The Expert Council for Assessing the Overall Economic Development has taken issue with the federal government’s decision not to extend the term of economist Ulrike Malmendier. “With great surprise and sincere regret, the Expert Council notes that our colleague’s mandate of only three and a half years is not being renewed” the council said on Sunday. Losing Malmendier means the loss of a highly respected member whose international scholarly reputation is unrivaled in the council’s long history. “We will especially miss her external perspective from the United States on Europe and Germany”.
Malmendier herself expressed her disappointment: “I was deeply saddened to learn that my mandate would not be extended. It has been an honour to contribute to the work of this council and to our country, both through my academic expertise and my outside view from the United States”. She highlighted her pride in having introduced the early‑retirement pension she developed, which all council members approved, into German policy and into the debate over defined‑contribution pensions and greater generational fairness. Malmendier remains available for policy consulting in Germany and Europe.
