News
13.06.2021 - Removing environmentally harmful subsidies is the logical first step towards at last making real progress in combating climate change in the German transport sector. However, in order to move forward with effective CO2 prices, it may be necessary to continue to use economically unsound subsidies such as the commuter allowance in order to secure societal approval, explains Michael Thöne in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
09.06.2021 - Das Konzept der europäischen öffentlichen Güter könnte ein wichtiger Treiber für die weitere europäische Integration im föderalen Sinne werden. Wie Helena Kreuter in der auf Euractiv Italia veröffentlichten Opinion betont, setzt dies jedoch eine gut durchdachte Organisation ihrer Bereitstellung im europäischen Mehrebenensystem voraus.
09.06.2021 - How can fiscal equalization contribute to coping with crises? At the conference of the Vienna University of Technology and the KDZ Centre for Public Administration Research, Michael Thöne will give the keynote speech on the chances of arming all federal levels against such diverse crises as Corona and climate change through good fiscal equalization. Come (digitally) to Vienna and participate on June 9, 2021! Program and registration here.
17.05.2021 - Many features have turned out to be appropriate; some should be made better: FiFo Report No. 30 presents the evaluation of the horizontal and vertical fiscal equalisation of the Free State of Thuringia. Now in the third German Land, the FiFo approach of differentiated, task-specific regression analysis of municipal financial needs proves its validity. It provides the platform for means-tested fiscal equalisation, which is also being increasingly demanded by the constitutional courts of the Länder.
20.04.2021 - Actual fiscal and infrastructural constraints are often seen as "killjoys" when visions for the city of tomorrow are being developed. But a firm grounding and long-term vision always go hand in hand in scenarios of urban opportunities and challenges. Dörte Diemert, Cologne's city treasurer, together with researchers from difu Berlin and FiFo Cologne present their findings in the April issue of "der gemeindehaushalt” (in German). Please also see the Difu-FiFo report now available.