Marie-Sophie Lappe

To finance its future, Europe needs a bigger, more targeted budget

Without significant changes, the proposed European Union budget for 2028-2034 will fall far short of EU public investment needs

An assessment of the 2028-2034 EU budget’s contribution to closing Europe’s investment gap

National spending flexibility in the next MFF risks leaving most of the European public goods gap unfunded, with financial instruments no substitute

Global trade tracker

This dataset monitors goods-trade developments among major economies in the wake of the 2025 US tariff hikes

Russian foreign trade tracker

Tracking Russian trade using data from the EU, China, the US, South Korea, Japan, India, the UK, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Brazil and Kazakhstan

A sober look at the case for common European Union debt

More EU debt will not lower public borrowing costs or deepen markets without fiscal-union features, permanent issuance and credible fiscal backstops

Planning for the rising fiscal costs of climate disasters

Low insurance coverage is turning EU governments into disaster insurers of last resort, strengthening the case for prevention and adaptation finance

Size versus allocation in capital market development: evidence from pension funds and insurance companies

EU capital markets stay small as savings sit in deposits, making insurers and pension funds pivotal if portfolios shift into productive assets

How Compelling is the Case for Common European Debt?

Gas market shocks: tracing the effect on euro area inflation expectations

Debt sustainability in Japan and the case for a fiscal council

Rising rates are testing Japan’s fiscal framework, with debt dynamics hinging on growth and pointing to the need for adjustment and a fiscal council

What will it take to make Japan’s debt sustainable?

National plans, regional voices: cohesion policy in the next European Union budget

NRPPs could raise the EU added value of the 2028–34 budget, but reform conditions and decision-making must better reflect regional needs

European and Chinese exports kept growing despite the 2025 Trump trade shock

Diversification has kept global trade strong, despite Trump’s tariffs and accelerated US-China decoupling

Double tax – why women pay it and what to do about it

Fixing gender inequality could reap big gains for the entire economy

What are governments buying?

How does the European Union manage public-sector procurement, and is there room for environmental goals?

European Green Industrial Policy at a Crossroads? A Pilot Set of Conjoint Experiments Among Policy Experts

Advantages and pitfalls of green public procurement as a European strategic tool

Green public procurement supports EU climate goals but may conflict with other objectives, creating trade-offs that challenge its effectiveness

Europe’s savings debate should focus on the bigger picture

Contrary to common belief, savings do not flee Europe for the United States, but the EU could still do more to put its savings to work domestically

Plugging Europe’s investment gap: understanding the potential of leveraging institutional investors

Expanding funded pensions via auto-enrolment could boost long-term investment and saver security, allowing the EU to address its investment gap

CORE concerns: why a turnover-based levy is wrong for the EU budget

A plan to raise EU revenues from companies benefitting from the single market would create risks and distortions, and should be withdrawn