How to Create Growth?

A journey across Europe and the Caucasus with the message of Freedom and Sound Economy

A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of secular stagnation. Since the 2008 financial crisis most of Europe’s economies have not fully recovered and their economic forecasts are appalling. As a matter of fact, in 2013 28 EU countries registered a dismal 0.1% real GDP growth rate. Twin deficits are to be found in some of the Europe’s largest economies. The welfare state not only burdens future generations but it even seems to be on the brink of total collapse.

Meanwhile, political elites seem aloof and detached and Brussels continues to carry on its agenda of centralization and overregulation of Europe’s economy. Not surprisingly, our strangled national economies struggle to even produce anemic growth.

What recipe does Europe need to change the declining trend? Can more centralization produce different results? Or should Europe instead reverse course, liberalize the economy, lower tariffs and subsidies, and stop paying lip service to austerity, and really balance budgets and lower taxes?

Economic growth will bring higher standards of living, a cleaner environment, and the elimination of the remaining pockets of poverty. But do Europeans – and their political elites in particular – have what it takes to achieve positive economic results?

Entrepreneurs wanted

In connection with the lack of growth there is always the issue of entrepreneurship. One of Europe’s jewels is the ‘startup nation’ of Estonia, but the Baltic country is more likely the exception than the rule as contemporary Europe suffers from pandemic youth unemployment, and many of its brightest and most entrepreneurial leave the continent in search of better opportunities.

How can Europe unleash the creative forces of its youth? Some believe that the European Union should create startup zones that foster entrepreneurship. Others, on the contrary, say that the EU and its regulations must be as far away as possible from entrepreneurs so that the free market can provide the trial and error environment that startups need to thrive.

Join the discussion

The 2015 Free Market Road Show’s Panel will focus on these important questions:

1. To grow or not to grow? From secular stagnation to robust recovery.
2. Entrepreneurship and its enemies. How to set our creative energy free.

Furthermore, each FMRS event will present a local panel which will deal with the most pressing issues of the respective country. International top speakers, renowned economists, leading politicians and prominent business leaders will join the Road Show to discuss these crucial topics.