Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU Should Focus on Added Value for Europe
#ZEWPodcastZEW Eonomist Friedrich Heinemann Speaks in the New #ZEWPodcast
Driven by the motto “Together for Europe’s recovery”, the focus of the German presidency of the Council of the EU in the next six months will be on overcoming the coronavirus crisis. ZEW expert on Europe, Professor Friedrich Heinemann, and moderator Carola Hesch have discussed the challenges this will bring for the German government in the new #ZEWPodcast “Wirtschaft • Forschung • Debatten”/“Economy • Research • Debates”. He makes it unmistakably clear that “swift success is important here. Otherwise the European money will not flow until the crisis is over.” While the first edition was published in German, there are plans to produce English editions of the podcast as well.
In the #ZEWPodcast “Wirtschaft • Forschung • Debatten”/“Economy • Research • Debates”, ZEW economist Friedrich Heinemann talks about what is expected of Germany in its role as a good European moderator, and stresses that such a moderator “does not have to be meek and mild about every idea the Commission brings forward.” Heinemann also discusses the most important challenges facing the German government: What would a convincing European economic stimulus package as well as a politically and economically appropriate EU coronavirus rescue package look like? How can the European Recovery Fund help to overcome the crisis in a targeted manner?
Gaining a better understanding of sustainable EU fiscal policy
According to the head of the ZEW Research Department “Corporate Taxation and Public Finance”, the European Recovery Fund is in great need of adjustment. Heinemann warns against a common misconception: “More money for Europe, no matter what for, is not a sensible answer to the crisis.” So it’s well worth listening to the first episode of our new podcast (in German only), especially for all those who want to gain a better understanding of what a future-oriented economic policy could look like and of how Germany can make Europe stronger. This is a particular concern of Friedrich Heinemann: “The German presidency of the Council of the EU should focus on true added value for Europe when it comes to the EU budget – contrary to national and sectoral interests.”
