State capitalism is the real enemy of fair free-trade
10 March 2010
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A new study from the World Trade Organization reports no significant intensification of trade or investment restriction since September 2009. This is good news for anyone who values global prosperity, and that includes Belgium. But Marc De Vos warns us of a more fundamental threat: the rise of state capitalism right after the crisis. The trend to State-led economic development goes against the principles of free trade, the same principles that gave us more global welfare. |
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The healthcare sector: daring to look at 2020
04 March 2010
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With two interesting studies in less than two months, 2010 promises to become a fascinating year for Belgian healthcare. The ideas presented in these studies are appealing for two reasons: first because the authors reason in the middle and long term, and second because they dare questioning the current way of working. One thing is sure: the future needs a new vision and new solutions. |
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Philanthropy, also in times of crisis
03 March 2010
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Philanthropy could be considered as an economic activity that creates welfare: a donation of 500 Euros, for example, means that the act of giving is worth more to the donator than the given amount of 500. The receiver’s welfare will increase too, and therefore we could speak of a philanthropy multiplicator effect. Encouraging philanthropy by fiscal means can thus be seen as creating value added. |
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Social security as a tool, not as a goal
24 February 2010
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Marc De Vos reflects about the necessity of a welfare state reform. We can create a breathing space by realizing that social protection can do without social security. Social protection has an economic future. Acting for this future also means acting for the future of social security. Social security can improve if we consider it as a tool and not as a goal on itself. |
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Obesity is first and foremost a social problem
19 February 2010
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Sometimes one hears obese people are responsible for their weight problem, this weight problem for a climate problem, and therefore obese people are responsible for a climate problem. Of course, this syllogism doesn’t make sense, as obesity is a social problem in the first place, says Brieuc Van Damme. |
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Eurozone credibility put to the test
16 February 2010
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The one who simply reduces the current crisis of confidence in the member states solvency to a Greek problem, understood very few things. There are risks associated to the large expansion of the eurozone which are too often dictated by political motives, let’s hope that the European leaders will notice this now. As Europe gives a signal not just to watch but to undertake appropriate action, is it important that one indicates the exact bounderies of how far and under which conditions support can be given. It is also an evidence that at present and in the future a lot of lessons will need to be drawn with regards to the eurozone. |
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Our fight against poverty needs a dynamic vision and clear objectives
15 February 2010
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Belgium can and needs to do better in its fight against poverty. Therefore, we have to make a distinction between permanent and temporary poverty, and define a quantitative goal of poverty reduction. |
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The inherited school success
12 February 2010
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Education in Belgium is one of the most unequal in the world. School success heavily depends on pupil’s social origin. The “décret inscriptions” in the French Community and the GOK in the Flemish Community are at the center of the public debate but there is no word about the fact that pupils from low income families are more likely than others to be put into different teaching channels. |
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School autonomy : to do what with?
12 February 2010
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Education quality is a condition for having sustainable growth. To upgrade the French-speaking education system, we have to upgrade the position of the teachers. If we want the schools to be more performant, the power of the director has to increase in the context of a higher and supervised responsibility. |
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The single employment status is much more than a redundancy story
11 February 2010
| A large number of labour experts argue for a new dismissal law, that combines income protection and reemployment. The single employment status for blue collar and white collar workers needs to do more than harmonizing: it needs to modernize. That is in the interest of social justice as well as the ill Belgian labour market. |
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