The leading German economist, Isabella Weber, is calling for drastic state intervention, advocating that the government implement price caps on essential groceries and maintain large strategic reserves of basic foodstuffs such as grains, rice, and oil to stabilize prices during crises. While stressing that she is not calling for price control on all 97 varieties of gum, she maintains that such measures are necessary for a basic food basket.
Weber suggests a model, loosely inspired by Ludwig Erhard’s earlier programs, where the government could incentivize major supermarket chains to offer fundamental foodstuffs at stabilized prices. In exchange for this guaranteed stable costing, the chains would receive subsidies and tax benefits. Crucially, she insists that these companies must be prevented from earning excessive profits. Weber, who teaches at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and advises global parties and governments, frames these proposals as part of a fundamental change in economic policy.
According to Weber, a completely different approach to the economy is necessary to counter the growing power of right-wing political parties. She argues that Germany is currently caught in “a multiple economic and governmental crisis that leads to disorientation and a lack of vision for the future.” Historical research dating back to the 1930s has shown a correlation between economic instability and the rise of extreme right-wing forces. She observes that voters for parties like the AfD often suffer from financial uncertainty, prompting them to seek alternatives to an unbearable status quo, which they find offered by the myths peddled by the far-right.
To address this, Weber promotes her concept of “Antifascist economic policy”-a system that consistently ensures all fundamental human needs are met. She demands abandoning the neoliberal premise that no alternatives exist. The state, she argues, must reorganize itself around serving citizens’ core needs, providing things like affordable housing, heavily subsidized public transport, and inexpensive food.
In Weber’s view, a complete intellectual shift in economic policy is required. She rejects the notion that policymakers must simply accept, “we can do nothing; we must submit ourselves to the markets, end of story.” The election victories of figures like Zohran Mamdani in New York or the left-wing candidate Elif Eralp in Berlin demonstrate that such concepts resonate with voters. She praises Mamdani for offering an alternative “in a brilliant manner,” noting that while some might dismiss this politics as simply “left-wing,” she views it as fundamental common sense.
