A year of delivery
The Prime Minister had declared 2019 “the year of delivery”. Voters will eventually judge the government on whether it has succeeded. At the Initiative, we had our own year of delivery. [...]
2019
The greening of the ECB
Lagarde is about to set a dangerous example for an activist, winner-picking central bank. It is a precedent for the ECB itself – and for other central banks wishing to follow the ECB’s transformation. [...]
Enjoy capitalism’s blessings
In a world in which it has become fashionable to blame markets and call for the government to fix problems, we should not let such empty rhetoric pass. [...]
A right to sustainable litigation
To be clear, protecting the environment is a laudable goal. But while a certain degree of naïveté may be endearing in young people, it is embarrassing for a profession that likes to call itself “learned”. [...]
Trapped in a low-interest environment
The reason for the Germans’ current Weltuntergangsstimmung (apocalyptic mood) is economic. A new book promising “The biggest crash of all time” before 2023 tops Amazon.de’s bestseller list. And now the Bundesbank, the country’s central bank, has joined the choir of doomsday merchants with its annual Financial Stability Report. [...]
Out of puff
If you have never heard of a “carbolic smoke ball”, you are obviously not a lawyer. The 1892 British case Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company is a classic in the law of contract. After a new decision by New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), we should reconsider it. [...]
30 Years after the Wall: Socialism 2.0
I am celebrating the anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Even though it is unnerving to realise that the 30 years that have passed have turned me into a political dinosaur at 44. [...]
Zero Carbon Bill fails the climate
It is not enough to just say you care about the climate. We want to see effective and efficient measures to cut emissions. The Zero Carbon legislation does not deliver them. [...]
Lessons from Thuringia
To prevent the rise of polarisation, politicians must listen to people who think unlike themselves. [...]
Draghi’s difficult legacy
Mario Draghi might be remembered as the central banker who defended the euro while planting the seeds of its eventual destruction. [...]