Michael Landesmann wins Kurt Rothschild Prize 2022
15 December 2022
wiiw economist and former Scientific Director Michael Landesmann has been awarded the Kurt Rothschild Prize 2022 in recognition of his exceptional academic achievements
photo credit SPÖ-Parlamentsclub / Najiar
On 26 November, Michael Landesmann, Senior Research Associate and Scientific Director of wiiw from 1996 to 2006, received the Kurt Rothschild Prize 2022 for his academic work on European integration, growth and structural change in globalisation, labour markets and employment.
The Kurt Rothschild Prize for Publications in Economics is awarded by the Karl Renner Institute and the Parliamentary Club of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ Parlamentsklub) in memory of the Austrian economist Kurt W. Rothschild, who experienced the disastrous economic and social consequences of the Great Depression of the 1930s in Austria, and who later helped shape post-war Austrian economic policy. The prize is dedicated to scientists who not only communicate their findings to an academic audience, but also address a broader public – thus demonstrating the courage to engage in political debate.
photo credit SPÖ-Parlamentsclub / Najiar
Michael Landesmann: Making interests visible
In his prize speech, Michael Landesmann gave insight into how the challenges of our time can be classified and understood from the perspective of political economy. Economic policy issues are not purely factual questions, but involve - as Kurt Rothschild emphasised - "questions of power, interests and the goals of various social groups". With his analytical approach, Michael Landesmann has made these power constellations, interests and goals visible. In his lecture, he concretised this approach using three current developments: Russia’s war against Ukraine, the energy and inflation crisis, and global multipolarity. In a synopsis of this comprehensive and dense analysis, he discussed centrifugal and centripetal forces in the European integration process and delivered a plea for flexible and experimental economic policy in turbulent times.
photo credit SPÖ-Parlamentsclub / Najiar
Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Chairwoman of the Social Democratic Party and the SPÖ Parlamentsklub, emphasised in her laudatio of Michael Landesmann how important it is to have a global view of events: This view is needed in order to understand vital interrelationships and to develop effective and forward-looking political responses to deal with the main challenges of our time.