ifo Schnelldienst 11/2019: 70th Annual Meeting of the ifo Institute

70 Years of the Social Market Economy – What Is the Future for our Economic Order?

The social market economy will be 70 years old this year. At the ifo Annual Meeting 2019, ifo President Clemens Fuest and CDU Chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer presented the challenges for a modern economic order. The topic was then discussed in detail in a panel discussion. You will find the key results in the ifo Schnelldienst 11/2019.

On June 6, 2019, the 70th Annual Meeting of the ifo Institute took place on the theme of “70 Years of the Social Market Economy – What Is the Future for our Economic Order?” Clemens Fuest, President of the ifo Institute, drew the following conclusion in his lecture: “The economic and social model of the social market economy and its central goal – to combine prosperity and social equity – is supported by a broad consensus in Germany. However, continuing to achieve this goal in the future will require changes.” In her speech, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Chairwoman of the CDU in Germany, stressed that in historical retrospect the social market economy was the right answer to a disruption “which we can no longer imagine today – the devastating situation in Germany after the Second World War.” And still today, 70 years on, the social market economy is the right answer to the current challenges society faces, she added.

Ralf Stegner, Deputy Chairman of the SPD, Hans J. Langer, CEO and Chairman of EOS GROUP, Oliver Falck and Karen Pittel, both of the ifo Institute, took part in the subsequent discussion. The panel discussed specific future challenges, in particular climate change, digitalization and social participation. 

With the articles:

70 Years of the Social Market Economy – What Is the Future for our Economic Order?
Clemens Fuest

Challenges for the Social Market Economy in the 21st Century
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

Are the Digital Giants a Threat to Competition?
Oliver Falck

The House of Social Market Economy: A Dream for Craftsmen?
Ralf Stegner

Industrial 3D Printing: Europe’s Answer to Digitalization
Hans J. Langer