By: Rainer Zitelmann

Dr Rainer Zitelmann is a German historian, sociologist and author. His latest book is "The Origins of Poverty and Wealth" https://origins-poverty-wealth.com/

All 51 Articles

‘Socialist’ Sweden has no problem with its billionaires

Opinion

Sweden has a higher proportion of billionaires than the US, but far from causing anti-capitalist backlash the supposedly socialist nation welcomes its wealthy, say Rainer Zitelmann and Anders Ydstedt In an article entitled ‘Sweden: a socialist paradise overflowing with billionaires’, Ruchir Sharma implied this was a bad thing. Writing in the Financial Times about Sweden, [...]
Is freedom under threat in Germany?

Opinion

Germany’s intelligence service’s labelling of the AfD as a “right-wing extremist group” in a classified report that’s had little scrutiny is deeply troubling, says Rainer Zitelmann Elon Musk and US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio have both voiced concerns about threats to freedom in Germany over the last few months, most recently in response to the [...]
Trump’s tariff madness is based on anti-capitalist zero-sum thinking

Opinion

What is the real reason behind Trump’s punitive tariffs? Two beliefs that have frequently wreaked havoc in the past, writes Rainer Zitelmann.

Nepal: Where making a profit is a crime

March 13, 2025

Maoist policies have made the Himalayan nation of Nepal one of the poorest in Asia, says Rainer Zitelmann On December 11 2023, I landed in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nepal lies between China and India and has a population of around 30m. Kathmandu is located in a valley in the middle of the Himalayas [...]
Poland: The workers’ paradise overthrown by workers

March 6, 2025

Poland was one of the poorest countries in Europe, but since an uprising that overthrew socialism it is now set to become richer than the UK, says Rainer Zitelmann In recent years, I have visited Poland more frequently than any other European country, and I am always amazed by the country’s remarkable economic development and [...]
Vietnam defeated America, can it beat China too?

February 27, 2025

'Escape from China' is the watchword in Vietnam for businesses offering an alternative to Beijing's communist encroachment, says Rainer Zitelmann.
A seismic election won’t deliver the change Germany needs

February 24, 2025

Friedrich Merz has emerged victorious in a general election which saw dramatic changes in German politics – but given that his party is responsible for many of the country’s problems, a radical about turn looks unlikely, says Rainer Zitelmann Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) emerged victorious in Germany’s general election, securing 28.6 per [...]
What happened when Latin America’s most free economy elected a socialist?

February 20, 2025

Chile was the most capitalist country in Latin America and had prospered as a result. But since the election of socialist Gabriel Boric in 2021, all that has changed, says Rainer Zitelmann My trip around the world took me to Chile twice, in May 2022 and November 2023. After you’ve been to countries like Colombia, [...]
How Sweden left socialism behind

February 13, 2025

The myth of socialist Sweden persists but in fact it has left many of the policies of the 70s and 80s behind and become one of the most market-oriented societies in the world, says Rainer Zitelmann For decades, the production and sale of alcohol was heavily regulated by the state in Sweden. When it came [...]
How Albania went from Europe’s socialist poorhouse to a narco-state

February 6, 2025

Albania was once a socialist backwater with just 1,265 cars in the whole country. And though living standards have improved considerably since that time, it’s failure to transform into a true market economy has handed power to drug lords and driven the brightest and best to emigrate, says Rainer Zitelmann I was in Tirana, the [...]

Stock markets slide on Trump social media missives

Women’s Champions League to be shown on Disney+

New regions take the whisky world by storm

By: Rainer Zitelmann

All 51 Articles

Subscribe