This article provides an overview of the impact of public sector pay and employment cutbacks in EU countries and discusses their justifi cation as part of austerity packages. It begins with the outcomes in the countries first hit by the economic crisis before discussing the impact of the crisis...

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis as well as demographic and climate change pose major challenges for public finances. This article deals with the implications of demographic trends in Switzerland, i.e. the progressive ageing of the population and its impact on the country’s public...

The internationalisation of banking in the industrial countries of the West has picked up speed since the mid-sixties. The American banks in particular have since 1965 almost trebled the number of their foreign establishments, and German banks likewise have been increasing their business...