Month: August 2012

Think Tank News

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INESS released English version of The 2012 Universe of Public Expenditures, a poster with a graphical representation of all public expenditures financed by taxes and contributions. It enables one to understand the relationships among the individual items of public administration. It is a useful aid in illuminating the basic financial flows between citizen and state Bei Bedarf sucht Data data recovery houston auch nur nach einem bestimmten Namen. as well as among individual state institutions. The…

Politics

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The Republikon Institute carried out a comprehensive and in-depth analysis concerning the electoral base of parties in the parliament. Apart from the characterization of voters the analysis examines some special questions in connection with the political parties which reached the required threshold in 2010 parliamentary elections: in case of Fidesz our major focus was on the so called ’disillusioned voters’, we compared the choices of values among MSZP and Fidesz voters, we analysed the radical…

Economy

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Central banks still don’t provide monetary opium, how long will the current illusions last without it? New taxes and economic growth. Milton Friedman would be 100 years old. Crisis is 5 years old. Last week we challenged the governor of the ECB Mario Draghi, who promised the moon to the markets, to stop talking and to show the money instead (Show Me the Money!). This week it turned out that there is no money to cover…

Think Tank News

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For the third time, Institute of Economic and Social Studies INESS was honored to organize event commemorating Milton Friedman, one of the most notable flag bearers of economic liberty. As INESS is the most frequently quoted economic think tank in Slovakia and a loud defender of market freedom, we wanted to make sure Friedman’s 100th birthday event had the prestige it deserved. The event took place in Pulitzer Restaurant in the center of Bratislava, capital…

Economy

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The Ministry of Economy finally published the eagerly-awaited plan for amendments to the Law on Protection of Competition (LPC). The newly proposed texts in the LPC are, for all points and purposes, a reaction to the ‘drama’ between the suppliers and the supermarket chains. It is no secret to anyone that the government feels compelled to solve this “problem” and legislation on competition is the shortest way for government (political) intervention into these relationships. The…

Economy

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During the past decade Slovakia used to be called a tiger in the middle of Europe. We have earned this nickname because we implemented transparent tax system with lower rates which in combination with relatively cheap labor attracted many large investors. But big corporations were not the only companies who came here to set up the regional centers or manufacturing facilities. Smaller companies from the neighboring countries were interested as well. Lower taxes were inviting…

Economy

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When is going to happen the next Slovak cabinet billion-worth meeting? Is Draghi tough because Angela is on hliday? Will be two Greek bankrupts within six months a new European or Olympic record? What a week! When it come to euro crisis, there is no silly time for sure. For example, how many Slovak cabinet meetings, during which our representatives approved 1 billion EUR for a Spanish black hole, have there been before? For example, the whole fiscal…

Economy, Society

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Since regaining independence some twenty years ago Latvia, a small, open economy has been tormented by three economic crises: first one resulting from the economic transition (institutional change from centrally planned to free market economy), second, in 1998, being transmitted from Russia, and the last one being part of the recent global recession. Despite these circumstances, Latvia has successfully conducted reforms aimed at elicitation of the labour force (i.e. increasing the labour force participation rate…