Wolfgang Maennig

Perspektiven des deutschen Immobilienmarktes und wirtschaftspolitische Herausforderungen

Abstract The current population forecasts bode ill for “the” real estate market in Germany: The regionally differing decreases in population will affect both the office and residential real estate market, however, not to the same extent. A reduction of property values with impacts on the economic activity and growth may follow. Due to potentially more restrictive technical requirements in order to slow down climate change investment losses in the real estate business could even be increased if no stronger international demand for property on the German real estate market can be generated through a higher level of transparency. An improved family policy, more incentives for internationals to migrate to Germany (which is where universities could play a significant role) as well as programs for the maintenance of existing facilities and their energy-efficient upgrading could be essential elements within a strategy for real estates.

Erwartete externe Effekte und Wahlverhalten: Das Beispiel der Münchner Allianz-Arena / Expected External Effects and Voting: The Case of the Munich Allianz-Arena

Summary We investigate at the precinct-level the 2001 stadium referendum for the Allianz-Arena in Munich, where voters had to decide upon a projected site as well as on public subsidies for provision of transport infrastructure. This is the first analysis of a stadium referendum with respect to the spatial dimension outside the U.S. The new arena, which is the home venue of the professional soccer clubs FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München and also was a major venue during the FIFA World Cup 2006 clearly won the approval of a majority of voters in one of the referendums with the largest participation in the history of Munich. However, in proximity of the projected site, residents strongly opposed the project, which reflects in significantly reduced shares of yes-votes. Assuming rationality, we conclude that at city level residents expected an increase in utility from the new arena that justified public expenses. However, our results also point to considerable proximity cost, probably related to the presence of fan crowds and congestion. This finding contradicts the existing evidence on stadium impact from the U.S. There are also major differences in the socio-economic determinants of voting behavior, indicating that the expected net-benefit of proximity to professional sports facilities may vary across sports and countries.

SYSMIN: An evaluation

The Third Lomé Trade and Co-operation Convention between the European Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries was signed on 8th December 1984. It is valid for the period from 1.3. 1985 to 28.2. 1990 and incorporates an extension of SYSMIN, the special financing facility for mining products created five years earlier under Lomé II. Now that Lomé III has passed its mid-term it is time to take stock of what SYSMIN has achieved and to begin thinking about improvements to be negotiated for Lomé IV.

Aprrs Nous Le DDluge? Direct Democracy and Intergenerational Conflicts in Aging Societies

To assess the likely effects of population ageing on the outcomes of direct democracy, we analyze the effect of age on voting decisions in public referenda. To this end, we provide the first quantitative review of the literature and a case study of the Stuttgart 21 referendum on one of the largest infrastructure projects in Germany. The evidence suggests that intergenerational conflicts arising from population ageing will likely be limited to areas in which the net present value differs particularly strongly across generations, such as education and health spending, green energy, and major transport projects. In such instances, however, the effect can be quantitatively relevant, raising the question of whether, as population ageing progresses, decisions should be based on social cost-benefit analyses, instead of referenda.

Unified structural adjustment policy in Europe

Low growth and high unemployment have induced the European Union (EU) to outline an economic programme in which long-term effective growth and structural policy measures play a central role. Simultaneously, the German government adopted an “action programme aiming at more growth and employment”, in which the efforts on the EU level play hardly any role. Is international coordination of growth and structural adjustment policy legitimated from an economic point of view or is competition between national policies more efficient?

Does EMU need stage two

The Delors Committee’s three stage plan for attaining European Economic and Monetary Union has met with heavy criticism and has given rise to various counter-proposals. The following article examines the relative merits and shortcomings of the Delors Plan and the alternative concepts presented by the Deutsche Bundesbank and the British Government.