The rivalry between the United States and China is a battle of two global systems: the Bretton Woods monetary system and China’s New Silk Road initiative, the germ of a parallel system.

Piotr Arak, “Visegrad Insight”: Taxing may be the most important outcome of the COVID-19 crisis. More protectionism, new value chains, quantitative easing and new taxes through the EU could be the new normal of 2020.

Piotr Arak, “Emerging Europe”: The coronavirus has reshaped how we think about the economy and society. The governments of most countries have had to put their economies into hibernation to protect people from a disease: something which we have not encountered before.

Aleksander Szpor i Jan Strzelecki, “Emerging Europe”: Since December 2019, when US sanctions were imposed on companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the finalisation of the project has been frozen.

Andrzej Kubisiak, “EU Observer”: The consultation of social partners on the submission by the European Commission of a proposal for an EU minimum wage lasted until the end of February.

Piotr Arak, “EU Observer”: In the US we have the primaries and presidential elections this year but in the EU the budgetary negotiations will make for a good reality TV. Some will be losers, and some will be winners.

Piotr Arak, “Visegrad Insight”: Cohesion policy promotes upward social convergence among EU countries. It is well-managed, well monitored and supports quality projects. Unlike tax avoidance and evasion, cohesion funding is a cash flow that works and delivers results.

Piotr Arak, “Euractiv”: Cross-border tax evasion is a problem for the EU and there is no reason to exclude EU member states from the tax haven assessment. Therefore, the EU needs a New Tax Deal.

Piotr Arak, “The Rift”: Mid-December EU leaders have reached an agreement on achieving climate-neutrality by 2050 but with Poland opting-out of the target. It doesn’t mean that Poland takes an opposite attitude towards common ambition of achieving climate neutrality.

Nearly EUR 960 billion – this is the size of the European Union’s current budget. That astronomical sum, however, is ⅕ lower than 7-year cumulative losses due to taxes escaping across the borders of the EU Member States.