International Selection

Sustained large-scale international aid programs are deeply unpopular. And given that domestic fiscal solidarity is already wanting, cross-border fiscal solidarity seems like a non-starter. A column by Willem H. Buiter.

It is because fiscal policy inevitably involves messy compromises – often overturned by future elections – that most countries have turned to central banks for short-term stabilization policy. A column by Kenneth Rogoff.

Brexit may have lifted the national mood for now. But sooner or later, hard economic realities will reassert themselves. A column by Harold James.

When China’s leaders finally declare victory against the current outbreak, they will credit the CPC’s leadership. But the truth is just the opposite: the party is again responsible for this calamity. A column by Minxin Pei.

The EU would be mistaken to exploit its economic advantage when the trade talks start. Brexit should lead to a productive special relationship in which the UK remains a close partner of the EU. A column by Daniel Gros.

Before the financial crisis, the ECB was concerned with monetary policy. Then it turned into a public bailout authority. Now, it is becoming an economic government that prints its budget. A column by Hans-Werner Sinn.

It is too early to know whether private digital currencies will develop on a large scale. One thing is sure, though: the world of currencies and payment transfers is about to change in a big way. A column by Charles Wyplosz.

We must manage to find new ways of fairly distributing paid and unpaid work among all citizens. Otherwise, we risk ending up in a bifurcated world. A column by Andrea Komlosy.

The ECB and fiscal policymakers must think more long-term and accept that continued economic stimulus is unlikely to offset the effects of a shrinking population. A column by Daniel Gros.

There are no more easy trade deals. Trade negotiations have become exercises in power politics, not persuasion. But a hard fought success might eventually prove pyrrhic. A column by Raghuram G. Rajan.

Aggressive unilateralism, done right, can help achieve targeted gains while containing collateral damage. But if it is abused, far-reaching unintended consequences could follow. A column by Mohamed A. El-Erian.

China’s president Xi Jinping can blame only himself – or, more specifically, his excessive centralization of power – for the present challenges. A column by Minxin Pei.