Job for ex-economists
Lindner takes advice from Lars Feld
2/13/2022 3:06 p.m
In the struggle to fill the German government’s council of experts, the Freiburg economist Feld became a victim of the dispute between the SPD and the Union last year. The new Finance Minister Lindner, on the other hand, relies on his advice and appoints him as an adviser.
Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner officially appoints the Freiburg economist Lars Feld as his economic adviser. According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ), the 55-year-old from Saarland will become “Personal Representative of the Federal Minister of Finance for overall economic development”. The newspaper refers to ministry circles. In his new role, he should support Lindner in evaluating macroeconomic issues, it said.
The economist from Freiburg was a member of the Council of Experts for the Assessment of Overall Economic Development for ten years, most recently as its chairman. At the end of February 2021 he left the board. According to the FAZ, Feld will not be employed by the ministry, but will remain independent as a scientist and professor at the University of Freiburg.
The newspaper writes that Lindner appreciates Feld because of his fundamental ordoliberal convictions and because he is a fighter for solid state finances. The director of the Walter Eucken Institute often advised FDP committees. Conversely, Feld invited Lindner to hold the traditional Walter Eucken lecture. The two would have repeatedly exchanged views on current financial policy issues.
Lindner should also like the fact that Feld stands for a supply-oriented economic policy, writes the FAZ. Feld announced a week ago that he would not be moving to the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) in Vienna, but would continue to work at the University of Freiburg and at the Walter Eucken Institute.
At the end of February 2021, Feld left the German Council of Economic Experts. This was preceded by a struggle between the Union and the SPD. The finance minister at the time, Olaf Scholz, rejected a renewed appointment of the ordoliberal economist. The social democrat ultimately prevailed against Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier. The seat on the board has been vacant since then.