1ISSUE THREE

IN THE last twelve months, the LabourGovernment in Britain has banned orimposed regulations on hunting, thesmacking of children, smoking, theconsumption of unhealthy foods, anti-social behaviour and binge-drinking.

Fifty years ago, this would have left the gentrywith much spare time at the weekends. Andtoday it remains a class issue. But hunting aside, it is the working class upon whom theserestrictions weigh most heavily. As a recentEconomist editorial argued, ‘the smokers andchocolate munchers are disproportionatelypoor, which makes the government feeluncomfortable. If the poor refuse to helpthemselves, it feels, something must be done to help them.’

As Bob Wells once quipped, ‘for every actionthere is an equal and opposite governmentprogramme’, and the history of moderngovernment has indeed been the history of the evolving convergence of the state and civil society. As Niall Dickson, Director of theKing’s Fund, recently argued, “what might beconsidered unacceptable interference in oneage might be uncontroversial in another”. Fewwould now object to the 1870s Education Actwhich made schooling compulsory. Nor could a strong case be put forth that London has notbenefited from the contemporary governmentdecision to build a municipal sewerage systemfollowing several outbreaks of cholera.

Yet the growing dissent against bureaucraticcreep has a long history in the West.The authors

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WINTER 2004/05ISSUE THREE

EYE ON EUROPESTOCKHOLM NETWORK – LINKING EUROPE’S LEADING POLICYMAKERS AND THINKERS

BJØRN AGAINGLOBAL CRISES, GLOBAL SOLUTIONSby Bjørn Lomborg (CambridgeUniversity Press, £19.99)

Bjørn Lomborg, fresh from the controversy andsustained success of The Skeptical Environmentalist(2001), is back with a new opus. In GlobalCrises, Global Solutions Lomborg sketches outthe ultimate big picture and asks: with an extra$50 billion, what are the ten greatest challengesfacing the earth today and how could that $50billion best be spent on each of these issues to achieve the most beneficial outcomes?

The text identifies and examines the tengreatest problem areas facing the world today,such as climate change, communicable diseases,malnutrition and hunger, sanitation and accessto clean water, and subsidies and trade barriers.However, the controversy stems fromLomborg’s prioritisation of these issues in orderof those about which the world can do themost good, for the least money, now.Thisapproach is unique within foreign aid andNGO circles, and Global Crisis, Global Solutions

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

IS BRITAIN A NANNY STATE?

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EYE ON EUROPE

constitutes a rare triumph for level-headedeconomics over sentimental irrationalism.

Following his last book, Lomborg receivedvolumes of opprobrium on the basis that hewasn’t a qualified environmentalist, a climatescientist or a left-leaning subscriber to green,multinational NGO thinking.This time around,however, Lomborg has neatly side-steppedthese accusations by inviting world classspecialists to deliver a paper on each of the tensubject areas. Moreover, a further two expertswere asked to present two opposing views oneach subject. A team of top economists,including three Nobel Prize winners, were thenasked to review these thirty papers andprioritise the ten issues on a cost/benefit andcost/effectiveness rationale. Lomborg’s ownrole, then, was as an editor, coordinator andultimately, a prize giver. So who can do mostwith $50 billion?

Inevitably, the book kicks off with climatechange, yet its opening chapters are quite hardgoing. Economics may be the dismal science,but climate science is incomprehensible tomere mortals.What can be discerned is thatyes, global warming is taking place, and that yes,some of it is man-made. However, there is notmuch we can do about it, and the economistsall concur that the Kyoto protocol will do moreeconomic harm than environmental good.

Ditto for an optimal carbon tax or a value atrisk carbon tax, and intriguingly, there is aconsensus that all three of these options wouldcost more than simply doing nothing. If at thispoint, committed mainstream environmentalistsand fans of the movie, The Day After Tomorrow(or even Kevin Costner’s Waterworld) chooseto stop reading however, it would be a mistake.

The text covers an impressive range ofsubjects. For example, it tackles the efficacy ofconflict prevention with particular reference tointernecine conflict.Take Afghanistan.The UScurrently spends around $12b annually on itsmilitary deployment there, and Lomborg arguesthat a cessation of their $3.4b subsidy to UScotton farmers, which prevents Afghan farmersgrowing this crop, would significantly reducepoppy-growing.This in turn would significantlyreduce the warlord’s capacity to fund their privatearmies, long the major source of unrest in theregion. Such gems of information and analysismake the book an illuminating and enjoyableread. But which reforms were the winners?

By a large margin, investment in the preventionof communicable diseases came out in front.Each year, nearly 3.5 million people die fromHIV/AIDS and nearly 3m from malaria. In 2000,a year long course of these drugs would havecost $10,000. By 2003, that price had droppedto $300, and the large-scale treatment ofHIV/AIDS is now a realisable proposition.Equally, low-tech solutions such as mosquito

nets and chemical sprays are effective inpreventing the spread of malaria, even if, asexperts make clear, progress in eradicating thedisease has been slow. One of the text’ssurprise findings, though, is that strengtheningbasic health services would not be particularlybeneficial.

This book should be compulsive, if notcompulsory reading, for every aid agency,international NGO and government officialinvolved in foreign aid. Nowhere else is somuch highly informative data available in onedensely packed edition. If the book does have a failing, it’s the absence of an index, whichmakes cross-referencing region-specific issuesdifficult.While the statistical and economicanalyses may seem cold to some, Lomborg isclearly passionate about their importance. Heshould be congratulated on producing a one-stop shop of effective policy solutions for theworld’s most pressing problems. If only theycould be adopted with the same widespreadenthusiasm as the flawed Kyoto Protocol.

Dan Lewis

The Stockholm Network had a bumperyear in 2004 and things look set foranother packed 12 months ahead.

Two new staff members, Anne Jensen, ourAdministrator, and Terence O’Dwyer, ourResearch Officer, joined the Network towardsthe end of last year and we are happy towelcome them both on board.You can readmore about them in our staff profiles on page 9.

Our two regular debate series, the WestminsterFringe and the Amigo Society, are now in fullflow with recent debates spanning topics asdiverse as the democratisation of science,Ukraine’s political future and the prospects for healthcare reform in Belgium.

Looking forward to the spring, the StockholmNetwork will be turning its sights eastwardswith a major conference and research projectfocused on the new member states. In February,we will be partnering with the Centre for theNew Europe on a full-day event asking ‘Doesthe West know best?’ which will examinewhether the EU-15 can learn from the east’smore radical approach to social and economic

reform.We will also be extending last year’shealthcare poll, Impatient for Change, into 3 new countries, asking Hungary, Poland andSlovakia what the prospects are for healthcarereform, with launches planned in May.

Last but not least, we will shortly be announcingdetails of our new IP and competitionprogramme, which will examine the conditionsfor a more competitive market in Europe inwhich there is strong protection for intellectualproperty rights.The programme will include thelaunch of a new monthly e-newsletter digestingthe latest in IP news, from developments atWIPO through to counterfeiting and the futurefor TRIPS after 2005.

Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous NewYear and hoping to see you putting networkinginto action soon, be it in Westminster, Brusselsor Budapest.

BJØRN AGAIN CONTINUED

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

3WINTER 2004/05

STOCKHOLM NETWORK

of the American Constitution, wary of themonarchical tyranny of the Old World, specificallyprovided that the federal government couldnot fund the ‘general welfare’. Similarly, theBritish government long resisted the introductionof socially redistributive legislation. The poorlaws, introduced in the 17th century to providethe indolent with jobs in the workhouse, weregradually amended during the 19th century toprovide financial assistance to the housebound.

But if the turn of the century saw the beginningof the end for the small state, it wasn’t untilDavid Lloyd George’s ‘People’s Budget’ in 1909,and FDR’s ‘New Deal’ in the 1930s that thescope of government was vastly increased.

In the aftermath of World War Two manyEuropean nations followed suit, sincere in theirbelief that the state should accept responsibilityfor the provision of comprehensive and universalwelfare, for it was under these circumstancesthat its citizens would best flourish. Over time,the state has extended its bureaucratic remitfrom purely economic provision through thecultivation of its own social apparatus into thedispensing of lifestyle advice.Within thisframework, the Stockholm Network and theEconomist recently held a debate to examinethe proposition that ‘A Nanny State is betterthan a Neglectful one.’

So what role should the government play insociety? There is an argument that banning a substance based purely on the damage itcauses is both inconsistent and impractical.For example, if the wider costs of alcohol and tobacco abuse (for this is what addictionconstitutes) were compared, the former wouldbe banned outright and the latter ignored.Indeed, it has been suggested that smokers are, in terms of tax paid versus medical costsincurred, a net gain for the health service. Such a ban, however, would rend the social fabric ofBritain asunder, and politicians are less inclinedto court unpopularity than most.

But smoking does harm those who inhale,and legislation banning tobacco advertising ontelevision in the 1960s, and the Conservatives’decision to steeply raise the tax on tobacco in 1991 have both contributed to its decliningpopularity. Equally powerful have been thegovernment’s decades-long campaign to educatepeople, at times rather graphically, about thedangers of smoking. So as many, including theGuardian’s Polly Toynbee, have argued, thegovernment’s ‘near total ban is just a final push:70% of smokers want to give up anyway.’Whatharm an encouraging nudge from the State?

Some politicians and opinion leaders on the left agree that, as Mr Dickson argued,

“We should all begin with the premise thatgovernments are right to hesitate beforeinterfering in people’s lives”. Not all take thisview, however. Minister for Children MargaretHodge (surely the only minister entirelyunaccountable to her portfolio constituency)recently stated “for me it’s not a question ofwhether we should intrude in family life, buthow and when.”

Such a view may seem extreme, even byEuropean standards, but it reflects an increasingdespair about the breakdown of the family unitand civil society at large. And the governmenthas a legitimate role in curbing the harm thatan individual’s actions cause to others. However,evidence about the dangers of secondarysmoke remains inconclusive.The governmenttherefore also made the case that secondarysmoke in, for example, restaurants and bars is a public nuisance. But in doing so, they haveraised questions about the nature of the market,and of liberal democracy.

The increasing demand for a smoke-free eveningout has been met by the market, and manyestablishments have long had smoking sectionsor implemented a voluntary ban. However, themarket has and will continue to fail to provideinformation to individuals about, for example,the dangers of smoking. Successive governmentshave taken up this role, and much good workhas been done. As the Economist once argued,‘smokers have been made to feel stupid; which,since they are, is just as it should be.’

If too many remain unconvinced, it is here thatthe state’s resources are best employed. MrDickson argued that “[he regarded] the statedictating to manufacturers how and what theytell us (about their products) to be an act ofliberation, not enslavement.” Increasing corporatedisclosure, in all areas of business, would

certainly be a good thing, but the questionultimately is ‘how will information be used?’

Living in a liberal democracy affords us bothrights and responsibilities.The public is loath to have its rights curtailed, but the increasingbureaucratisation of the state poses an equalthreat to our responsibilities. One suchresponsibility, perhaps self-evidently, is to takeresponsibility for ourselves, our families, and our society.When our actions harm others,it is right that there are sanctions. But thesesanctions should not be purely legal in nature.As Michael Gove, Assistant Editor of The Timesrecently argued, “it’s not just law which hasexisted for hundreds of thousands of years inorder to circumscribe anti-social behaviour.There is also shame, social ostracism or theprospect of professional ruin”.

Legislative restriction on the action of theindividual increasingly discourages the self-regulation of society, and governments mustrealise that doing anything more thanencouraging people to help themselves is themore irresponsible course. However, ministersare unlikely to abstain from the urge toregulate anytime soon. Indulging oneself is,after all, rather easier than changing ones mind.

For more information on Westminster Fringedebates, contact sacha@stockholm-network.org

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PROFILE:TAXPAYER’S ALLIANCE

THE TAXPAYERS’ ALLIANCE (TPA)was founded by Andrew Allum,Matthew Elliott and Florence Heath asan independent grassroots campaigngroup for lower taxes in the UnitedKingdom.

WHAT THEY DOLaunched in 2004 and less than a year old, theTaxPayers’ Alliance is fast establishing itself as acoherent and professional voice for taxpayersin the United Kingdom.The primary objectivesof the TPA are to:

To reverse the perception that biggovernment is necessary and irreversibleTo explain the benefits of a low tax economy To give taxpayers a voice in the corridors of power andTo oppose EU tax harmonisation

The TPA achieves these objectives by:maintaining a campaign website atwww.taxpayersalliance.compublishing newsletters, pamphlets and other materialsparticipating in radio and televisionbroadcasts and media interviewsliaising with like-minded organisations in the United Kingdom and abroad and liaising with individuals and groups affectedby taxation

The TPA is aided in its work by a distinguishedAdvisory Council, which includes John Blundell(IEA), Ruth Lea (CPS) and Eamonn Butler (ASI).

WHERE THEY FIT INBefore the TaxPayers’ Alliance was established,Britain was an international aberration in nothaving a group to represent taxpayers.Thereare taxpayer groups in over forty developedcountries around the world:

In France, the Contribuables Associés (theTaxpayers Association) has over 135,000supporters (see www.contribuables.net)

Germany has the German TaxpayersAssociation and in 2003 Der Steuersong (TheTax Song) attacking Gerhard Schröder’s tax risesreached the top of Germany’s music charts(see www.steuerzahler-bayern.de)

Skattebetalarnas förening, the Swedish TaxpayersAssociation has over 200,000 paying members– an incredible 1 in 45 of the population – andled the campaign to secure major income taxcuts in the early 1990s (seewww.skattebetalarna.se)

And, of course, the United States has manynational groups, such as Americans for TaxReform (www.atr.org) and the NationalTaxpayers Union (www.ntu.org), as well ascountless state-level taxpayer groups whichenergetically and successfully campaign forlower taxes

Taxpayer groups have a long and successfulheritage of preventing tax increases andcampaigning for lower taxes.The TPA is fastbecoming as vocal as its sister groups are abroad.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONEThe TPA’s launch publication in February 2004was the Bumper Book of Government Wasteand Useless Spending which lists over £50 billionof wasteful and useless spending and arguesthat each household in the UK could be £2,000better off without affecting any frontline services.

To illustrate the enormity of the waste, £50 billionis enough to completely abolish both counciltax and corporation tax entirely in the UK.

The Bumper Book received widespreadcoverage in the national media including aunique achievement for a British free marketpublication – a mention in ‘News in Briefs’ –the section in Britain’s biggest selling tabloidnewspaper where their ‘girl of the day’comments on the news.

Since then, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has continuedto attract strong coverage, and now has onefull-time member of staff – Matthew Elliott,Chief Executive – and a number of part-timemembers of staff.

The TPA’s website allows supporters to registerfor Tax-O-Meter alerts – a weekly email sentout at 9:31am on Wednesday morning signifyingthat they are now working for themselves ratherthan the tax man. And they have just launchedthe Tax Aggravation Index to give members ofthe public and businesses the opportunity torate different taxes against certain criteria suchas simplicity and transparency.

PROSPECTSThe TPA is very different to traditional freemarket think tanks which publish scholarlymonographs, organise conferences and holdregular lectures to promote their agenda totop opinion formers. It is essentially a freemarket grassroots campaign speaking to thepublic and working closely with the media.

Michael Gove, Assistant Editor of The Times,believes that “The TaxPayers’ Alliance is pavingthe way for the next Conservative Governmentto implement a low tax agenda to reverse thedamage done by Brownite economics. Longmay their good work continue.”

contact: www.taxpayersalliance.com

CAUSA LIBERAL was formallyfounded in November 2002 by a groupof individuals in Portugal who soughtto create an organisation that couldeffectively promote the principles ofclassical liberalism (and the policiesinspired by those principles) in apolitical and intellectual context whichhas traditionally been averse to thoseideas.The organisation is the result of the development of an informalgroup that had been meeting regularlysince 2001.

WHAT THEY DOCausa Liberal is an independent, non-profitorganisation of Portuguese individuals who sharethe principles of the classical liberal tradition andwish to further its application in modern dayPortugal. Its primary goals are to establish andconsolidate a network of individuals with aninterest in the study, discussion and promotionof the classical liberal tradition, and to advancefree market ideas and policies in Portugal. CausaLiberal’s members come from a diverse rangeof professional backgrounds, including professors,lawyers, economists and entrepreneurs.

The organisation holds regular meetings fordiscussion, promotes conferences and workshopson specific topics and maintains its (primarilyPortuguese-language) website. Additionally,several of Causa Liberal’s members have anactive presence both in traditional media (mostlywriting op-eds in newspapers), and in newmedia, playing an active role in some of themost popular and influential Portuguese weblogs.

The topics of past conferences and meetingsorganised by Causa Liberal have ranged fromgeneral issues of political philosophy to moreapplied concerns such as the promotion ofgreater choice in education policy or the practicalimplications of Portuguese integration in theEuropean Union. Recently, on June 2004, CausaLiberal assisted the Atlas Economic ResearchFoundation in organising its first ever event inPortugal.The resulting workshop, presided overby Colombian Ambassador Plinio ApuleyoMendoza, proved to be a valuable forum for

discussing several international policy subjectsand developing contacts between Portugueseand Latin American institutions and individualsinterested in promoting the ideas of a free society.The presence of Brazillian think tankers fromInstituto Liberdade was particularly importantfor the strengthening of transatlantic ties.

WHAT THEY BELIEVEThe organisation’s motto is “Individual Freedomunder the Law,” and Causa Liberal considers itsmission to defend the principles of the freesociety and its building blocks: individual rights,the rule of law, free markets and private property.

As stated in its Declaration of Principles, CausaLiberal’s commitment to freedom is closelylinked to the belief that liberty is a necessarycondition for the moral development anddignity of the human person. Furthermore,Causa Liberal seeks to promote an adequateunderstanding of the proper roles of a limitedgovernment and believes that greater economicfreedom and a reduced public sector areessential to foster sustainable economic growthand a vibrant civil society.

Although united by a strong commitment toclassical liberal principles, Causa Liberal doesnot endorse any particular political party, andits members represent a wide range of politicalaffiliations.

FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONSAND FUTURE PLANSCausa Liberal will soon be publishing thePortuguese translation of Professor Jesús Huertade Soto’s book on the Austrian School ofEconomics (Escola Austríaca: mercado e criatividadeempresarial). A second book project, likely to bethe translation and publication of a work byLudwig von Mises, is currently under evaluation.As well as its editorial projects, Causa Liberalseeks to promote greater exposure to freemarket ideas in Portugal through increasedparticipation in media projects. Also central toCausa Liberal’s goals is the further developmentof a consistent network of Portuguese classicalliberal scholars from different scientific areas andthe establishment of closer connections withpolicy leaders.

Causa Liberal also seeks to reinforce itsconnections with the wider market-orientedinternational community, with a particularemphasis on Europe, the United States, Braziland the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.

PROFILE:CAUSA LIBERAL

contact: ww.causaliberal.net

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Adriatic Institute for Public PolicyCountry: Croatia

www.adriaticinsitute.org

A brand-new member of theStockholm Network, the AdriaticInstitute for Public Policy (AIPP) will

continue its media campaign to promote ‘SevenStrategic Recommendations for EconomicGrowth in Croatia’. Each recommendationcentres on a specific area of policy: tax reform,privatisation and deregulation, labour marketreform, property rights and the rule of law, freetrade, corruption, and government bureaucracyand waste.

The AIPP will also be hosting aseminar for journalists on free marketenvironmentalism, and a seminar on

developing and integrating capital markets inearly 2005. In June, they will be hosting theirsecond annual International Leaders Summit todiscuss issues of economic importance toemerging and established democracies.Theseminars and discussion groups will focus onencouraging economic growth and unleashingthe forces of the free market.

Centre for Social and EconomicResearchCountry: Poland

www.case.com

The Centre for the Social andEconomic Research in Warsaw willhost a conference on ‘Europe after

the Enlargement’ on 8-9th April.The event willfeature speakers from across Europe, anddiscussion seminars on such topics as the‘Constitutional Future of the EU’, ‘TheEconomic and Social Consequences ofPopulation Aging’ and ‘The Future Eastern andSouth-Eastern borders of the EU’.

Centre for the Study of Democracy Country: Bulgaria

www.csd.bg

The Sofia-based Centre for theStudy of Democracy will host aroundtable on Measuring Crime in

Bulgaria: A Way to Strengthen Crime-fightingCapacity in January 2005.The discussion willfocus on the introduction of an objective andindependent system for gathering andanalysing crime rate data. Previous researchhas indicated fluctuating confidence of theBulgarian public in the official crime rate data.The CSD system will aim to help society andpolicymakers to comprehend more clearly thesituation in the country and facilitate thedevelopment of effective policies.

The CSD also will host a conferenceon the 8-9th April examining therole of the Bulgaria Judiciary in the

EU Accession process, and possible strategiesfor reforming its investigatory and prosecutorialbranches.The event will feature members ofBulgaria’s judiciary, European Commissiondelegates and representatives from non-governmental organisations, the PHAREcountries (CEE Accession nations) and Spain.Accompanying the conference will be a reporton procedures of Investigation and Prosecution inthe EU Member States.

Circulo de EmpresariosCountry: Spain

www.circulodeempresarios.org

The Circulo de Empresarios willlaunch its traditional ‘Brown Book’ onthe 16th of February. Entitled

‘Europe vs. United States: Flexibility, Growthand Wellbeing’, the text is a collection ofeconomic essays examining topics aroundthese themes.

David Hume InstituteCountry: Scotland

www.davidhumeinstitute.com

The David Hume Institute will behosting its Spring Seminar Series atthe Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Professor Michael Powers of the LSE and theCentre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulationwill speak on ‘the politics of uncertainty’ onthe 24th February. In March Professor OrleyAshenfelter of Princeton will speak on ‘theglobalisation of labour markets’ and on 28thApril Professor Sir David Tweedie of theInternational Accounting Standards Board willspeak on ‘Global Markets, Investment,Management and the Role of FinancialReporting.’

E.G.West CentreCountry: England

www.ncl.ac.uk

In 2005 the E.G West Centre willpublish the findings from its threeyear global study on the role and

development of private schools for the poor inChina, India, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. Basedupon these findings the E.G.West Centre willalso be launching ‘Private Schools International’an international NGO which will bring togetherprivate schools associations from across thedeveloping world.

Free DemocraticCountry: Norway

www.freedemocratic.org

Free Democratic, a libertarian thinktank based in Oslo, will be hostingtwo conferences in the Spring of

2005. One conference will examine Globalisation,while the other will focus on the AustrianSchool of Economics.Venue and timings TBC.

NETWORKMEMBERPROFILES

Free Democratic will continue toupdate their on-line libertarianbookstore, Bauta Books, in the New

Year.The bookstore features a wide selectionof free market publications, such as the seminaltexts of Friedrich von Hayek, Frederic Bastiatand Herbert Spencer, as well as more recentstudies of globalisation, objectivism and theenvironment.The bookstore is available atwww.bauta.no.

Institut Montaigne Country: France

www.institutmontaigne.org

The Institut Montaigne (IM) will bereleasing two policy papers inFebruary. A Rapport de l’Institut will

advocate the reform of the current Frenchnational audit system and propose the creationof a National Comptroller Office to audit theuse of taxpayers’ money. In a Note de l’Institutby Denise Siber and Laurent Castra, IM willargue that not-for-profit private hospitals strikethe ideal balance between good management(which public hospitals lack) and affordablemodern healthcare (which private enterprisesstruggle to offer). IM will also host a conferenceon 2nd March featuring former cabinet membersClaude Allègre (tbc) and Francis Mer to discuss‘How to reform by opening a second track’.

In March, IM will publish policypapers on the economics andenvironmental effects of globalisation,

and experimental primary schools.They willalso co-host a conference with the EuropeanIdeas Network on March 16th to examinedemographics, immigration and growth, and willhost Nobel-prize winner Gary Becker for alecture the following day.

Liberales InstituteCountry: Switzerland

www.libinst.ch

The Liberales Institute will host DrHardy Bouillon, Chairman of theCentre for the New Europe’s

Academic Advisory Board to discuss ‘the role ofprivate property today’.The event will be held atthe Lyceum Club in Zurich on February 24th.

Liberalni InstituteCountry: Czech Republic

www.pcpe.libinst.cz

The Czech think tank will be hostinga major conference in Prague onPolitical Economy in April. ‘New

perspectives in Austrian Economics and PoliticalEconomy of Freedom’ will consist of three daysof lectures and debates on economics, history,philosophy and politics with leading theoristsfrom Europe and overseas.The aim is toresurrect the tradition of Austrian economicsand promote liberty oriented thinking. It will beheld at the University of Economics in Pragueand at the Liberální Institut – for furtherinformation please contact simon.bilo@liberton.sk.

Nova CivitasCountry: Belgium

www.novacivitas.org

Nova Civitas Antwerp will host aseries of debate over the next fewmonths, including a debate on the

reform of the Belgian state in March, and aforum on the issue of ‘political correctness’ inMay. Nova Civitas Ghent has plans for an eventon the European Constitution in April, and arecurrently looking for a co-sponsor. Before that,NC Ghent will organize a debate on multi-culturalism with representatives of many ethnicgroups in Flanders.

Poder LimitadoCountry: Spain

www.poderlimitado.org

Poder Limitado will launch its newwebsite in April, which will focus oninternational issues, specifically the

impact of welfare reform in the United Stateson countries in Latin America.The constructionof this new website has been funded by theFundación Libertad in Panama, and will allowPoder Limitado to link up with the Red Liberal(Liberal Web), a network of Spanish and LatinAmerican libertarian think tanks.

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HOW COULD YOU OR YOURORGANISATION BENEFIT FROMSN MEMBERSHIP?

Expand your database by meeting new contacts from across EuropeExpose your own expert voices to a wider audienceReceive weekly Stockholm Network email updates and quarterly newslettersReceive Stockholm Network Books & PublicationsGet invitations to Stockholm NetworkEvents & Activities

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THESTOCKHOLM NETWORK?Please contact us on +44 20 7354 8888 or email our Director of Programmes,Sacha Kumaria sacha@stockholm-network.org.

WHAT IS THE STOCKHOLMNETWORK?The Stockholm Network is a one-stop shopfor organisations seeking to work with Europe’s brightest policymakers and thinkers.Our unique network of over 120 market-oriented think tanks in Europe and furtherafield, gives us the capacity to deliver localmessages and locally-tailored global messagesacross the EU and beyond. Joining theStockholm Network gives you unparalleledaccess to the best European policy thinking,the opportunity to lead debates and changethe climate of ideas in Europe and the chanceto meet the key players in shaping the policydebates of tomorrow.

WHAT POLICY ISSUES DO WE DISCUSS?The Network is interested in ideas whichstimulate economic growth and help people to help themselves.We promote policies whichcreate the social and economic conditions for a free society.These include:

Reforming European welfare states andcreating a more flexible labour marketCreating competition and choice inhealthcare, through reform of Europeanhealth systems and marketsCreating a market in which world-classeducation can flourishTaking a practical, market-oriented look at environmental affairsEmphasising the benefits of globalisation and creating an understanding of free market ideas and institutions

WHAT DO WE DO?The Stockholm Network maintains a website(www.stockholm-network.org) which containsa comprehensive directory of European freemarket think tanks and thinkers.We advertiseforthcoming events (our own and those ofpartner organisations) and facilitate publicationexchange and translation between think tanks.We also post regular news flashes and updateson European think tank activities.

Our events provide an excellent opportunityfor networking with high-profile Europeanpolicy makers and opinion formers.

Previous attendees have included: CharlotteCederschiold,Vice President of the EuropeanParliament; Clive Crook, Deputy Director,The Economist;Vince Cable MP, Liberal DemocratShadow Chancellor; Frits Bolkestein, EUCommissioner for the Internal Market; ConorCruise O’Brien, author and historian; HansHoogervorst, then Dutch Social Security Minister,now Health Minister; Jason Turner, architect ofWisconsin and New York’s welfare to workschemes; Philippe Legrain, author of Open World:The Truth about Globalisation; Johan Norberg,author of In Defence of Global Capitalism.

Our events and books have received mediacoverage across Europe, including BBC TV andBBC Radio 4, the Financial Times, the FrankfurterAllgemeine Zeitung, La Repubblica, Le Point, TheEconomist,The Times,The Business, the WallStreet Journal Europe, The Sun, the Daily Express,the News of the World, Public Finance magazine,The Sprout, The New Statesman magazine,Dagens Nyheter of Sweden, Pravo of the CzechRepublic and Hospodárské Noviny of the CzechRepublic.Topics have ranged from labour marketflexibility and tax harmonisation to health systemreform, welfare to work and immigration.

ABOUT THE NETWORK

9WINTER 2004/05

STOCKHOLM NETWORK

TERENCE O’DWYER is ResearchOfficer at the Stockholm Network.He is responsible for coordinating theAmigo Society meetings and liaisingwith our Spanish and Portuguesethink-tank members.Terry joined theStockholm Network in July 2004. Hestarted his career as an intern, butwas brought on board as a permanentmember of staff in October.After growing up in Brazil, Mexico and theUSA,Terry returned to the UK to studyHistory at the University of Durham. He thenmoved on to Oxford University, and holds aMasters in Latin American Studies.

HELEN DISNEY is the Director of the Stockholm Network. Herbackground is in public policy and the media. She also undertakesconsultancy work on public policyissues for corporate clients.Formerly an editorial writer for The Times andan editorial writer and commentator for theDaily Express, Helen continues to writeregularly on a range of public policy topics forsuch publications as the Daily Express andSunday Express, Public Finance, Public ServiceMagazine, and The Sprout, a satirical Brussels-based magazine, as well as regular weeklyentries for the Centre for the New Europe’shealth weblog, CNE Health. She also makesregular appearances on TV and in radiodebates including ‘Heart of the Matter’, ‘Kilroy’,BBC News, BBC Radio Scotland , Radio 4’sTalking Politics and the BBC World Service.

Between 1996 and 2000, Helen worked at theSocial Market Foundation, an independent pro-market think tank in Westminster, where she wasDeputy Director and Editor of The Review, aquarterly journal. She has edited a number ofthink-tank publications including The Sex-ChangeSociety by Melanie Phillips, published by the SocialMarket Foundation, and Europe’s Welfare Burden,and Breaking Down the Barriers published byCivitas:The Institute for the Study of Civil Societyfor the Stockholm Network.

Helen has been the Director of the StockholmNetwork since 1997, and is a founding memberof the organisation. She holds a degree inFrench and Italian from Bristol University andspeaks conversational Spanish.

ANNE KRISTINE JENSEN is theStockholm Network’s Administrator.She joined the Network in Octoberfollowing a period as an intern, and is responsible for managing the office,organising events and frequentlycontributes to Stockholm Networkpublications.Anne recently completed her studies at theLondon School of Economics, where sheobtained a Masters Degree in Political Economywith a focus on International Trade. Previously,she had studied for her undergraduate degree at the Universities of Oslo (Norway) andGothenburg (Sweden). Anne has also worked in the political department of the Norwegianembassy in Berlin and for the NorwegianLiberal-Conservative party.

SACHA KUMARIA is the StockholmNetwork’s Director of Programmes.He is responsible for liaising with themember think-tanks, and co-ordinatingresearch projects and events. He alsocompiles the weekly e-newsletter.Sacha joined the Stockholm Network followinga successful research internship at Civitas,a civil society think-tank and Stockholm Networkmember in London. He previously worked part-time as a student caller during his postgraduatestudies, raising money for the University ofWarwick Alumni Fund.After growing up in HongKong, Sacha returned to the UK to continue his studies, and holds a Degree in English andAmerican Literature and a Masters in AncientHistory from the University of Warwick

MEET THE TEAM

ISSUE THREE10

EYE ON EUROPE

MEMBER ORGANISATIONS

The Stockholm Network is Europe’sonly dedicated service organisation for market-oriented think tanks and thinkers. Spanning almost 40 countries and 120 think tanks,our unique organisation has thecapacity to deliver local messages and locally-tailored global messagesacross the EU and beyond.

Through our publications, weekly newsletter,and special events, members are able toexchange ideas and make an impact on a widerange of public policy topics and ideas.

If you know of a new organisation you think would benefit from StockholmNetwork membership, please contact ouroffice at info@stockholm-network.org and let us know.

“Free-marketers preachglobalisation and internationalcontacts, but we rarely practiceas we should. The StockholmNetwork’s activities and invaluablenetworks are changing that,by connecting the forces ofEuropean liberalism.”Johan Norberg, Timbro, Sweden & author, In Defence of Global Capitalism

11WINTER 2004/05

STOCKHOLM NETWORK

Adam Smith Institutewww.adamsmith.orgEnglandAdam Smith Societywww.adamsmith.itItalyAlbanian Center for Economic Researchwww.balkannetwork.org/albania.htmAlbania Anders Chydenius Foundationwww.chydenius.net/eng/index.aspFinlandAssociation for Liberal Thinkingwww.liberal-dt.org.trTurkeyAssociation for Modern Economywww.ame.org.mkMacedoniaAvenir Suissewww.avenir-suisse.chSwitzerlandBalkan Networkwww.balkannetwork.orgBalkansBertil Ohlin Institutewww.ohlininstitutet.orgSwedenBow Groupwww.bowgroup.org EnglandCausa Liberalwww.causaliberal.netPortugalCenter for Liberal-Democratic Studieswww.clds.org.yuYugoslaviaCentre for Democracy and Free Enterprisewww.cdfe.cz/englishCzech RepublicCentre for Economic Developmentwww.cphr.skSlovakiaCentre for European Reformwww.cer.org.ukEnglandCentre for Liberal Strategieswww.cls-sofia.orgBulgariaCentre for Policy Studieswww.cps.org.uk/start.htmEnglandCentre for Political Thoughtwww.omp.org.pl/indexang.htmlPolandCentre for Research into Post-Communist Economieswww.crce.org.ukEnglandCentre for the New Europewww.cne.orgBelgiumCentre for the Study of Democracywww.csd.bgBulgariaCentro Einaudiwww.centroeinaudi.itItalyCentrum im.Adama SmithaPolandwww.adam-smith.plCercles Liberauxwww.cerclesliberaux.comFranceCIDASwww.cidas.itItalyCirculo de Empresarioswww.circulodeempresarios.orgSpainCivic Institutewww.obcinst.czCzech RepublicCivitawww.civita.noNorwayCivitaswww.civitas.org.ukEnglandCortese Foundationwww.fondazionecortese.it/fc_eng.htmItalyCouncil on Public Policywww.council.uni-bayreuth.deGermany

David Hume Institutewww.davidhumeinstitute.comScotland E.G.West Centrewww.ncl.ac.uk/egwestEngland Economic Policy Institutewww.epi-bg.orgBulgariaEdmund Burke Foundationwww.burkestichting.nl/content/en/index.htmlHollandEdmund Burke Institutewww.edmundburke-institute.comIrelandEkomewww.ekome.gr/English/default.aspGreeceEudoxawww.eudoxa.se/usa/index.htmlSwedenEuro 92www.euro92.com/new/europe.php3FranceEuropean Ideas Networkwww.epp-ed.europarl.eu.intBelgiumEuropean Policy Centrewww.theepc.netBelgiumEVAwww.eva.fi/eng/index.phpFinlandF.A. v. Hayek Institutewww.hayek-institut.atAustriaFondation Concordewww.fondationconcorde.com/html/accueil.htmlFranceFondazione Liberalwww.liberalfondazione.itItalyFondazione Luigi Einaudiwww.fondeinaudiroma.itItalyFoundation for Market Economywww.fme.huHungaryFrédéric Bastiat Stichtingwww.bastiatstichting.nlNetherlands Free Democraticwww.freedemocratic.orgNorwayFree Market Centrewww.fmc.org.yuYugoslaviaFriedrich Naumann Stiftungwww.fnst.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-449/i.htmlGermanyFriedrich von Hayek Gesellschaftwww.hayek.deGermanyFundacion Internacional para la Libertad (FIL)www.fundacionfil.orgSpainGdansk Institute for Market Economicswww.ibngr.edu.plPolandGlobal Business Research Institutewww.gbri.orgEnglandHayek Foundation, Russiawww.hayek.ruRussiaHayek Foundation, Slovakiawww.hayek.sk SlovakiaHayek Societywww.hayek.huHungaryHealth Reform.czwww.healthreform.czCzech RepublicIFRAP (French Institute for Research into Public Administration)www.ifrap.orgFranceIndependent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studieswww.iiseps.byRepublic of BelarusINEKOwww.ineko.sk/english Slovakia

Institute for Liberalism and Market Economywww.liberalismus.atAustriaInstitut Hayekwww.fahayek.orgBelgiumInstitut Karla Havlicka Borovskehowww.ikhb.czCzech RepublicInstitut Montaignewww.institutmontaigne.orgFranceInstitute for Economic Studies Europewww.ieseurope.orgFranceInstitute for Free Enterprisewww.unternehmerische-freiheit.deGermanyInstitute for International Relationswww.imo.hrCroatiaInstitute for Market Economics (IME)www.ime-bg.orgBulgariaInstitute for Private Enterprise and Democracywww.iped.plPolandInstitute for Transitional Democracy andInternational Securitywww.itdis.orgHungaryInstitute Economique Molinariwww.institutmolinari.orgBelgium Institute of Economic Affairswww.iea.org.ukEnglandInstitute of Economic Analysiswww.iea.ruRussiaInstitute of Economic Studieswww.ioes.hi.isIcelandInstitute of Economicswww.eizg.hrCroatiaInstitute of the Third Republicwww.instytut-rp.org.plPolandInstituto de Estudios del Libre Comerciowww.idelco.esSpainInstytut Liberalno-Konserwatywnywww.ilk.lublin.plPolandInternational Centre for Economic Researchwww.icer.itItalyInternational Council for Capital Formationwww.iccfglobal.orgBelgiumInternational Policy Networkwww.policynetwork.netEnglandISSPwww.isspm.orgSerbia and MontenegroIstituto Bruno Leoniwww.brunoleoni.itItalyJaan Tonisson Institutwww.jti.eeEstoniaJerusalem Institute for Market Economicswww.jims-israel.org/pages/1/index.htmIsraelKonrad Adenauer Foundationwww.kas.deGermanyLiberaleswww.liberales.beBelgiumLiberales Institutwww.libinst.ch/?nav=&slg=engSwitzerlandLiberalni Institutewww.libinst.cz/englishCzech Republic Libertarian Alliancewww.libertarian.co.ukEnglandLibertaswww.libertas.dkDenmark

Liberty Netwww.libertynet.grGreeceLithuanian Free Market Institutewww.freema.orgLithuaniaLudwig von Mises Institute Europewww.vonmisesinstitute-europe.orgBelgium Ludwig von Mises Institute, Romaniawww.misesromania.orgRomaniaMarkedscentretwww.markedscentret.dkDenmarkM.E.S.A. 10 www.mesa10.sk/en/Slovakia New Economic School, Georgiawww.economics.geGeorgiaNew Economic School, Russiawww.nes.ru/englishRussiaNew Social Market Economy Foundationwww.chancenfueralle.deGermanyNova Civitaswww.novacivitas.orgBelgiumNova Res Publicawww.novarespublica.orgItalyOpen Republic Institutewww.openrepublic.orgIrelandParadigmeswww.paradigmes.comFrancePoderlimitado.orgwww.poderlimitado.orgSpainPolicy Exchangewww.policyexchange.org.ukEnglandPoliteiawww.politeia.co.ukEnglandProject Empowermentwww.project-empowerment.orgEnglandRatio Institutewww.ratioinstitutet.nuSwedenReformwww.reformbritain.comEnglandRomania Think Tankwww.thinktankromania.roRomaniaRomanian Centre for Economic Policieswww.cerope.roRomaniaSauvegarde Retraiteswww.sauvegarde-retraites.orgFranceSocial Affairs Unitwww.socialaffairsunit.org.ukEnglandStiftung Marktwirtschaftwww.stiftung-marktwirtschaft.deGermanyThe Taxpayers’ Alliance www.taxpayersalliance.comUKTelders Foundationwww.teldersstichting.nlHollandThink Tank for International GovernanceResearchwww.tigra.atAustriaThomas More Institutewww.institut-thomas-more.orgBelgiumTimbrowww.timbro.seSwedenUkranian Centre for Independent PoliticalResearchwww.ucipr.kiev.ua/index.php?newlang=engUkraine

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Nine months after accession, whatcan the older EU nations learn fromthe new member states?

Stockholm Network/CNE ConferenceFebruary 17th – Jolly Hotel, Brussels

The impressive economic growth of the newaccession nations compares very favourablywith the stagnating economies of the EU-15.Accession has introduced a gamut of neweconomic ideas – flat taxation, privatisedpension provision, market-oriented healthcaresystems – into the European political lexicon.

Speakers such as Christopher Fjellner MEP,and Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister IvanMiklos (TBC), will discuss their experiencesand the potential application of this neweconomic paradigm within ‘old’ Europe.

For more details, or to register for theconference, please email terry@stockholm-network.org

The following night, Europe’s leading freemarket thinkers will dance the night away atthe Centre for the New Europe’s third annualCapitalist Ball. For more information about, or to partake in, this evening of liberal merriment,contact cecile.philippe@cne.org

DOES THE WEST KNOW BEST?& THE CNE CAPITALIST BALL

A Sick Business £10Apology for Capitalism £10Impatient for Change £12

If you would like to order a Stockholm Networkpublication, please send a cheque made payableto ‘Market House International Ltd’ to theaddress below. Please also include £2 postage in Europe, £3 postage Rest of the World.

Return Address:Stockholm Network35 Britannia RowLondon N1 8WHUnited Kingdomwww.stockholm-network.orginfo@stockholm-network.org

THE STATE OF THE UNION

This new collection of essays by StockholmNetwork authors explores the unique set of historical, cultural and social circumstancesthat have obstructed the path to reform inEuropean Union member states in 2004.

For more information about any of theseevents or publications, please contactsacha@stockholm-network.org

EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONSWESTMINSTER FRINGE DEBATES

One Great George Street, London SW1

8th February, 2005Ukraine’s Crisis is Russia’s Shame

April 19th 2005 (tbc)My party alone understands theproper role of the market

Having examined the proper role ofgovernment in the lives of its citizens, andthe virtue of the increasing democratisationof science, the Westminster Fringe willexamine events further afield in Februarybefore returning to the heart of the nationwith an April debate just prior to theGeneral Election. Following the recentevents in the Ukraine, Dr Boris Berezovskyand Dr Andrew Wilson of UCL will arguethat ‘Ukraine’s crisis is Russia’s shame’, whileMary Dejevsky of the Independent andJonathan Steele of the Guardian will opposethe motion. Later in the Spring, some ofBritain’s pre-eminent politicians will seek topersuade the forum that ‘my party aloneunderstands the proper role of the market’.

Westminster Fringe debates are held atOne Great George Street, London SW1P3AA (closest tubes:Westminster and StJames Park),The debate runs from 6 (for6:30) – 8pm, and is followed by a drinksreception.

For more information, please e-mailsacha@stockholm-network.org

EYE ON EUROPE

STOCKHOLM NETWORK

THE STOCKHOLM NETWORK35 Britannia RowLondon N1 8QHUnited Kingdom

Tel: (44) 207-354-8888Fax: (44) 207-359-8888E-mail: info@stockholm-network.orgWebsite: www.stockholm-network.org