Switzerland
Reports on Switzerland See all →
Swiss economic success: diversity as capital
Nothing seems to stop the prosperity of the Swiss economy. Its steady growth is seemingly impervious to the political turmoil in the EU, superpower tensions, the vagaries of world trade and even the overly muscular Swiss franc. Switzerland’s highly diverse economy and its unique political system together form an ecosystem that is amazingly productive and resilient. The question, however, is how long the Swiss can manage to shield their order from the globalized world’s homogenizing pressure.
The Swiss franc 2.0
The Swiss economy is doing remarkably well. Though it is growing only slowly, its companies are competitive, unemployment is virtually absent, inflation is close to zero and public debt is under control. One would therefore expect the Swiss National Bank to abstain from taking an active role in monetary policy ...
Opinion: Automation, innovation and the arrogance of the elite
The idea of a guaranteed basic income has gained in popularity, with even Bill Gates proposing that such a measure could be funded through a tax on robots. These ideas are misguided: people will be able to adapt to change. And taxing innovation will only slow it down.
Europe’s future depends on investment in innovation
Europe has become very risk averse, focusing on protecting the privileges that have already been accumulated. Regulations meant to provide protection in case of failure sometimes go too far, limiting upside potential. This exchanges freedom for security, and blocks creativity and innovation. But only innovation can help Europe maintain its ...
Loose talk on poverty and inequality
Perhaps the biggest success of the past two decades has been huge progress in reducing poverty. In the early 1990s, more than two billion people were living below the line defined by the World Bank as extreme poverty. Today, that number has dropped below one billion, writes Prince Michael of ...
