On July, 28, 2016, INESS organized in cooperation with EdChoice the 7th annual event commemorating Milton Friedman – The Friedman Legacy Day. This year, more than 100 similar events in various countries around the globe were held, the aim of which was to remember the intellectual legacy of one of the greatest economist of the century. It was already the 10th celebration of this event in the U.S. and thanks to INESS, Slovakia became the very first country beside the United States, where the Friedman day took place back in 2010.
Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize laureate in 1976, was the chief opponent to the spreading ideas of Keynesianism. He was a defender of economic freedom and free markets. In his opinion, state interventionism destructs personal and political freedom. Apart from his academic work, Friedman significantly influenced public policy in the U.S. and UK. At the University of Chicago, for example, he trained Chilean students (later called Chicago boys), who after returning to Chile started important reforms, which notably helped the country to overcome economic problems. Friedman´s books became a valuable source for many economists as well as for the public. His book Free To Choose (co-authored with his wife Rose) became the bestselling nonfiction book in 1980.
INESS, commemorating Milton Friedman, celebrated also its 10th anniversary. The event was introduced by Dr. Richard Ďurana, who emphasized in his speech Milton Friedman´s influence in economics and society. Later, he continued with a summary of activities and most important events in INESS’ history. Afterwards, Juraj Karpiš followed with his speech, in which he recalled the beginnings of INESS and stressed the success of the Institute in attempt to prevent legislative changes, which could negatively affect ordinary people. Thirty participants accepted a special VIP invitation for the event, amongst them donors, politicians, journalists, and partners from other expert organizations. After the formal part, an informal discussion started, accompanied by a pleasant dinner and smooth jazz music.
