Peter Bofinger is recognized as one of Germany’s foremost economists. He served on the German Council of Economic Experts from 2004 to 2019 and holds a senior professorship in economics at the University of Würzburg.
Peter Bofinger: “The Financial System at a Tipping Point – Why Europe faces a decisive Moment.”
Beginning in 1978, he worked as a research assistant for the German Council of Economic Experts. At 36, in 1990, Peter Bofinger earned his professorial qualification at the Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Saarbrücken. Two years later, he was appointed full professor at the University of Würzburg, where he also served as First Vice President from October 2003 to September 2004. In March 2004, following a recommendation from trade unions, the Federal President appointed him as an economic expert.
Peter Bofinger Lecture Topics
- The digital transformation of the monetary system: cryptocurrencies – are they the money of the future?
- The debt brake: a safeguard or an obstacle to innovation?
- Deflation: does it pose a risk to our prosperity?
- The financial system’s role within economic models
- Germany and the automotive industry: what are the future prospects?
- Perpetual debt: is it a danger to our currency?
- China, USA & Europe – how can trade adjust to evolving conditions?
Professor Peter Bofinger is considered the foremost advocate of demand-driven economic policy in Germany. He is among the few German economists who criticize the main elements of Agenda 2010 and the Hartz reforms, viewing them as factors that further weaken domestic demand. He argues that Germany funds its social systems insufficiently through direct and indirect taxes, relying too heavily on non-wage labor costs, which disproportionately increases the cost of labor as a production factor.
Consequently, Peter Bofinger recommends structural reforms such as implementing a negative income tax and lowering non-wage labor costs. He also supports the introduction of a per capita flat rate in the healthcare system.
His research primarily focuses on reforming the international financial system and addressing the euro crisis, exploring new economic theories and managed exchange rate regimes. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research, the Society for Economic and Social Sciences (Verein für Sozialpolitik), and the Board of the Irving Fisher Society for Economic and Monetary Affairs.
