A new index to measure geopolitical fragmentation in global greenfield foreign direct investment

Global foreign direct investment flows are increasingly mirroring the world’s geopolitical divides. This column introduces a new index for FDI fragmentation that differentiates flows within
Decoding DeFi lending: Motivations, risks, and investor behaviours

Decentralised finance lending platforms have experienced tremendous growth since 2020. This column uses transaction-level data to study the behaviour of investors in the market. It
Reviewing the ECB’s monetary policy strategy in the age of polycrisis

The ECB concluded its last monetary policy strategy review and adopted a new strategy in 2021, just before the unprecedented surge in inflation. Three years
Heterogeneous effects of monetary tightening in response to energy price shocks

Starting in mid-2021, energy prices soared to unprecedented heights. Initially driven by the global post-pandemic rebound, this was exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Evaluation of a new international policy instrument to curb offshore tax evasion: Global information sharing of bank information

While the financial secrecy of offshore tax havens has historically created ample tax evasion opportunities for wealthy individuals, automatic information exchange between tax authorities is
Bad samaritans in foreign aid

Critics of foreign aid are often quick to point out the faults of recipient countries. This column looks at the motives of the donor countries
The financial accelerator within and between countries

Assets prices can amplify economic cycles through their effects on firm investment. Furthermore, these effects vary depending on firm size, with larger firms being better
Women’s political representation matters: Evidence from school closures during the pandemic

The notion that politicians’ identity, including their gender, can influence policy outcomes is supported by a growing body of empirical research. This column reports a
Financing Europe’s grand ideas

A large proportion of the financing needs for Europe’s digital, energy, and demographic transitions, as well as defence, will have to be covered by public
Beneath the surface: What medieval mobility reveals about intergenerational wealth transmission

The Middle Ages are widely understood as an era of economic immobility. This column uncovers a more nuanced picture. Wealth transmission in late medieval Florence

