This working paper surveys the relevant literature in both political science and economics to explain why and how the Eastward enlargement of the EU has been agreed upon. The focus lies on delivering a politico-economic account of EUs̕ recent history. The comments stress the role of two...

This paper investigates the long-term evolution of the tax system in Germany to explain why the political left has increasingly expanded taxation to its own clientele. The paper contrasts the second half of the 19th with the second half of the 20th century to show that some of the underlying...