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At first glance, the following two news stories may seem like they have nothing to do with each other except that they happened over the past few days. On Monday, the International Monetary Fund once again admonished Germany for being too competitive, as demonstrated by its enormous current account surplus. Read more

Later this month, at a conference organised by a global asset management firm, I will be participating in a debate on the moot that investment markets are driven by factors other than financial fundamentals. So far, all I know is that I will be arguing the case for the affirmative. Read more

For the Germans, July 8 was a good day. Not just because it also happened to be your columnist’s birthday or because of Germany’s emphatic 7-1 win over Brazil in the World Cup, but because this year, it also marked Germany’s Tax Freedom Day. Read more

On Thursday at the University of Auckland Business School, two world authorities are talking on the most important economic debate of the last century, and asking this question: How do you restore health to an economy in difficulty? It is a question that countries around the world have been pondering since the onset of the Global Financial Crisis. Read more

Next year, Lithuania will join the eurozone as its 19th member. The direct impact of Lithuania’s accession will be negligible. Read more

It may be an uncomfortable truth, but there are some of us who enjoy rights and privileges above others, simply by virtue of being born. Not by talent, hard work, or any other factor reflecting merit, these people enjoy a privileged status in New Zealand. Read more

When the European Central Bank announced its new policy measures last week, most of the commentary focused on the introduction of negative interest rates. From now on, commercial banks depositing funds with the ECB will have to pay a penalty for doing so. Read more

This year’s global publishing sensation has been Capital in the Twenty-First Century, a tome on the alleged rise of inequality in developed countries. Written by French economist Thomas Piketty, it argues that over long periods of time, capitalist societies had become more polarised. Read more

Budget day last week was dominated by the usual focus on the return to surplus, some new spending pledges and discussions around potential future tax cuts. Soon afterward, however, commentators and politicians discovered that the Treasury papers contained some political dynamite outside the core of fiscal policy: a projected rise in net migration figures. Read more

Last week the New Zealand Initiative joined the chorus of approval for Finance Minister Bill English’s sixth budget. And rightly so. Read more