Think Tank News

With the recent rise of populism and great popluarity of populist politicians in Western European countries, it is more urgent than ever to talk about the fact that the hours of liberal democracies are numbered. However, the recently published ELF study shows a different, more optimistic picture.

Published in 2015 by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, the economics textbook Economics in 31 Hours has transformed the way of teaching and learning economics in Lithuania. Already in its fifth edition, the textbook has reached over 53 thousand students in 463 secondary schools and nearly 500 teachers.

The main theme of a joint conference of the Republikon Instutute and the Israeli Public Diplomacy Forum, which was held on November 15, 2017, was the present state of coexistence of cultures, exchanges of Israeli and European experiences, and the integration of Muslims living in Western European countries.

We are pleased to present an extensive body of research on EU policy issues, resulting from five-year cooperation of independent think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe. The annual publications of the More Liberal Voices project include position notes, policy briefs, and petitions on some of the most pressing EU policy issues.

A careful re-examination of the petition over these past two years reflects the role that an organised civil society voice can play in EU policy- and decision-making processes. It also recognises the network as an authoritative source of expertise on EU policy issues.

Atlas Network’s Europe Liberty Forum, co-hosted by Free Market Foundation, held on September 21-22, 2017 in Hungary, was one of the largest gatherings of classical liberals and libertarians from Europe and the word. Around 140 people from more than 30 countries attended the two-day event.

The fourth edition of Freedom Games was held on October 19-21, 2017, in Łódź (Poland). The unique interdisciplinary forum, the aim of which is to offer a creative space for individuals from the sectors of culture, business and public affairs, among others, to discuss the key challenges the Western societies must face in the 21st century.

The conference, organized by the Atlas Network and the Hungarian Free Market Foundation, attracted over 130 participants from 34 countries, including representatives of many pro-liberty NGOs. The aim of the event was not only to deepen the knowledge and skills of the participants but also to build a network of contacts.

We have the pleasure to present you the seventh issue of the 4liberty.eu Review. This time, we focus on the issue of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from the point of view of the Central and Eastern European states in an attempt to provide the broadest possible perspective.

In 2016, the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS) from Slovakia decided to fill the gap and the Bureaucracy Index was born. In collaboration with experts from different areas, INESS identified and analyzed all the administrative tasks that the state requires from a model SME company.