Living costs in Germany have surged since Russia's attack on Ukraine. In this article, we discuss pros and cons of different government policies to protect affected citizens. There is a vast domain of possible relief options, each coming with its own trade-offs and design pitfalls. Information...

There is a need for some reform in the fiscal federal system in Germany. On the expenditure side, the relationship between administrative and legislative competences needs to be clarified. An orientation toward real values is recommended in the financial equalisation system ("Finanzausgleich")....