saka has recently joined the CESifo network as a Research Affiliate.

CESifo is one of the largest networks for economic research in the world, whose mission is to advance international scientific knowledge exchange about economics and economic policy.

Find out more about CESifo.

Racialized  ‘Make-Work-and-Let-Buy’ Capitalism 

In an article for Society and Space, Dr Eray Çaylı argues 'focusing on industrial products that traverse various sites and spatial scales of work helps grasp not only the racialization characterizing the pandemic’s impact on working populations, but also the progressive potential of new aid and solidarity initiatives.'

Find out more.

The effect of COVID-19 and economic recession on high-risk drug users and drug services

The combination of restrictive measures to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 virus, paired with an extensive economic turndown, has severe potential consequences for drug users’ health and well-being, argues Professor Paul de Grauwe and colleagues.

The authors underline 'the importance of close monitoring of the drug situation and preparing flexible and innovative solutions to be able to meet new challenges which may arise.'

Find out  more.

Challenges facing the EU Recovery Fund

Professor Iain Begg has contributed to a special edition of the CESifo Forum, entitled 'The EU’s Big Pandemic Deal: Will It Be a Success?'.

Professor Begg's article looks at the EU Recovery Fund, analysing whether it will be a success.

Read here.

Violence, Aesthetics, Anthropocenes: Colonialism, Racism, Extractivism

Participate in, or attend, this upcoming workshop co-convened by Dr Eray Çaylı, 'Violence, Aesthetics, Anthropocenes: Colonialism, Racism, Extractivism'.

The 2-day workshop explores the racialized and racializing character of the Anthropocene through its links with colonialism and particularly with extractivism—a colonialist discourse and practice that reduces the worth of humans and nonhumans to that of a marketable and mineable resource.

Click here to find out more and register.

For any doctoral candidates wishing to participate, the submission deadline is February 28 2021.

The EU's International Investment Policy ten years on

In this article, published in the Journal of Common Market Studies, Dr Robert Basedow questions the perception that competing societal interests predominantly shape EU international investment policy.

Instead, he argues that competence struggles between the European Institutions and Member States play a similarly important role in shaping such EU policy.

Find out more.

Israel’s security-driven populism

PhD candidate Yonatan Levi has co-authored a paper entitled 'Beyond culture and economy: Israel’s security-driven populism'.

It is the first comprehensive account of the rise of right-wing populism in Israel over the 2010s. It shows that populism in Israel has been mainstreamed to an extraordinary extent – even by international standards – and highlights its unique attributes.

Find out more.

Assessing Next Generation EU

Lorenzo Codogno and Paul van den Noord have published a paper in SSRN in which they assess the recovery package, 'Next Generation EU'.

Though the fiscal package is vital for the recovery of the euro area from the pandemic shock, the authors identify risks with it. Instead, they argue for an alternative approach, including the creation of a Eurobond.

Find out more.

Attend the upcoming event on this paper.

Revenge of the experts

Dr Orkun Saka has published an article in the Journal of Public Economics, entitled “Revenge of the experts: Will COVID-19 renew or diminish public trust in science?”.

The paper investigates how global pandemics since 1970 have affected trust in science and scientists. Dr Saka and his co-authors found that individuals who had the highest level of exposure to an epidemic during their impressionable years (aged 18 to 25) were 11 per cent less likely to trust scientists than those who had not been exposed to an epidemic during the same life period.  

Find out more.

Was Godot worth the wait? 

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement is essentially a re-imposition of non-tariff barriers swept away by the EU single market, but is nevertheless a milestone. However, there is still ‘plenty of unfinished business left for the EU and UK to argue about over the coming years’, argues Professor Iain Begg for LSE Brexit blog.

Read here.

Brexit and the Brussels Effect

In this article for Project Syndicate – written before the EU-UK Agreement was finalised – Professor Paul de Grauwe considers how a trade deal can be made to work when both parties claim full sovereignty. 

Find out more.

Britain and the EU

Writing for The Sunday Times 'Letters to the Editor', Professor Iain Begg argues that unlike other EU member states, for which the EU is a bulwark against war, Soviet tyranny or dictatorship, Britain's membership was largely about economic benefits.

Thus as the ‘gap widened between Britain’s “transactional” approach and the political project, separation arguably became inevitable’.

Read more.

The UK's economic outlook in 2021

Professor Nicholas Barr has joined a number of economists in this Financial Times feature on the UK's 2021 economic outlook.

Amongst responses, Professor Barr argues any predictions depend on the type of Brexit, speed of the vaccine rollout and rate of decline of COVID-19 infection rate, which itself depends on uncertain weather and individual behaviour.

Find out more.

What does the Brexit deal really mean?

Achieving the EU-Britain Trade Agreement is a milestone, but there is 'still plenty of unfinished business left for the EU and UK to argue about over the coming years' says Professor Iain Begg to Xinhua News.

Read here.

Should we fear the creation of zombie firms?

Due to business support programmes, economists have voiced concerns over the creation of 'zombie firms' - failing companies kept artificially alive by the continued extension of credit.

However through a study of emergency credit provision in Germany, Dustin Voss, Toon Van Overbeke and Dr Bob Hancké argue that such concerns are largely unwarranted.

Read more.

EU budget: when all else fails, try some fudge

In this new blog for UK in a Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg discusses Hungary, Poland and the approval of the EU budget.

Find out more.

The political economy of electric cars

With electric cars being increasingly on the political agenda, Dr Bob Hancké and Laurenz Mathei argue the shift to electric vehicles risks being derailed if the interests of existing car manufacturers and workers are ignored.

Read here

Social Exclusion and Labour Market Challenges in the Western Balkans

Dr Will Bartlett, Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis and Dr Panagiotis Koutroumpis (Queen Mary University of London) have co-edited a new book: Social Exclusion and Labour Market Challenges in the Western Balkans, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

The volume focuses on the challenges facing the Western Balkan countries in their efforts to deal with social exclusion and social inequality while making progress in their reform efforts to join the European Union.

Find out more

New book published on Modern Greek Politics

Professor Kevin Featherstone and Professor Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos (University of Athens) have co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Modern Greek Politics, published by Oxford University Press.

The volume covers Greek politics, society and economy, including analysis on modern Greek political institutions and public policies.

Within this, Dr Spyros Economides has published a chapter on ‘Greek Foreign Policy since the Metapolitefsi’.

Find out more here

Epidemics can cause distrust in key institutions

Dr Orkun Saka's research on how epidemics tend to lower trust in the institutions underpinning market economies and democracy was featured in SCMP.

He said ‘if [young people] lose faith in politics, they may stop engaging with the formal electoral system and start searching for alternative ways to voice their opinions, which may not always be ideal.’ 

Read here.

What the Wirecard scandal reveals about the state of German financial supervision

Writing for LSE EUROPP blog, EI PhD Candidate Dustin Voss analyses the German Wirecard scandal.

He argues 'with Germany’s transition from a bank-based to a capital-market based financial system, regulators failed to beef up BaFin’s powers to meet the challenges of 21st century internationalised finance.'

Find out more.

COVID-19 vaccine challenges

A recent blog piece co-authored by Dr Orkun Saka, based on his research with Prof. Barry Eichengreen and Dr Cevat Aksoy, argues that, despite the welcome news about the apparent effectiveness of potential COVID-19 vaccines, the most difficult challenge may actually be getting people to take them in the coming months.

Find out more.

See the NBER Working Paper here.

Read news coverage here and here.

Maximising the Potential of the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Lorenzo Codogno was invited to attend a restricted workshop at the European Commission.

Organised by I.D.E.A. - Inspire, Debate, Engage and Accelerate Action, Mr Codogno gave a presentation on 'Maximising the Potential of the Recovery and Resilience Facility'. 

Philippe Legrain Says More

Project Syndicate has interviewed Philippe Legrain for its 'Say More' series.

The interview includes analysis on what the UK should expect for 2021 if PM Boris Johnson does not reach a deal with the EU by the end of the Brexit transition period; what it will take to restore political moderation in Europe; and where the EU is now positioned in regards to China given Biden's victory.

Read more.

Former MSc student wins prize for dissertation

Elena Lutz, a former European Institute Master's student (2018-2019) has won the Regional Studies Association's Nathaniel Lichtfeld Award for the best Master's thesis.

Elena's thesis investigated the puzzle of Switzerland's innovation success over the past few decades.

Find out more here.

Ralf Dahrendorf and the EU 2030

The Dahrendorf Forum has published a concluding Compendium, 'Ralf Dahrendorf and the European Union 2030: Looking Back, Looking Forward', edited by Academic co-Directors Professor Helmut K. Anheier and Professor Iain Begg.

The essays explore the future of European security, democracy, and economics with an eye to the state of the EU in 2030. They discuss Ralf Dahrendorf’s legacy, how he would view the modern European Union, and what advice he might offer policymakers today.

Find out more.

Europe’s Dystopian Futures

Martin Westlake has published a new article, 'Europe's Dystopian Future: Perspectives on Emerging European Dystopian Visions and Their Implications', in the Review of European Studies.

The essay briefly charts how Europe first emerged as a concept, leading gradually to visions about its future, increasingly informed by practical federal and confederal models elsewhere.

Read here.

Successful ESRC-UKRI bid won

Eddie Gerba, in cooperation with the Bank of England, University of Nottingham and Confederation of British Industry, has won 18 month funding from ESRC-UKRI to study the financial risk to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the wake of COVID-19.

Find out more here.

Italian debt is sustainable if linked to stronger growth

Lorenzo Codogno has been interviewed by FirstONLINE on Italian debt and growth. 

Read here (Italian only).

How immigrants are contributing to the coronavirus response

Writing for Foreign Policy, Philippe Legrain says 'foreign-born doctors and entrepreneurs are at the forefront of fighting the pandemic and resuscitating economies, but nativist politicians still want to keep them out.'

He goes on to highlight that the world has Turkish immigrants in Germany to thank for the new COVID-19 vaccine.

Find out more here.

Central banks hint fresh stimulus

Lorenzo Codogno was interviewed on Le Fonti TV, discussing ECB policies, fiscal vs monetary policy, Next Generation EU, the UK government and Brexit, and more.

Watch here.

Expansion of state intervention under COVID-19

Dr Orkun Saka's research on how epidemics tend to ‘dent people’s trust in the institutions underpinning market economies and democracy’ was featured on Financial Times.

Read more.

Turkish bank lending along party lines

A recent research contribution by Dr Orkun Saka to EBRD’s Transition Report was featured on Bloomberg. It discusses the political interference in Turkish state-banks and how their lending is shaped by the preferences of the ruling party in Turkey, especially around elections.

Find out more.

Financial policymaking after crises

A new column by Dr Orkun Saka, Dr Yuemei Ji and Professor Paul De Grauwe, published on VoxEU, looks at policymakers' incentives post-financial crises.

They argue politicians facing a term limit are 'substantially more likely to re-regulate financial markets after crises in ways compatible with their private incentives.'

Find out more.

Populism after Trump

The US Presidential election took place on 3 November, and while Joe Biden may have won, over 72 million Americans cast their vote for Donald Trump.

Writing for Project Syndicate, Philippe Legrain says the implication of this is clear: right-wing populism is not dead. However, he argues it can be defeated.

Read more.

Theorising the ‘Security Influencer’

Dr Joseph Downing has co-authored an article, published in New Media & Society, 'Theorising the ‘Security Influencer’: Speaking security, terror and Muslims on social media during the Manchester bombings'.

The article brings literature from marketing into the security debate with the concept of 'security influencers', in order to 'understand how social media enables individuals to ‘speak’ and contest security and how lay actors exert influence.'

Find out more here.

Why the EEA cannot be the best alternative for the UK

Martin Westlake participated in the EU/UK Forum's webinar, 'Outside the EU; why the best alternative model (the EEA) cannot be the best alternative for the UK'.

Watch the video recording here.

The herd immunity ‘solution’ is pub economics – a simple model that won’t work

Writing for LSE COVID-19 blog, Professor Nicholas Barr argues the pursuit of herd immunity as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a mistaken use of a simple model.

Indeed, 'the inappropriate use of models is widespread, and leads to bad policy'.

Read more.

Next Generation EU: Europe needs pan-European investment

Lorenzo Codogno, along with Professor Roel Beetsma and Dr Paul van den Noord have published an article on VOXEU CEPR, in which they argue 'Next Generation EU should not turn out to be a missed opportunity to initiate and fund genuine pan-European infrastructure projects with a high impact on potential growth.'

Read here.

Culture and the Sustainable Development Goals

Gijs de Vries participated in an online panel event hosted by EU National Institutes for Culture, which discussed 'Culture and the Sustainable Development Goals: Where Are We Now?'.

Watch the video recording here.

Home Bias and Information during the Eurozone Crisis

Dr Orkun Saka has published an article in the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, entitled 'Domestic Banks As Lightning Rods? Home Bias and Information during the Eurozone Crisis'.

The paper provides evidence that the home bias in sovereign exposures exhibited by the European banks during the Eurozone crisis could also be explained by the informational advantage that domestic banks have (vis-a-vis foreign banks) and thus cannot be fully attributed to the moral suasion potentially imposed by the European governments on their domestic banks.

Find out more.
Read the VOXEU CEPR article.

US Elections: can Trump sue?

Interviewed by the Huffington Post, Professor Chris Anderson comments on former President Donald Trump alleging his presidential campaign was seriously harmed due to issues with the voting system.

He says says the former President would have to show 50 state-wide legal rules "are being violated in a very specific way that cause his campaign harm, and that’s a really high hurdle. There’s very, very little historical evidence of fraudulent activity in US elections."

Read here.

The deadlock of the Common European Asylum System

A new article by Dr Natascha Zaun, published in the Journal of European Public Policy, explains recent changes in the negotiation dynamics concerning EU asylum policies, the policy failure in the Common European Asylum System and the deadlock in its post-2016 reform.

Find out more.

What is the USA's Electoral College system?

Professor Chris Anderson has been interviewed by HuffPost UK on the USA's Electoral College voting system, as Americans go to the polls for the 2020 election.

He says 'Really what we’re talking about is 50 separate elections, it’s not just one national election.'

Read here.

What drives regulation in the aftermath of financial crises?

Writing for LSE Business Review, Dr Orkun Saka, Dr Yuemei Ji and Professor Paul De Grauwe argue that the financial industry may distort post-crisis policy interventions in their favour by colluding with policymakers.

Find out more.

Review of new book on the ECB and European politics

Lorenzo Codogno has written a review of the newly published book 'The European Central Bank between the Financial Crisis and Populisms', by Dr Corrado Macchiarelli, Mara Monti, Claudia Wiesner and Dr Sebastian Diessner.

He says: "This fascinating book is essential reading for those wanting to understand the difficult relationship between unelected central bankers and elected politicians".

Read here.

The UK and the EU: Another two-level game

Dr Bob Hancké has written an analysis on the prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and UK, in light of the talks between EU leaders on October 15.

He argues: 'We now effectively face a ‘double 2LG’, with hard red lines on both sides. I don’t think I have ever seen this before: usually one of the parties is more committed, and thinks that any deal is better than no deal. So, we are living through a natural experiment.'

Read here.

New publication: Outside the EU

A new book on Brexit has been published, entitled Outside the EU: Options for Britain, edited by Martin Westlake.

Within the book, Martin Westlake brings together the various options - real and potential - for the UK's future relationship with the EU, 'and to consider whether they would offer a workable solution for the continued relationship between the EU and post-Brexit Britain.'

Gijs de Vries has contributed a chapter to this publication, 'EU-UK security cooperation after Brexit'.

Find out more.

Interview with Paul de Grauwe on the coronavirus pandemic

Professor Paul de Grauwe has been interviewed by Belgian news magazine, Knack, on the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read here (Dutch).

Growth and solidarity: cities reimagining human mobility in Africa and Europe

The European Institute's recent event, with mayors of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, and Milan, Giuseppe Sala, as well as Marta Foresti, Professor Ricky Burdett and Dr Angelo Martelli, was circulated widely on Italian national TV RAI.

The event focused on the The Mayors Dialogue on Growth and Solidarity, which engages about 20 cities to develop a joint vision, practical actions, and operational partnerships to support urban development and create enabling conditions for human mobility in their communities.

Watch here (Italian).

The ECB will do all it takes to save jobs

Professor Paul de Grauwe has been quoted in a De Tijd article on Christine Lagarde's assertion that the ECB will do more to protect jobs if needed.

Prof de Grauwe stated "When you go to war you don't ask, 'yes, but how much does that cost?'"

Read here (Dutch).

Is the UK headed for a no-deal Brexit?

UK PM Boris Johnson has warned that trade negotiations with the EU are over, which makes the prospect of a no-deal Brexit loom nearer.

However, Professor Iain Begg, quoted in Express, suggests a deal is still possible and that 'hard-line words between the negotiators were just “political rhetoric”'.

Read here.

Did Europe experience its "Hamiltonian Moment"? 

Lorenzo Codogno contributed to a symposium of views in The International Economy, discussing 'Did Europe just experience its “Hamiltonian Moment”?'.

Mr Codogno argues it was not a Hamiltonian Moment, instead being more Roosevelt than Hamilton.

Read here.

Emergency Europe after COVID-19 

Professor Jonathan White has contributed a chapter to an upcoming volume Pandemics, Politics, and Society: Critical Perspectives on the Covid-19 Crisis, which "brings together the reflections of leading social and political scientists who are interested in the implications and significance of the current crisis for politics and society."

Professor White's chapter is entitled 'Emergency Europe after COVID-19'.

Find out more.

What Britain’s job support schemes must do 

Professor Nicholas Barr has written for LSE COVID-19 blog on the future of Britain's job retention schemes, as a second wave hits the country.

He argues that as the longevity of many jobs is uncertain, the government must implement schemes that go further than they currently have.

Read here.

Anatomy of a wage subsidy

In response to the UK introducing a wage subsidy scheme that has strong similarities with the German Kurzarbeit programme, Dr Bob Hancké, Toon Van Overbeke and Dustin Voss have drawn comparisons between the two.

They argue that the UK scheme is missing three critical elements that make the German programme work.

Find out more here.

Lessons from the 1980s for the labour market after COVID-19

The economy-wide restructuring that set in after the crisis of the 1970s harbours some important lessons for the imminent post-COVID world, argues Dr Bob Hancké for LSE EUROPP blog.

Read here.

Rage at President of France after Storm Alex

Dr Joseph Downing has been quoted in an Express article on rage at French President Emmanuel Macron after Storm Alex struck villages, as French citizens claim Macron's visit to villages impeded efforts to restore power.

Speaking on the President's COVID-19 response, Dr Downing said "Some leaders in a disaster situation can become more popular and acceptable. He hasn't - he's remained aloof and a little bit distant and a little bit absent."

Find out more.

 EU's legal action against the UK

Professor Iain Begg was interviewed for an Express article on the European Commission opening legal proceedings against the UK, in response to the Internal Market Bill.

Professor Begg suggests "Litigation takes so long that it is very likely to become irrelevant before it even comes close to a trial. Therefore the move will likely be shrugged off by the British side."

Read more here.

Assessing Next Generation EU

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored an article for LSE EUROPP blog with Paul van den Noord (University of Amsterdam), evaluating the fiscal package 'Next Generation EU'.

Though they acknowledge the package will be vital for the recovery of the euro area, they suggest 'the creation of a Eurobond and permanent fiscal capacity at the centre would have been a more powerful means to mitigate the impact of the crisis'.

Find out more.

The euro: no legitimacy without solidarity?

Professor Waltraud Shelkle joined a panel organised by CEPS on Friday 25 September, discussing 'The euro: no legitimacy without solidarity?'

You can watch the recording of the event here.

The European Investment Bank: we will miss it when it is gone

Professor Iain Begg and Sir Brian Unwin have written an article for The Federal Trust on the European Investment Bank.

They argue:

"The magnitude of the challenge facing the UK economy has to be recognised, yet the government has remained remarkably silent about a further serious blow to the economy arising from Brexit – the loss of access to investment finance from the European Investment Bank (EIB)."

Read here.

This time it may be (and should) be different

Lorenzo Codogno and Giancarlo Corsetti have written an op-ed for Italian newspaper Il Foglio, which explores recipes for economic recovery and critiques the logic that public spending can trigger growth.

The authors, however, acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a peculiar situation, different from the past.

Speaking of Italy, they argue public investments should increase capital stock, projects must raise prouctivity and give results in the short-term, but also that public investments must be combined with bold reforms.

Read in English here.

Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey

On September 10-11, the European Institute and the Systemic Risk Centre jointly organised a workshop on Political Economy of Turkey, which provided a platform for researchers and policymakers to discuss new research and to identify areas where further academic and policy-oriented work is needed.

You can access the presentations from the two-day workshop here.

Is it all quiet on the inflation front, still?

Writing for LSE COVID-19 blog, Dr Corrado Macchiarelli has co-authored an article on the effect of lockdowns on inflation.

The authors study the indicators so far – but warn that we should be cautious about relying too much on expectations, particularly in a period of great uncertainty.

Read here.

What do stakeholders think about EU trade and non-trade policy objectives?

Dr Robert Basedow has co-authored a paper, published in the Journal of Common Market Studies, on stakeholder perceptions of EU trade and non-trade policy, such as labour or environment protection.

Find out more here.

A study on industrial strategies and path dependencies in Europe

Dr Steve Coulter has co-authored a paper, published in the Journal of Economic Policy Reform, examining industrial policy responses to the 2008 crisis in four European countries.

Through gauging the long-term significance of these policy responses, the paper contributes to the understanding of the determinants of policy-making in times of crisis.

Find out more.

A Brexit deal could be done in 10 minutes

Professor Iain Begg was interviewed for a Future is Blue video talk, which is a project of Funcas Europe.

Professor Begg discusses Brexit, covering topics such as the chances of having a deal on a new trade relationship between the UK and EU, and the implications if the UK government does not comply with some parts of the withdrawal agreement.

Watch here.

Culture in the Sustainable Development Goals: the role of the EU

Gijs de Vries has undertaken a study on the role of the European Union in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on the cultural goals and targets of Agenda 2030.

At the European Union’s Senior Officials Meeting on Culture this month, the German Foreign Ministry included a discussion of the paper on the agenda, where Mr de Vries presented the main findings and recommendations.

Find out more.

The economic effects of political disintegration

Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis has co-authored an article with Ivan Zilic, in which they explore whether there is an economic premium from state independence.

Through analysing the unique historical case of the 2006 peaceful separation of Serbia and Montenegro, the authors find an asymmetry between the seceding country, Montenegro, and Serbia. They suggest that this asymmetry of effects may be linked to divergences in economic sentiment between the seceding entity and the one ‘left behind’.

Read here.

Rewiring capitalism after COVID-19

In a policy paper for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Dr Steve Coulter explores how capitalism must be rewired after COVID-19.

Acknowledging some of the shortcomings of the British corporate-governance environment, Mr Coulter advocates a model of “stewardship capitalism” that takes a longer-term view and works more in the interests of shareholders, employees and wider society.

Read here.

Of strongmen and human factors

In an article entitled ‘Of strongmen and human factors’, Martin Westlake reviews two books The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan and Thatcher, and the end of the Cold War by Archie Brown and The Strongmen: European encounters with sovereign power by Hans Kribbe.

He opens “Though different in style and methodology, these books consider the same basic phenomenon: strongmen, and one strong woman, what they choose/chose to do with their power, and how they wield/wielded it.”

Read here.

Post-pandemic debt sustainability in the EU/euro area

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a VOXEU CEPR article exploring the post-pandemic impacts of the EU Recovery Plan, announced in July 2020.

The authors suggest that the implementation of the Plan could give a substantial boost to the economy and fiscal revenues under very conservative assumptions on multipliers.

Read here.

China’s efforts to end poverty

Professor Iain Begg featured in a China Global Television Network (CGTN) special on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as part of a  forum on ‘China and the UN -- Partners against poverty’.

Watch here.

The European Union’s venture in Cultural Diplomacy

“The EU’s international reputation is closely related to Europe’s cultural heritage” argues Gijs de Vries in an article published in The European Union’s New Foreign Policy.

Mr de Vries explores the European Union’s growing involvement in international cultural relations, and how the European Council has called on the EU to include culture in EU foreign policy.

Read here.

The potential emergence of Covid-corporatism

Does the ‘entente’ between trade union leaders and business chiefs signal a new era of ‘Covid-corporatism’?

Dr Steve Coulter explores this topic in his article ‘All in it Together? The Unlikely Rebirth of Covid Corporatism’.

He argues that crises like COVID-19 can provide opportunities for temporary social pacts. But cracks are already appearing over how and when the state should begin its withdrawal from the economy.

Read here.

Crisis, adjustment and resilience in the Greek labour market

Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis and Dr Angelo Martelli have published an article entitled ‘Crisis, adjustment and resilience in the Greek labour market: an unemployment decomposition approach.’

Drawing on micro-data from the Greek Labour Force Survey, the authors measure the size of the shock exerted on the Greek regional and national labour markets and the compositional and price adjustments in response to this.

In part, their results suggest a significant metropolitan advantage with regard to economic resilience, coming predominantly from a more efficient functioning of the labour market in metropolitan areas vis-a-vis other regions.

Read here.

The EU’s foreign policy

Martin Westlake, as editor of a new volume which brings together senior practitioners and academic specialists to consider how the EU’s new foreign policy, has published a chapter entitled “The European Union’s New Foreign Policy”.

Access here.

European Institute academics publish new book on the ECB

Dr Corrado Macchiarelli, Mara Monti and Dr Sebastian Diessner have published a book entitled 'The European Central Bank between the Financial Crisis and Populisms'.

The book provides an in-depth analysis of the events which unfolded since the euro area sovereign debt crisis in 2010 up until today.

It focuses on the far-reaching implications of the last decade, shedding light on a wide spectrum of political, economic and financial aspects of the European poly-crises and how monetary policy reacted to these challenges.

Find out more here.

Understanding the EU’s complex relationship with ‘isms’

Professor Jonathan White has publised an article on EUROPP blog, exploring the idea that European integration is increasingly being criticised for functioning as an ideological project - whether as an expression of neoliberalism, federalism, or other ‘isms’.

He argues "to politicise the EU is not just to critique it: by inserting the EU into a larger, more intelligible history, we can better understand its relation to wider political struggles."

Read here.

EI PhD candidate wins Peter Sinclair Prize

Congratulations to Simon Ganem, PhD Candidate in European Political Economy, who has won the third prize in the 7th Annual MMF PhD Conference.

The annual Conference, which was held virtually on 11 August 2020, provides a platform for PhD students researching topics in monetary economics, macroeconomics and financial economics, broadly defined.

This year the new Peter Sinclair Prize was created in honour of the former MMF Vice President, who died earlier this year from COVID-19.

Simon Ganem received the third prize for his presentation on 'Risk, Knightian Uncertainty and Investment in Advanced Economies during the Great Recession'.

Find out more here.

Euro-ambivalence in far right ideology

The Journal for Ethnic and Racial Studies has published Dr Marta Lorimer's latest article on Euroscepticism and the far-right in Europe.

Through a qualitative analysis of the party literature of the Movimento Sociale Italiano and the Front National, the paper argues that far right positions on Europe are characterized by long-standing ambivalence rather than straightforward opposition.

Access here.

Journal of European Public Policy special issue: Ideologies and the European Union

Professor Jonathan White has co-edited a special edition of the Journal of European Public Policy with Dr Carlo Invernizzi Accetti (City College of New York), on Ideologies and the European Union.

Professor White's opening piece looks at ideology, the state, and the international realm.

Find out more.

Where next for the Liberal Democrats?

Dr Alan Wager has co-authored a report entitled 'Where next for the Liberal Democrats' for The UK in a Changing Europe.

It looks at the recent performance of the UK political party and theorises the challenges and opportunities it may now face.

Read here.

Muslim public intellectuals in the German and European far right

Professor Esra Özyürek and Julian Göpffarth have published an article in openDemocracy on Muslim public intellectuals in the German and European far right.

They argue "The wide space available for non-white, Muslim-background figures in the European far right is key in helping the movement grow into new demographics."

Find out more.

Cyprus, the 'Reluctant Republic'

Professor James Ker-Lindsay has been quoted in an International Business Times article on Cypriot independence, ahead the country marking 60 years since independence from Britain.

Professor Ker-Lindsay says: "Cyprus has only really had an embedded sense of self since 2004. Often called the reluctant republic ... Cyprus does not carry independence as a badge of honour", unlike other former colonies.

Read here.

Who will best respond to the global pandemic?

In an interview for Bloomberg, Professor Iain Begg asserts: "The risks remain that new outbreaks will occur, particularly as we get into winter. But the range of policies - both the economic and containment policies in Europe - seems to me to be better-attuned to dealing with both the health crisis and the economic crisis than the U.S."

Read the full article here.

Europe rescues itself

Writing for Project Syndicate, Philippe Legrain reflects on the EU's groundbreaking €750 billion recovery fund. Though he accepts it is major step forward, he argues:

"The recovery fund is a welcome step forward. But it does not resolve the eurozone’s fundamental problems, which include Italy’s unsustainable debt dynamics, Germany’s deflationary bias, and the lack of a fiscal rebalancing mechanism. The eurozone has dodged a bullet, but it is still an open target."

Read here.

How civil society can shape the response to the pandemic

In this piece for LSE COVID-19 blog, Dr Roch Dunin-Wąsowicz takes focus away from the EU's institutional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead looking at civil society.

He explains why we need to pay attention to how civil society can survive the pandemic and help shape the response to it.

Read here.

To tackle Brexit, the government must avoid groupthink

Brexit is a radical policy innovation that increases uncertainty. Writing for LSE Brexit blog, Richard Bronk argues that the UK government should therefore improve its ability to navigate uncertain futures and avoid the perils of groupthink by remaining open to diverse sources of expertise.

Read here.

Understanding academic purges in Turkey

Dr Seçkin Sertdemir Özdemir has published research on the mass punishment of academics in Turkey, seeking to understand the interconnected forms of punishment directed towards academic citizens as knowledge producers.

Dr Özdemir argues "the latest purges have brought an additional change in the status of academics’ citizenship, rendering them as disposable citizens forever at risk of being targeted as the ‘civic dead’".

Read here.

The politics of spatial testimony

In this latest piece of research, Dr Eray Çaylı conducted an enthrographic study of memory activism around an arson attack in Turkey, 1993, which appeared on live TV cameras and in front of thousands of onlookers.

The article engages with the spatial turn in the analyses of, and activism against, political violence.

Read 'The Politics of Spatial Testimony: The Role of Space in Witnessing Martyrdom and Shame During and After a Widely Televised and Collectively Perpetrated Arson Attack in Turkey' here.

A historic EU budget and recovery package deal?

The European Council finally reached agreement on the next multi-annual financial framework for the EU budget and on the Next Generation EU package of measures to support economic recovery from COVID-19.

Professor Iain Begg analyses the deals in an article for the UK in a Changing Europe.

Read here.

Antisemitism in Germany

Professor Esra Özyürek has co-authored an article in the German weekly newspaper, Die Zeit, on the antisemitism debate in Germany.

Read 'Perfides Ablenkungsmanöver' here.

Can ‘dodgy data’ explain the UK’s productivity problem?

Dr Bob Hancké responds to an article in The Economist claiming the UK's 'productivity problem' is down to the Office of National Statistics failing to measure productivity correctly in the telecommunications sector.

Dr Hancké argues this is an unlikely explanation for the UK lagging behind countries like France and Germany, as all national statistics offices rely on the same basic methodology.

Read here.

How proposed UK government reforms are similar to (failed) USSR transformations

Dr Abby Innes reflects on MP Michael Gove’s recent Ditchley Annual Lecture, which set out the government’s agenda for the radical reform of Whitehall as the country comes out of lockdown.

Focusing on the positioning of mathematics as "the magical craft" for reform, Dr Innes draws similarities to approaches taken by the USSR in the 1960s.

Read the article here.

As Greece welcomes tourists, refugees remain under lockdown

The Independent has interviewed Katerina Glyniadaki for an article which explores the Greek government's differentiation between two categories of foreigners: tourists and migrants.

Katerina Glyniadaki says "Tourism is a double-edged sword for Greece at the moment. On the one had it represents the backbone of its economy and, of the other, a potential source of a second and more lethal wave of Covid infections".

Find out more.

How governments can respond to the coronavirus-caused global economic downturn

In a policy note for Funcas, Professor Iain Begg explores the challenges governments and policymakers face in managing the economic turndown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Professor Begg explores "how an apparent backlash against internationalism is influencing the policy responses to Covid-19, the costs and benefits of different strategies and what all this presages for the post-Covid global economy."

Read '‘Bringing it all back home’: a short-term necessity or the start of a long-run change in economic relations?' here.

The Political Scar of Epidemics

Dr Cevat Giray Aksoy, Professor Barry Eichengreen and Dr Orkun Saka have analysed the political legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic on 'Generation Z', finding both that epidemic exposure in an individual’s “impressionable years” (ages 18 to 25) has a persistent negative effect on confidence in political institutions and leaders, and similar negative effects on confidence in public health system.

Read here.

See also the accompanying piece for LSE EUROPP blog here.

What are the European Central Bank's plans for recovery?

Lorenzo Codogno was interviewed by Class CNBC on the European recovery plan and ECB decisions.

Watch the interview here. (Italian)

Europe's role in the global COVID-19 response

Professor Iain Begg organised and contributed to a Global Table for Global Solutions on 'Europe's global role in response to the COVID-19 economic crisis'.

You can watch the panel discussion here.

The European Central Bank's pandemic response

Dr Sebastian Diessner was interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro about the European Central Bank's pandemic plan. In the interview, Dr Diessner discusses what the limits to asset purchases on behalf of the European Central Bank are – economically, legally and politically speaking.

Read here. (French)

Is the World's Reserve Currency in Trouble?

Lorenzo Codogno has contributed to The International Economy's feature A Symposium of Views, discussing the topic 'Is the World's Reserve Currency in Trouble?'.

Mr Codogno suggests "the most serious challenge for the dollar comes from the U.S. government itself, and its desire to somewhat dis-engage from a multilateral approach to international relations, and distance itself from global economic and trade governance."

Read here.

The European Commission's COVID-19 recovery package

In an article for LSE EUROPP blog, Professor Iain Begg has explained what the intentions are for the European Commission's ambitious €750 billion COVID-19 recovery package, named 'Next Generation EU'.

However, he asserts that the "Frugal Four" (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden) may pose a barrier to the process.

Read here.

Will COVID-19 renew or diminish public trust in science?

Dr Cevat Giray Aksoy, Professor Barry Eichengreen and Dr Orkun Saka have written a working paper for EBRD exploring whether the COVID-19 pandemic may reverse the trend towards questioning the value of experts and scientific research.

Through analysing data on the influence of previous pandemics on individual trust in science and scientists, the authors show that such exposure has no impact, but instead it significantly reduces confidence in scientists and the benefits of their work.

Read the full paper here.

See also the accompanying piece for LSE EUROPP blog here.

What price to pay for monetary financing of budget deficits in the euro area

Professor Paul De Grauwe and Dr Sebastian Diessner argue that while a monetisation of the deficits induced by the COVID-19 crisis would eventually increase the price level so that, after a post-pandemic return to economic normalcy, inflation would rise for a couple of years, this is a price worth paying to avoid future sovereign debt crises in the euro area.

Read here.

How Muslim public intellectuals feature in in the German far right

Muslim, ex-Muslim as well as converted Muslim intellectuals are increasingly prominent figures in the West European far-right movement.

Professor Esra Özyürek and Julian Göpffarth analyse the publications and online presence of Muslim-background intellectuals popular in the German far right, finding that the concepts they use build on two seemingly contradictory tropes of German national identity—rationality and spirituality—and a civilizationism that oscillates between notions of rational liberalism and an illiberalism based on spiritualism.

Read their article here.

EU recovery package: ‘we all know what needs to be done, so get on and do it’

Writing for The UK in a Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg explores challenges faced by the EU in agreeing a recovery package at the recent meeting of the EU Council.

As well as acknowledging the presence of new alliances and 'gangs' amongst member states, Professor Begg argues two key questions remain for most: "First, ‘what’s in it for me?’. Second, ‘what cherished principles am I ready to drop in these extraordinary times?’."

Read here.

Stuart Brown wins 2019 Jacqui Briggs EPS Prize

Congratulations to Dr Stuart Brown, Managing Editor of the European Institute's EUROPP blog, who has won the 2019 Jacqui Briggs EPS Prize for his article 'Britain’s EU referendum: How did political science rise to the challenge? An assessment of online contributions during the campaign'.

The Jacqui Briggs EPS Prize is awarded annually for the best article appearing in the previous year’s volume of the ECPR's professional journal, European Political Science (EPS).

On receiving the prize, Dr Brown said "Receiving the Jacqui Briggs EPS Prize is a great honour. Although my article focused on the Brexit referendum, many of the issues political scientists encountered during the campaign are universal. As citizens increasingly look online to inform their political views, there is a growing need for the expertise that academia can provide and I’m convinced that political scientists across Europe can rise to this challenge."

You can read his winning article here.

Should the Brexit timeline be delayed because of COVID-19?

In his recent article for The UK in a Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg explores whether, or whether not, there is any advantage to requesting an extension as the UK negotiates its relationship with the EU.

Read 'Biting the bullet(s): an iconoclastic view on requesting an extension' here.

Macroeconomic imbalances in Europe: how to overcome the fallacy of unit labour costs 

Professor Stefan Collignon has co-authored an article with Dr Piero Esposito (University of Cassino and Southern Lazio) on the shortcomings of Unit labour costs (ULC) indices in policy, instead providing an alternative measure for relative wage costs called Wage Competitive index.

Read here.

What led to the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory?

Dr Joseph Downing and Dr Wasim Ahmed set out to investigate the 5G conspiracy theory on Twitter towards the beginning of April 2020, which claimed 5G as the cause of the coronavirus.

The study explores who was spreading the 5G  conspiracy theory surrounding COVID-19, the percentage of users who believed the theory and what steps were needed to combat it.

Dr Downing and Dr Ahmed have written about their study for The Conversation. Read it here.

Research shows intellectualism and populism in the German far-right are closely connected

Julian Göpffarth's recent research works against the common presumption that populism and intellectualism in the far-right are separate rather than complementary phenomena.

Instead, it explores the role of Heideggerian philosophy in the interplay between German New Right (GNR) intellectualism and Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) populism.

Read here.

Ethnographic data shows how nostalgia drives the activism of well-off local intellectual far-right groups in Germany

Following on from recent research that shows voters for German populist far-right AfD are often from wealthy areas, Julian Göpffarth uses ethnographic data in Dresden, Germany, to explore how far-right intellectual activism in East Germany is facilitated by the convergence of two distinct but related forms of nostalgia.

Read the paper here.

Sanja Vico comments on Serbia's political risk in the light of coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Sanja Vico has contributed to a Euromoney analysis, 'Country risk: Former Yugoslavia face higher risks – Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia exposed', focusing on Serbia's political risks and COVID-19 lockdowns.

Read the analysis here.

Esin Düzel and Marlene Schäfers co-edit journal special edition

Dr Esin Düzel and Dr Marlene Schäfers, incoming Research Fellow, have co-edited a special issue of Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East by Duke University Press, called: Between Loyalty and Critique: Gender, Morality and Militancy.

Within this edition, Dr Düzel has published research entitled 'Beauty for Harmony: Moral Negotiations and Autonomous Acts in Diyarbakir, Turkey' and Dr Schäfers entitled 'Walking a Fine Line: Loyalty, Betrayal, and the Moral and Gendered Bargains of Resistance'.

Esra Özyürek and Michal Kravel-Tovi write on religious practices and COVID-19 lockdowns

In an article for LSE Religion and Global Society blog, Professor Esra Özyürek has co-authored an article with Dr Michal Kravel-Tovi of Tel Aviv University, entitled 'Contagious Crowds: Religious Gatherings in the Age of Coronavirus'.

The research explores the tensions inherent in the collision of the secular and religious realms, as communities across the globe are placed under lockdowns.

Iain Begg writes article on Franco-German recovery fund

Professor Iain Begg has written an article for UK in a Changing Europe on the Franco-German proposal for a €500 billion European recovery fund.

Read it here.

Sanja Vico publishes ethnographic research on Serbian Londoners

Dr Sanja Vico has published an article which looks at banal expressions of nationalism and cosmopolitanism among Serbian Londoners on social media.

Read 'Destigmatization Strategies of Serbian Londoners on Social Media' here.

Orkun Saka interviewed as European banks suspend Turkish lira transactions

Dr Orkun Saka was interviewed by Arab News on international investment in Turkey, as the value of the lira drops to record lows.

On new regulations, he says "If [they] become permanent and start scaring investors who have productive capacity and intentions in the country, this could translate into a huge loss in the long term".

Read the article here.

Nicholas Barr co-authors article on the need for post-COVID-19 planning to start now

Acknowledging the UK failure to plan both for a pandemic and growing elderly population, Professor Nicholas Barr and Professor Howard Glennerster stress three lessons for the UK government going forward.

They say "The virus has highlighted the imperative to repair these long-term cracks. The time to start planning is now."

Read here.

Iain Begg explores the ambitious EU recovery package

In an article for UK in a Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow, explores the recently-announced EU recovery package, 'Next Generation EU'.

Professor Begg says 'What the Commission proposes is bold and, many would argue, necessary both internally and globally.'

Read 'Next Generation EU (NGE): the Commission’s Covid-19 recovery package' here.

A new form of identity politics on Serbian Londoners' social media

Dr Sanja Vico, Research Officer, has published research in the Journal of Global Diaspora & Media, which explores Serbian Londoners on social media.

Dr Vico explored the consequences of social surveillance and developed the concept of 'globalised difference' to term this new identity politics, that seeks to reassert national identities and present it as cosmopolitan and exotic difference.

Read here.

Waltraud Schelkle writes on the German Constitutional Court's recent ruling on the ECB

Writing for LSE's EUROPP blog, Professor Waltraud Schelkle argues "there is a deep sense of irony in the ruling" of the German Constitutional Court, that the European Central Bank’s Public Asset Purchasing Programme could be incompatible with the German Constitution.

Read 'Who said that Germans have no sense of irony?' here.

Marta Lorimer explores how far-right parties can benefit from European integration

Dr Marta Lorimer writes "Far right parties are strong critics of the European Union, however, they also benefit enormously from the process of European integration", including from funding, visibility and a higher degree of credibility and respectability.

Read Dr Lorimer's article for EUROPP blog here.

Bob Hanké analyses suggestion that a future of stagflation is necessary

Dr Bob Hanké has responded to a recent op-ed by economist Stephen Roach which suggests a future of stagflation, stating this approach is "fundamentally wrong".

Read 'Why inflation is not lurking in the shadows' here.

Iain Begg interviewed by French newspaper on the EU recovery plan

Professor Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow, was interviewed for an article in French newspaper l'Opinion, entitled 'Le choix d’Angela Merkel est rationnel. Son projet est la sauvegarde de l’euro'.

Read here.

Sebastian Diessner explores central bank accountability as a solution to German court-ECB rift

In a recent article on Germany's Constitutional Court ruling on the ECB, Dr Sebastian Diessner explores calls for greater central bank accountability.

He writes that "while there should be no illusions that such a measure could defuse the conflict entirely, an honest debate about central bank accountability in Europe is long overdue."

Read the full article here.

Orkun Saka interviewed on Turkish economic approach

Dr Orkun Saka has been interviewed by Deutsche Welle on the Turkish economy, in light of the lira hitting a record low.

Dr Saka warns "If the government continues to prioritize a stable currency and lower interest rates at the same time, it will come at the cost of seriously restricting the flow of capital."

Read the article here.

European Institute class teachers win awards for the 2019/20 academic year

We are hugely proud of three of our class teachers for receiving the 2019/20 LSE Class Teacher Awards. Congratulations to Dr Cristóbal Garibay-Petersen for winning, and to Dr Marta Lorimer and Dr Ivor Sokolić for coming highly commended!

The awards are given to Graduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows and Guest Teachers in recognition of their excellent contribution to teaching.