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.

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.

minimum wage

It is telling that the public almost unquestioningly believes that the minimum wage helps low-income people in particular. But as the prominent Czech economist Robert Holman writes in his textbook on microeconomics, “If economists agree on anything, it is that legislating a minimum wage increases unemployment.”

advertising

Advertisements are generally regarded as a socially undesirable phenomenon. At best, they are seen as a poor source of information about a company’s products in an attempt to raise awareness of their existence and thereby win new customers, but more often as a despicable practice aimed at manipulating consumer preferences.

Liberalism is a political philosophy based on the principles of peace. However, this fact has been very often generously interpreted by detaching liberalism from events beyond the borders of liberal states, no matter how anti-liberal, and thus threatening to freedom they might be.