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Beyond the deregulation dilemma: the European 'regulatory state' at crossroads
Get PDFEin anhaltendes Deregulierungsdilemma wird häufig im öffentlichen Diskurs impliziert, wobei es als ein Spannungsverhältnis zwischen wirtschaftlicher Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und regulatorischen Schutzmaßnahmen dargestellt wird: Einerseits gibt es Forderungen nach Bürokratieabbau zur Förderung des Wachstums, andererseits Bedenken hinsichtlich der Aufrechterhaltung wesentlicher Schutzmechanismen. Diese Spannung ist jedoch nicht absolut, da empirische Befunde darauf hindeuten, dass strategisch gestaltete, gut kalibrierte Regulierung die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit sogar fördern kann. Der europäische Regulierungsstaat, der seit den 1990er Jahren durch Subsidiarität und marktorientierte Governance geprägt ist, sieht sich nun einem wachsenden Druck ausgesetzt, der durch die aggressive Deregulierungsagenda der neuen US-Administration zusätzlich beschleunigt wird, um Vorschriften zu vereinfachen und die Compliance-Belastung zu reduzieren. Eine übermäßige Deregulierung könnte jedoch die Rechtssicherheit, das Investorenvertrauen und zentrale politische Ziele - wie Klimaanpassung und Industriepolitik - gefährden. Die EU kann diesem Druck begegnen, indem sie eine gezielte regulatorische Verfeinerung vorantreibt, die sektorale Flexibilität, verhältnismäßige Durchsetzung und regulatorische Kohärenz betont. Insbesondere in den Bereichen Technologie, Energie und Finanzen können adaptive Regulierungsmodelle sowohl die Governance-Effizienz als auch die langfristige wirtschaftliche Resilienz stärken.A persistent deregulation dilemma is often implied in public discourse that is framed as a trade-off between economic competitiveness and regulatory safeguards, with calls for reducing bureaucracy to spur growth on one side and concerns over maintaining essential protections on the other. However, this tension is not absolute as evidence suggests that well-calibrated regulation can enhance competitiveness when designed strategically. The European regulatory state, shaped by subsidiarity and market-driven governance since the 1990s, now faces growing pressure, accelerated by the aggressive deregulation drive of the new US administration, to simplify rules and reduce compliance burdens. However, over-deregulation could also weaken legal predictability, investor confidence, and key policy goals such as climate resilience and industrial strategy. The EU can embrace targeted regulatory refinement by emphasizing sector-specific flexibility, enforcement proportionality, and regulatory coherence as adaptive regulatory models - particularly in technology, energy, and finance - can support both governance efficiency and long-term economic resilience
Documentation of the German Generations and Gender Survey, Round II - Wave 1
Get PDFThe Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) is a European panel study on family demography, involving more than 20 countries across Europe and beyond. It provides data for cross-national and longitudinal research on issues related to parenthood (generations) and couple life (gender). A new round of data collection with representative national samples was launched in 2020 (GGS-II). Germany is one of the countries participating in both rounds of data collection. The German GGS-II is part of a larger German panel study called FReDA. The first GGS wave in Germany was conducted in 2021, which also marked the first wave of FReDA. GGS wave 2 will correspond to the fourth FReDA wave. The German GGS deviates from the standard GGS design in several ways, most of which are due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, face-to-face interviews were planned for 2021, but due to the pandemic, these were not possible. As a result, the German GGS was conducted using two self-administered modes: web-based and paper-based questionnaires. This switch in data collection mode led to two additional adjustments: Instead of one long survey lasting around 60 minutes, three shorter surveys were administered to reduce break-off rates. Additionally, the sample sizes were much larger than initially planned, as the self-administered modes proved to be more cost-efficient
Intended, ideal, and actual fertility in 11 European countries: Evidence on fertility gaps in different age groups from the Generations and Gender Survey
Get PDFIn Ländern mit niedriger Geburtenrate zeigen frühere Untersuchungen, dass eine anhaltende Diskrepanz zwischen der tatsächlichen und der gewünschten oder geplanten Familiengröße besteht. Das Verständnis der Diskrepanzen zwischen Idealvorstellungen, Intentionen und Verhalten in Bezug auf die Fertilität ist von großer Bedeutung, da es wertvolle Einblicke in die altersspezifischen Mechanismen liefert, die die Verwirklichung (oder Nichtverwirklichung) der geplanten oder gewünschten Familiengröße bestimmen. Anhand aktueller Daten des Generations and Gender Survey für elf europäische Länder, die während und nach der COVID-19-Pandemie (2020-2023) erhoben wurden, haben wir die ideale, intendierte und tatsächliche Fertilität von Frauen im Alter von 18 bis 49 Jahren verglichen. Wir haben zwei Fertilitätslücken für Frauen verschiedener Altersgruppen berechnet und diese Lücken erstmals als abhängige Variablen mithilfe linearer Regressionsmodelle analysiert. Wir haben untersucht, wie soziodemografische Faktoren mit der intendierten Kinderzahl bei Frauen im Alter von 18 bis 29 Jahren, mit der Fertilitätslücke zur intendierten Kinderzahl bei Frauen im Alter von 30 bis 39 Jahren und mit der Fertilitätslücke zur idealen Kinderzahl bei Frauen im Alter von 40 bis 49 Jahren zusammenhängen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die intendierte Kinderzahl für die Altersgruppe der 18- bis 29-Jährigen zwischen 1,82 (Finnland) und 2,47 (Moldawien) liegt. Die Lücke zwischen der durchschnittlichen idealen und der tatsächlichen Familiengröße von Frauen (40-49) reicht von 0,42 bis 0,63 in den verschiedenen Ländern. Die multivariablen Analysen zeigen ähnliche Muster in den einzelnen Ländern: Religiosität spielt insbesondere für die intendierte Kinderzahl zu Beginn des reproduktiven Lebensabschnitts eine Rolle, während Bildung in der Hauptphase der Familiengründung eine Rolle spielt. Darüber hinaus bestätigen alle Modelle die hohe Relevanz des Partnerschaftsstatus. Da die Fertilitätsintentionen deutlich über der Periodenfertilität liegen, deutet dies darauf hin, dass der Geburtenrückgang Anfang der 2020er Jahre durch Unsicherheiten und - als Folge davon - durch einen Aufschub der Geburten auf einen späteren Zeitpunkt verursacht worden sein könnte.In low-fertility contexts, previous research shows a persistent gap between actual and desired or intended family size. Understanding discrepancies between fertility ideals, intentions, and behaviour is highly relevant, as this provides invaluable insights into the age-specific mechanisms that govern the realisation (or non-realisation) of individuals’ intended or desired family size. Using novel data of eleven European countries from the Generations and Gender Survey, collected during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023), we compared ideal, intended, and actual fertility for women aged 18-49. We calculated two fertility gaps among women in different age-groups and, for the first time, analysed these gaps as dependent variables using linear regression models. We examined how socio-demographic factors are linked to the intended number of children among women aged 18-29, the fertility gap to intentions among women aged 30-39, and the fertility gap to ideals among women aged 40-49. The results indicate the intended family size for ages 18-29 ranges from 1.82 (Finland) to 2.47 (Moldova). The gap between women’s mean ideal and actual family size (40-49) ranges from 0.42 to 0.63 across countries. The multivariable analyses reveal similar country patterns: Religiosity particularly matters for intended fertility early in the reproductive life course, while education plays a role in the primary phase of family formation. Moreover, all models confirm the high relevance of partnership status. Since fertility intentions are significantly higher than period fertility, this suggests that the early 2020s fertility decline could have been driven by uncertainty and - as a consequence - a postponement of childbirth
Karl Marx in Obhut der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: Anmerkungen zur Dauerausstellung im Museum Karl-Marx-Haus in Trier
Get PDFGreen Monetary Policy Measures and Central Bank Mandates: A Comparative Political Economy Analysis
Get PDFClimate change and the political pressure for urgent policy responses have stirred an intense debate as to whether central banks should adjust their monetary policy frameworks in support of the transition to a greener economy. Despite the seriousness of environmental issues and the seeming existence of monetary policy tools to address them, some economists and central bank officials argue that monetary authorities cannot, or should not, be responsible for making policies that act upon the source of those problems. Among other reasons, the adoption of green monetary policy measures can conflict with the primary monetary policy goals, compromise the political independence of central banks, and raise questions about the legitimacy and increased power of some of these banks. Yet, evidence shows that a number of monetary authorities have already adopted environmental criteria in their policymaking, resulting in an expansion of monetary policy toolkits and areas of responsibility. This article undertakes a comparative political economy analysis of the green monetary policy measures and legal mandates of 20 central banks, covering the period between January 2010 and January 2024. This article then examines the monetary policy decisions of two case study central banks, whose green strategies appear not to be fully aligned with their mandates. The empirical findings aim to contribute to the growing political economy literature and international debate on how central banks address pressures related to environmental concerns which, although vital to society and the planet, may pose challenges to conventional goals and established mandates
Self‐Managed Housing in Vienna: Managing Ambivalences Between "Invitability" and Resistance
Get PDFThis contribution addresses how self‐managed collaborative housing (CoHo) groups engage in and with urban planning in Vienna and thereby how they manage the ambivalence of simultaneously getting involved in established planning and maintaining their alternative and subversive character. These groups aim to shape their own living environments and contribute to more sustainable, affordable, and collaborative housing and living. The relations and interactions between self‐managed housing projects and municipal planning actors are ambivalent and include both invited and uninvited forms of engagement. To be able to realise their projects and to intervene in urban planning, CoHo groups thus need to manage the boundary between making their aims compatible with and challenging urban planning visions and strategies. I analyse this by paying attention to how CoHo actors enact "invitability" while maintaining their resistance against certain urban policies. For doing so, I draw on and contribute to literature at the intersection of urban planning and STS that address public participation in collaborations and controversy contexts. The empirical materials stem from a multi‐sited ethnography, comprising interviews with members and proponents of CoHo groups, observations of public and semi‐public events of, with, and about CoHo, as well as documents and social media posts. I find that CoHo creates invitability by negotiating and working on three aspects that are directly or indirectly challenged by municipal and professional actors: their relevance, expertise, and reliability. They do so by engaging in infrastructuring activities that stabilise both the invitability and resistance of CoHo in Vienna
Maschinen und Atmosphären: Zur Ästhetik des Virtuellen bei E.T.A. Hoffmann
Get PDFIn welchem Zusammenhang steht 'das Virtuelle' mit Poetiken, die in der Romantik konturiert wurden? Andreas Sieß zeigt, dass sich die ästhetischen Vorstellungen dessen, was 'das Virtuelle' ist, nicht nur bereits um 1800 konsolidierten, sondern dass die (bild-)ästhetischen Maßstäbe, die heute grundlegend für moderne Anwendungen der Virtual Reality sind, bereits damals Gegenstand von Aushandlungen waren. Anhand der Begriffe 'Maschine' und 'Atmosphäre' verhandelt er zwei gegenläufige Stoßrichtungen des Virtuellen, deren dialektisches Spiel eine neue Perspektive auf Fragestellungen zu der Gestaltung von gegenwärtigen virtuellen Medien anbietet
Intimacy, Trust, and Justice on The Greatest Menace, a Podcast Exposing a "Gay Prison"
Get PDFIn the tradition of narrative podcasts exposing historical injustices, The Greatest Menace (TGM) examines how a government-run prison in Australia used those imprisoned to study the causes and treatments of homosexuality. Hosted by gay Arab-Australian journalist Patrick Abboud, TGM interweaves Abboud's struggle for acceptance in his homophobic community with his forensic documentation of lives ruined by a society where homosexuality was illegal till 1984. Gay men entrust Abboud with their experiences of aversion therapy and estrangement from family; a former cop reveals how he entrapped, then arrested, gay men; a trans woman runs away to New Zealand after being imprisoned. TGM charts the palpable intimacy between Abboud and most of his informants, but as this article explores, the podcast also held potential for the privileging of activism over ethics. The cop could have been depicted as evil, but in pursuit of fairness, the TGM team settled on a more nuanced portrayal. An evangelical interviewee conflates "homosexual" with "paedophile" to Abboud's face; he retaliates by recording his meta-fury and writing it into the script. Intimacy and trust are intertwined as Abboud and his mother navigate the shame and fear that shadowed his coming out. Using textual analysis, semi-structured interviews, iterative scripts, reflexive practice, and theory of audio storytelling and podcast intimacy, this article analyses, from an autoethnographic insider/maker perspective, how the producers of this acclaimed podcast (17 awards) balanced intimacy and trust while exposing historic queer true crime in all its messy humanity
Defining Price Stability: Public Accountability of the European Central Bank's Goal Independence
Get PDFThe persistent undershooting of its self-defined target to achieve inflation "below but near two percent" prompted the European Central Bank (ECB) to launch a review of its monetary policy strategy and adopt a symmetric inflation target. In this article, I examine the politics of accountability underlying the ECB's re-definition of its price stability objective through a comparison with the strategy review of the Federal Reserve, which went further than the ECB by setting an average inflation target that intentionally seeks to pursue periods of above-target inflation to compensate for periods of below-target inflation. Drawing on a reputational perspective on public accountability, I elaborate two arguments. First, the ECB decided to engage in a strategy review and revise its inflation target to restore its performative and technical reputation in the face of its persistent undershooting of its inflation target in the decade after the great financial and euro crisis. Second, the presence of a stronger "deflationary bloc" in the region constrained the ECB in adopting an average inflation target and its associated make-up strategy without tarnishing its socio-political reputation
The association between the onset and ending of volunteering on loneliness and perceived social isolation among older adults: Longitudinal evidence from the German Ageing Survey
Get PDFExisting literature explores the relationship between voluntary work, loneliness, and social isolation, but there is a lack of research on how the onset and cessation of voluntary work relate to loneliness and social isolation among older adults. Many in this population may discontinue volunteering due to various life circumstances, making it important to investigate the longitudinal significance of these transitions. This study aims to assess whether engaging in volunteer work during retirement age is associated with changes in loneliness and social isolation. Methods: Longitudinal data were obtained from Waves 5 (Year 2014) and 6 (Year 2017) of the German Ageing Survey, focusing on middle-aged and older adults. The sample size (n = 6628) was limited to those aged 65 and above. Two groups were analyzed: the onset group, individuals who did not volunteer in 2014 but did by 2017 (188 individuals), and the cessation group, those who volunteered in 2014 but not by 2017 (307 individuals). Loneliness was assessed using the De Jong Gierveld tool, and perceived social isolation was measured using the Bude and Lantermann instrument. Asymmetric linear fixed effects (FE) regression analysis examined the associations. Results: In an asymmetric FE regression analysis that adjusted for a multitude of time-varying covariates, an association was shown between the onset of volunteer work and decreases in loneliness (β = −0.07; p = 0.04) in older adults. In contrast, there was no significant association between the onset of voluntary work and changes in perceived social isolation. Also, there was no significant association between the cessation of volunteer work and changes in perceived social isolation or loneliness. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that older adults who choose to volunteer may experience a decrease in self-reported loneliness. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our present findings