De Belgische politiemacht op z'n best!

European Economic Forecast, Autumn 2009

Read this EC report here.

Are health problem systemic? Politics of access and choice under Beveridge and Bismark systems

Read this working paper from IRDES here.

Disparities in health expenditure across OECD countries: Why does the United States spend so much more than other countries?

Read this OECD document here.

France: L'emploi des seniors désormais imposé par la loi

Pour la première fois, la loi de financement de la sécurité sociale inclut des sanctions financières à l'égard des entreprises qui ne se mobiliseraient pas en faveur de l'emploi des plus de 50 ans. Les intéressées ont peu de temps pour réagir et transformer ce qui semble être une contrainte en réelle opportunité.

Lisez l'article complet sur Novethic ici.

Crisis Compels Economists To Reach for New Paradigm

The pain of the financial crisis has economists striving to understand precisely why it happened and how to prevent a repeat. For that task, John Geanakoplos of Yale University takes inspiration from Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice."

The play's focus is collateral, with the money lender Shylock demanding a particularly onerous form of recompense if his loan wasn't repaid: a pound of flesh. Mr. Geanakoplos, too, finds danger lurking in the assets that back loans. For him, the risk is that investors who can borrow too freely against those assets drive their prices far too high, setting up a bust that reverberates through the economy. Read the complete article in the WSJ here.

Le grand retour de la bulle spéculative

En voulant sauver l'économie mondiale, a-t-on fait naître une nouvelle bulle qui sera à l'origine de la prochaine crise ?

Lisez l'article complet dans Le Monde ici.

Government guarantees on bank funding: Should we extend them into 2010 despite the improved bank profitability and the schemes’ distortionary effects?

In December 2009, government guarantees on the issuance of bank bonds will close to new issuance in many EU countries. This column argues that the guarantees have been effective and should be extended into 2010, despite improved market conditions and bank profitability. In doing so, governments should correct the schemes for some distortionary effects and develop a careful exit strategy.

Read the full article from A. Levy and F. Panetta on Vox.eu here.