About 10 days ago, it became clear to the general public that the government would issue new external debt worth 8.1 billion euros (16 billion leva) in the form of bonds within the period 2015-2017. This news polarized commentators and the public into two camps: defenders of the debt (mainly "right-wing" analysts and ...
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"Free market" does not mean "pro-corporation"
Art Carden Are the motives of those who defend the “free market” the same as those who support “corporations”? Libertarian economists find this question frustrating because our enthusiasm for free markets is often confused with enthusiasm for particular industries or corporate interests. But just because something …
More »The irresponsible populism of free sanitation
At the end of last year, GERB announced its intention to initiate a program for free renovation of EPK blocks with more than 36 apartments. Today, a few months later, despite the obvious problems and the lack of quality planning, the program is a fact and is already in its initial stage. For a large part of the citizens, …
More »When will we catch up with the Chileans (in terms of pensions)?
Often, when something in the economy or politics of their home country is bothering them, Bulgarians start comparing themselves to the countries of Western Europe and the United States, which are supposedly considered models of the good life. However, the Western world has changed a lot in the last few decades, from a symbol of capitalism and ...
More »The face of global libertarianism or what could be seen at ISFLC 2015
I did it, finally traveling the miles to attend one of the largest gatherings of libertarians in the world. It was the International Students For Liberty Conference 2015, held from February 13 to 15 at the enormous Marriott Wardman Park, the largest hotel in Washington, D.C. The event of the year brought together more than 1,000 …
More »What would conservationists do if they owned ANWR?
Sean Reagan The debate over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge resurfaced last week when the Obama administration announced new restrictions on Alaska's vast, oil-rich landscape. The Interior Department is placing 30,000 square miles of ANWR under a drilling ban, and the president is asking Congress to designate the reserve...
More »The dreaded deflation
In early January, Eurostat data was released showing the first annual deflationary episode in the Eurozone since 2009 – the overall price level fell by 0.2% between December 2013 and the same month in 2014. This sent the European Central Bank and a large number of Keynesian economists into a panic. From …
More »Voters target low wages, kill bookstores
Don't believe that raising the minimum wage hurts real people? After March 31, a famous science fiction bookstore on Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District will no longer be able to satisfy your fantasy tastes: "The change in the minimum wage will mean that our costs ...
More »Debate on the welfare state - Volgin vs. Ganev
The following text is a continuation of the debate between Petar Volgin and Petar Ganev "FOR and AGAINST the social state", organized by the Bulgarian Libertarian Society. The audience at the Studio 5 club, where the clash of ideas took place, had many more questions than time allowed, so both participants agreed to …
More »Why we should fear SYRIZA
Undoubtedly the most important event on the European political scene at the end of January was the decisive victory of the far-left party SYRIZA in the early parliamentary elections in Greece. Although it fell two seats short of an outright majority, the equally extremist (but at the other end of the spectrum) Independents came to the rescue.
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EKIP– Expert Club for Economics and Politics A Different Opinion