Simon Tilford

Simon Tilford

Associate fellow
Areas of expertise 

Britain and Europe, the euro, fiscal and monetary policy, labour and social policy, competition, innovation, environmental economics and demographics.

Twitter 
Brussels medicine

How Brussels' medicine is killing the 'French patient'

24 September 2014
France is not yet the 'sick man of Europe', but it is ailing thanks to swallowing too much bad medicine prescribed by Brussels and Berlin.
The eurozone is no place for poor countries

The eurozone is no place for poor countries

27 June 2014
The gap between the eurozone’s richer and poorer members is as wide as in 1999 and is growing. Poorer prospective members should take note.
Juncker battle

Why the push to install Juncker is so damaging

23 June 2014
The battle for Juncker does not pit the British against Europe's democrats. It is a power grab by the European Parliament, combined with self-interested haggling by governments.
The eurozone economy needs a kick-start

The eurozone economy needs a kick-start

06 June 2014
With just as many reasons for pessimism as for optimism in the eurozone, policy-makers need to further stimulate demand and pursue more targeted reforms.
Poland and Ukraine: A tale of two economies

Poland and Ukraine: A tale of two economies

31 March 2014
The EU finally needs to fulfil its moral obligation to Ukraine: to treat it like any other sovereign country trying to escape Russia's grasp.
The eurozone's ruinous embrace of 'competitive devaluation'

The eurozone's ruinous embrace of 'competitive devaluation'

10 March 2014
Instead of being criticised for pursuing competitive devaluations, eurozone countries that manage to devalue their real exchange rates are extolled as an example for others.
What explains Europe's rejection of macroeconomic orthodoxy?

What explains Europe's rejection of macroeconomic orthodoxy?

05 February 2014
European policy-makers' rejection of both Keynesianism and monetarism has cut economic growth, raised debt and increased the risk of deflation.
Britain's populist arms race over immigration

Britain's populist arms race over immigration

27 January 2014
Britain's immigration debate is damaging the country's economic and political interests. It will also make it harder for David Cameron to renegotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership in a way that satisfies Tory eurosceptics.
The Great British trade-off: The impact of leaving the EU on the UK’s trade and

The Great British trade-off: The impact of leaving the EU on the UK's trade and investment

20 January 2014
Eurosceptics think Britain can leave the EU and still have access to its markets. But to do so, Britain will have to sign up to EU rules. 
Why Germany’s trade surplus is bad for the eurozone

Why Germany’s trade surplus is bad for the eurozone

29 November 2013
In late October, the US singled out Germany as a threat to the global economy. The Treasury issued a report saying that Germany’s current account surplus – now around 7 per cent of GDP – imposes "a deflationary bias for the eurozone as well as for the world economy."