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This year, 8 May, Victory in Europe Day, celebrating the end of the Second World War, was more symbolic than ever. The Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered a serious humanitarian crisis. The consequences of the war are being felt around the world. But what impact does the war in Ukraine have on the economy? This was discussed by U.S. Consul General Norman Thatcher Scharpf and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach on 10 May 2022 as part of the digital event series #ZEWlive. The event was moderated by journalist Jessica Sturmberg.

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Lockdowns, inflation, and material and supply bottlenecks were major factors that slowed down the economic recovery this year. The German Council of Economic Experts addresses these issues in its annual report 2021/2022. Professor Monika Schnitzer, member of the Council, presented the key statements of the report and discussed them with ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach in an online event at ZEW Mannheim on 9 December 2021. In the report, the Council discusses measures for the transformation of education, digitalisation and sustainability.

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The decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of 24 March 2021 on the Federal Climate Change Act is already considered historic. The First Senate ruled that the legislation was insufficient, especially with regard to emission reductions from 2031. The complainants’ rights of freedom were violated to the extent that the emission levels permitted in the Federal Climate Change Act until 2030 jeopardised “practically every type of freedom protected by fundamental rights” of the complainants after that time. The Act was declared unconstitutional in parts and the younger generation was granted a right not to have to bear the consequences of climate change alone. The President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Professor Stephan Harbarth, spoke about the Court’s order and its far-reaching consequences as part of the event series First-Hand Information on Economic Policy at ZEW Mannheim on 26 October 2021.

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How is creative destruction connected to innovation? Can competition policy stimulate industrial dynamics? How to solve Europe’s ‘unicorn problem’? On 14 September 2021, ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach and Professor Philippe Aghion, Collège de France INSEAD and London School of Economics, have discussed these questions. The French economist also presented his book “The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations” at the seventh #ZEWBookTalk.

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Bizarre and weird, but fascinating. These are the words Michael Keen uses to describe the history of taxation, which he wrote down in cooperation with Professor Joel Slemrod in their book “Rebellion, Rascals, and Revenue: Tax Follies and Wisdom Through the Ages”. On 27 July, ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach welcomed the two authors Keen, deputy director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Slemrod, professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, to the virtual #ZEWBookTalk organised by ZEW Mannheim and MannheimTaxation. In addition, they addressed current developments.

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Professor Friedrich Heinemann, head of the ZEW Research Department “Corporate Taxation and Public Finance”, welcomed Ludger Schuknecht to the virtual #ZEWBookTalk on 6 July 2021. He discussed with him his current book “Public Spending and the Role of the State – History, Performance, Risk and Remedies”. Schuknecht, who is currently a visiting professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, previously held the positions of Deputy Secretary-General at the OECD and Chief Economist at the German Federal Ministry of Finance. For the #ZEWBookTalk, he was connected from Singapore.

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How can gender inequality be minimised? Jutta Allmendinger, president of the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and professor of educational sociology and labour market research at the Humboldt University Berlin, has been dealing with this question for over three decades. At the fourth #ZEWBookTalk on 5 May 2021, she not only provided interesting insights into her new book, but also discussed with ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach the so-called Gender Lifetime Earnings Gap, why a pandemic promotes the traditional role distribution and which measures counteract gender inequality.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is still massively affecting our everyday life one year on. The public debate focuses on topics such as triage, the prioritisation of vaccination groups and possible privileges for vaccinated people. Professor Alena Buyx, Chair of the German Ethics Council, and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach discussed the importance of ethical guidance in these challenging times as part of the lecture series “First-Hand Information on Economic Policy” on Wednesday, 14 April 2021. The event was held online and was supported by the ZEW Sponsors’ Association for Science and Practice.

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In February 2021, the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) presented its annual report to the German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel. As part of the lecture series “First-Hand Information on Economic Policy”, Professor Irene Bertschek, head of the ZEW Research Department “Digital Economy” and EFI member, and Rafael Laguna de la Vera, founding director of the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D), discussed the EFI report as well as ways to promote disruptive innovations in Germany. The event was supported by the ZEW Sponsors’ Association for Science and Practice and held within the framework of the SEEK research programme.

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Do all Americans pay a fair amount of tax? Not at all. On the contrary, there is a huge disparity in the taxation of average workers and the taxation of the wealthy, especially the super-rich, according to UC Berkeley Associate Professor Gabriel Zucman. On 10 March 2021, the economist presented his new book ‘The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay’ virtually at ZEW Mannheim, which he wrote together with Emmanuel Saez. Zucman is also leading the newly established European Tax Observatory that has commenced its work in 2021. ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach moderated the third edition of #ZEWBookTalk.

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