Category: Politics

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The Future of Climate Change: What to make of the Paris Agreement

The climate deal in Paris might not save the planet from human-made climate change as it falls short on questioning the expansionist logic of the growth economy but it is nevertheless a surprising achievement of a global climate change discourse that defies all divisions and crises we currently witness. It is a sign of hope but the true discussion of how to achieve the 1.5C target is now on.

The Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (its full name) was welcomed by the Economist with the headline »History is here«.… Read more

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Austerity and Degrowth

I have to start with Greece. For many vocal advocates of a more leftwing economic policy, most notably (and notoriously) Paul Krugman), the prolonged debt crisis in the Mediterranean country has its roots in austerity politics imposed by the ‘Troika’ of the ECB, IMF, and the Eurozone Group. Without another haircut, i.e. write-off of Greek debts, and a stimulus program, Greece will not manage to recover. And recovery, of course, means GDP growth. I could argue about the deeper meaning of austerity politics in the case of Greece (or Portugal, or Spain, or Ireland for that matter) – to actually build a coherent fiscal framework for the Eurozone with shared understandings of political economy, something that has not been there in the first place and what is desperately needed in a common currency area.… Read more

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Progressive Degrowth

Degrowth is a conservative perspective on humanity’s future and thus always runs into serious  acceptance problems when dealing with progressive proposals of “limitless” developments. What is needed is a reframing of these proposals as conservative and limiting our future while degrowth is presented as a “new progressivism”.

If you are an optimist regarding your life, technological opportunities and the general scheme of things, degrowth is hardly an attractive political-economical idea – less a philosophy you’d like to call your own.… Read more

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Marshall’s Cross and Degrowth Macroeconomics

When talking about degrowth –the planned transition to a contraction-based, socially just, and ecologically sustainable society– or a postgrowth economy –an economy that is in a dynamic steady state and sustainable in the long-term– issues of macroeconomic policy are becoming shaky and unclear from the classical economics perspective which is still focused on perpetual economic growth. In the wider degrowth/postgrowth movement you have to credit Tim Jackson and Peter A. Victor for probably the most insightful work until now into this subject.… Read more

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Groundhog day in Greece: On the missed opportunity for setting degrowth on the political agenda

The electoral victory of SYRIZA in Greece has fueled imaginations on the European left for a departure of ‘no alternative’ austerity politics. As much as a return of more imaginative politics is desperately needed in order to revitalize European democracy and save it from too much technocratic post-politics, it is rather doubtful if there really is a true alternative from a postgrowth or degrowth perspective. When looking more closely at SYRIZA’s Thessaloniki program many elements can be found that have the name of John Maynard Keynes written all over them: cutting taxes on fuel and property, raising the tax threshold, reintroducing a 13th month pension for low income pensioners, a 3bn EUR employment program sought to create up to 300,000 new jobs, and an increase in the country’s minimum wage.… Read more