CETA

In debates over immigration, one key fact often gets lost: the Czech Republic needs foreign workers. Without them, the economy would stall. The Czech labor market is tight. Unemployment has hovered near record lows for years—around 3% or less, one of the lowest rates in the EU. That might sound like good news, but it hides a structural problem: there are simply not enough people to fill the jobs.

Donald Trump\'s trade policies are not just bad economics—they are an attack on individual freedom, global cooperation, and the principles that made America strong. Classical liberalism values free markets, open societies, and limited government interference in voluntary exchange. Trade is a cornerstone of this worldview. When two people—or two nations—exchange goods freely, both benefit. It is the essence of mutual gain.

High inflation has long been the most serious macroeconomic challenge our country has faced in recent years. It was far from being only economists who identified deep price instability as a major problem, as the wider public viewed the extraordinary rise in most prices in the economy with equal reluctance.

Not long ago, there was a debate in professional circles about the predictive value of central bank forecasts. They have been desperately inaccurate in the last few years, a time of severe price instability. The question has therefore arisen as to whether the models underlying these forecasts are sufficiently robust and realistic.

You have probably heard it before: „Dishonest speculators are manipulating asset prices extensively. They make unjust and therefore undeserved profits. These vicious individuals only enrich themselves immorally at the expense of society as a whole, whose members, unlike them, depend on honest work to obtain scarce resources.

The Czech Republic celebrated a major anniversary on May 1 this year. Exactly twenty years ago on this day, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, and thus became part of the Single European Market. Apart from the political implications, joining the EU had major economic consequences. These are the ones we are going to look at now.

Few things stir the public sphere as much as the controversial subject of the adoption of the euro in the Czech Republic. Although one side of the debate always vehemently puts forward arguments in favor of adopting the single currency, while the other side points out the unmissable pitfalls of the euro, one crucial economic argument seems to be continually neglected.

The latest edition of the Simon Abundance Index 2024 reveals how global resources are growing faster than population, disproving common concerns about the depletion of natural resources due to population growth. The fact that we live in a time of greatest abundance is only a consequence of simple market principles.

After joining the European Union, the Czech economy experienced rapid growth. Exports to EU countries soared from 25 billion euros to 188 billion euros in 2022. The growth rate of foreign direct investment increased fourfold after the Czech Republic joined the EU. GDP per capita rose by an impressive 46%. These figures speak clearly: being part of the European Single Market has become essentially vital for the Czech Republic.

In the Czech Republic, there has been a long-standing discussion about the possibility of taxing still wine. This issue is particularly relevant during times of economic crisis when the state is looking for ways to increase tax revenues. However, the introduction of new taxes should be based on a thorough analysis of impacts and should consider the insights and interests of all stakeholders involved to ensure that the tax is neither unnecessarily costly nor ineffective.