CNE Monatsmagazin Digest
December 2007

English Summary

And the winner is: The Stockholm Network's Golden Umbrella Awards 2007 were announced on 5th December 2007 in London. Winners include Free Minds Association in Azerbaijan (Best Think Tank in New Market Economies), Institute for Market Economics (SN Think Tank of the Year), Prof. Atilla Yayla (Personality of the Year), Istituto Bruno Leoni (Best Research) Jose Pinera (Best Contribution to Free Market Thinking).

Flat tax finally: In an interview with the CNE Monatsmagazin Krassen Stanchev, IME, tells the real and long story of the introduction of a 10% flat tax in Bulgaria for 2008. "It started over 10 years ago with an idea by my colleague George Angelov." 150 press articles and 60 talk shows later, and after much, much work, the idea succeeded. "Typically, good reforms happen in Bulgaria at twice longer pace than in other coteries," explains Stanchev Bulgaria's long way to the lowest flat tax in Europe.

Efficient problem solving: Do consumers express their political preferences by preferring some goods over others? "This is far from obvious", says Hardy Bouillon. "Neither is it self-evident that they do, nor that only some do while others do not." Stating his argument, Bouillon challenges the fashionable view that consumers of "fair" goods use their consumption to disclose their political view while consumers of goods provided by conventional brands do not.

The last word: Stephen Pollard comments on the view that speed cameras are the dead hand of the nanny state. "Big or small government has nothing to do with this. It's an issue of whether or not one obeys the law." Pollard concludes: "I don't get it. I really, really don't get this obsession people have with the iniquity of speed cameras. There's a very simple way to not to fall foul of them. Don't break the law."

Click here to view the full Monatsmagazin in German.

Dr. Hardy Bouillon is Head of Academic Affairs at the Centre for the New Europe.