EPICENTER in the Media

April 4, 2024

CHRISTIAN NĂSULEA INTERVIEWED BY DIGI24 ON THE ABOLITION OF PHYSICAL MONEY

On Digi24's recent broadcast, IES Executive Director Christian Năsulea discusses Eurosceptic arguments that eliminating physical currency represents a move by the EU to exert more control over its citizens, perceiving it as a step towards centralizing power within the bloc. They fear such measures could erode individual autonomy and privacy, amplifying concerns about government overreach.
January 31, 2024

IEM’S PENSIONS REPORT FEATURED IN SUDINFO

According to a study by Nicolas Marques of IEM, the underdevelopment of retirement savings leads to an annual loss of €1,540 per worker and retiree in Belgium. This amounts to a total annual cost of €11 billion and significantly impacts future pensions.
January 31, 2024

SUDINFO SHOWCASE FRANCE’S PENSIONS EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING PAPER

A recent article in Sudinfo leaned heavily on research conducted by Institut économique Molinari. The report found that the undercapitalisation of retirement savings is causing an annual loss of €1,540 per employee and retiree in Belgium. Nicolas Marques, Associate Researcher at IEM discussed how this is an issue for workers too, and how current employees are certain to be affected so long as this trend of under-funding and short-termism continues.
January 27, 2024

FUNDALIB’S JUAN PINA DISCUSSES EPICENTER’S EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING REPORT ON SPANISH RADIO

A recent national radio show featured a discussion with Juan José Toral, Research Manager at Fundalib discussing their new books proposing several significant changes to improve economic freedom. From lifestyle regulation and tax reform to energy generation and pensions, these suggested reforms promise to make real headway into improving Spanish policy.
January 22, 2024

EL MUNDO USE FUNDALIB’S EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING REPORT IN ARTICLE

Fundalib’s report has been covered in El Mundo. It discusses how the Minister of Finance, has significantly increased tax revenue by refusing to adjust the Personal Income Tax, artificially raising tax brackets, a move criticised by the Minister of Labor. This fiscal pressure has steadily increased over the past decade, reaching 38.4% of GDP in 2021, exceeding the OECD average.
January 22, 2024

ATHENS VOICE REPORT ON KEFIM’S EVIDENCE-BASED PENSIONS PAPER

Member think tank KEFIM’s comments about the worrying state of pension capitalisation have been widely covered in Greek press. They find that the loss of income from the lack of a funded pension system in Greece is estimated at €770 per year per capita. If Greece had an equivalent system to the rest of the OECD, its annual return would correspond to a boost of around 3-4% of GDP.
January 22, 2024

IEM’S EVIDENCE-BASED REPORT FINDINGS PRESENTED IN ATLANTICO

The article discusses budgetary errors in key French sectors like education, police, and healthcare over the past 50 years, challenging the notion of insufficient funding often cited in debates. IEM members Pierre Bentata and Nicolas Marques analyse public spending curves, revealing a different narrative about resource allocation in these domains, suggesting a misalignment between budgetary increases and actual effectiveness.
January 19, 2024

LES ECHOS SHOWCASE FRANCE’S EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING ENERGY PAPER

Cécile Philippe, President of the IEM and columnist for Echos described how after years of decreasing investment, an explosion in energy prices and detrimental tariffs has forced nuclear energy to begin a resurgence. Despite Germany still resisting, nuclear reactors are currently being built in 20 countries.