In 2017, Germany will run a balanced budget for the fourth year in a row. This surplus, universally known as “Schwarze Null”, is accompanied by high hopes: its supporters predict that it will mean nothing less than the end of the era of permanent austerity. Yet this optimism rests on shaky grounds. The government’s capacity […]
Senior researcher at the chair for comparative political economy at the University of Zurich. He has previously held positions at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne and the European University Institute in Florence.