Author: john

PROMETHEUS Awards 2018
The Center for Liberal Studies – Markos Dragoumis (KEFiM) established and presents for the second consecutive year the PROMETHEUS Awards. After the extremely successful first year, the institution grew, and still has as its main objective the rewarding of people from different sectors who, with their work or activities, symbolize the values of liberalism. Prometheus…

Greece ranked 29th among 35 OECD countries on the International Tax Competitiveness Index
Greece ranked 29th among 35 OECD countries on the Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index study for 2018, presented for the first time in Greece by KEFiM. From 2014 – the first year of the index introduction – until now, Greece ranks 27th to 32nd among the 35 OECD members. The International Tax Competitiveness Index…

KEFiM on the front page of “TA NEA”
The front-page of newspaper “Ta Nea” (26/10/2018) featured KEFiM’s article: “We pay a lot for what we receive as a return from the state” as part of the newspaper’s special section about how the taxes we pay in Greece are being spent. Presenting and analyzing the current fiscal policy KEFiM underlines three important issues. Firstly,…

Education: What are Greeks paying for?
The average annual public spending per student in Greece is at 3,200 euros, according to a study by KEFiM – Besides taxes, Greek families pay annually an extra 1.5 billion euros from their pocket for the primary and secondary education of their children. The average annual public spending per student in Greece comes to 3,200…

The great opportunity of Greek liberalism
The great Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, when speaking about the intellectual heritage of the Greeks, said that “the battle of ideas is a Greek invention. It is one of the most important inventions of all time. In essence, the ability to fight with words instead of swords is the basis of our culture and especially…

Extensive coverage by the media of this year’s “Economic Freedom of the World” report
Extensive coverage again this year by the media of the “Economic Freedom the World” report, which was presented for the third consecutive year in Greece by KEFiM in collaboration with the Fraser Institute, as it was shown in headlines, news broadcasts and informative shows. We remind you that in this year’s report, Greece occupies 108th …

LIBERAL YOUTH ACADEMY 2018
KEFiM – Markos Dragoumis in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF, Greece) presents their new initiative, the Liberal Youth Academy for people aged 18 to 35 years old. The Liberal Youth Academy is addressed to people who are interested in liberal ideas and have the prospect of leadership in civil society, academia and politics.…

Greece is 108th among 162 countries in this year’s “Economic Freedom the World” report by the Fraser Institute
Nikos Rompapas: “While some are chasing the bogeyman of neoliberalism, Greece’s economic freedom is similar to that of China and Swaziland” Greece occupies the 108th place among 162 countries in this year’s “Economic Freedom of the World” report which was announced today by the Fraser Institute of Canada and depicts data from 2016. Despite the…

The poison of polarization
As far as I can remember, Greece has been divided. This division is usually of low intensity (green and blue cafeterias) but often gets out of hand (Civil War, National Division). As expected, this predisposition would be enhanced during such a severe economic and institutional crisis. From 2010 until now the Greek society’s division is…

Taxes, let’s pull our heads out of the sand
The country’s tax policy model is completely bankrupt. Tax policy creates incentives or disincentives for individuals and businesses. Taxation is part of the cost of a state’s economy. Increased taxation removes from the economy the funds it needs to grow, reduces savings and is an obstacle to attracting foreign investment. As early as the early…