Europe is entering a new fiscal era. Large-scale public investments - such as the €800 billion ReArm Europe plan - raise important questions about how to share the financial burden fairly and efficiently across different groups in society.

Proehl, a researcher with ASE’s Macro & International Economics section, aims to identify tax and public debt strategies that strike the right balance between efficiency and fairness, while also maximising overall social welfare. The findings will offer governments practical guidelines on how to finance major increases in public spending in a way that benefits society as a whole.

The NWO Open Competition XS grant provides up to 50,000 euro for curiosity-driven research projects. Proehl’s research will be conducted for a period of 1 year, starting in September 2025.