Conferences

The forum organises an annual international conference which takes place in Berlin in autumn. Since its first workshop, held in 1997, the FMM organises an annual international conference, which takes place in late October. It covers present debates on macroeconomic theories and issues. Parallel and plenary sessions build a platform for interchange among members and friends of the forum. Further the FMM’s focus on promoting young economists is reflected by the active participation in introductory lectures as well as in special parallel sessions. On this webpage we provide information on the next and documentations of past conferences including papers, slides and videos of introductory workshops and plenary sessions.

29th FMM Conference : Gendering Macroeconomics

At the core of the 29th FMM Conference stood the recognition that gender is not a peripheral issue, but a structural dimension shaping macroeconomic outcomes worldwide. This year’s focus was on the interactions between gender and macroeconomics, examining how fiscal policy, crises, and globalization generate differentiated effects for men, women, and non-binary individuals. Persistent gender inequalities, ranging from wage gaps and occupational segregation to the unequal distribution of paid and unpaid work, continue to define labor market dynamics across economies.The 2025 FMM Conference brought together leading voices in feminist and heterodox economics to discuss pathways toward a more equitable global economy.

Source: HBS

Documentation 

28h FMM Conference : Progressive perspectives in times of Polycrisis

At the core of the 28th FMM Conference was the challenge of addressing a series of interlinked global crises, from climate change to economic inequality. This year’s focus was on the tension between the need to invest in decarbonization and the structural limitations posed by aging populations and evolving work-life expectations. What does sustainable growth mean in an era when demographic trends and societal values shift toward shorter working hours and enhanced gender equality?

Source: HBS

Documentation 

27th FMM Conference : INFLATION, DISTRIBUTIONAL CONFLICT AND JUST TRANSITION

At the core of the 27th FMM Conference was the question of how to explain the economic phenomenon of inflation. It focused not only on the causes of inflation, but also on its impacts and how to fight it, all of it topics dominating the public discourse. These themes interact in complex ways with distributional concerns and the ecological transformation. The causes of the current inflation remain controversial. What are the relevant weights, in different countries, of supply-side constraints, demand-side factors, mark-up power of firms, or speculation in commodity markets?

Source: HBS

Documentation 

26th FMM Conference : POST-KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES

The 2022 conference aimed to take stock of post-Keynesian and other critical contributions with a focus on how they deal with current global macroeconomic challenges. These include high and rising imbalances and inequalities at national and global levels, and the need for social-ecological and economic transformation to address the environmental crisis. While these challenges require coordinated government intervention, both nationally and internationally, policymakers are faced with high public debt and, more recently, rising inflation rates. At the same time, the global financial architecture puts severe limits on the ability of countries in the Global South to conduct macroeconomic policies that can address the current economic and social challenges.

Source: HBS

Documentation 

25th FMM Conference : Macroeconomics of Socio-Ecological Transition

Social inequalities, climate change and environmental pollution question the sustainability of capitalist modes of production, consumption and policies. The externalities of economic growth should be taken into account, because they have an impact on welfare and its distribution – within and between countries, within and between generations. At our conference, we discussed what macroeconomists can contribute to this debate and learn from other fields.

Source: HBS

Documentation 

24th FMM Online Conference : The Corona Crisis: Macroeconomic Implications and Policies for Sustainable Recovery

The global Corona pandemic took the world by surprise in 2020 and not only did the virus cause the change to an online format in this year’s conference, but it was also the main topic of economic analysis and discussion.

Source: HBS

Documentation 

23rd FMM Conference : FMM Conference: The Euro at 20 – Macroeconomic Challenges

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the Euro, replacing 11 national currencies. The two decades have been characterised by geographical extension to nowadays 19 countries, a modest increase in the Euro’s international role, but also by the build-up of unsustainable imbalances, and a long and deep economic and political crisis specific to many countries sharing the common currency.

Source: IMK

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22nd FMM Conference : 10 Years after the Crash: What have we learned?

In September 2008 the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was a landmark in a series of events that triggered the great financial and economic crisis. Ten years later, financial markets are again reaching record highs, the world economy grows at a strong pace and major central banks are beginning to tighten their monetary policy stance.

Source: IMK

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21st FMM Conference : The crisis of Globalisation

At our 21st conference, we assessed how the past globalisation process can be explained, in which direction it may develop, and which policies are needed to make the global economy beneficial for all. During three conference days more than 400 participants engaged in lively discussions with presenters of about 140 selected papers in parallel sessions and nine keynote presentations.

Source: IMK

Documentation 

20th FMM Conference : Towards Pluralism in Macroeconomics? 20 Years-Anniversary Conference of the FMM Research Network. Towards Pluralism in Macroeconomics?

During three conference days more than 300 participants engaged in discussions with presenters of about 140 selected papers in parallel sessions and eight keynote presentations. 20 - 22 October 2016 Berlin, Best Western Hotel Steglitz International

Source: IMK

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19th FMM Conference : THE SPECTRE OF STAGNATION? EUROPE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY

While the Great Financial Crisis has left its mark almost everywhere in the world economy, its regions have taken different paths in the aftermath. Europe, in particular, still suffers a prolonged slump with mass unemployment and outright deflation posing a threat to political and social stability of the European Union.

Source: IMK

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18th FMM Conference : Inequality and the future of capitalism

As the outbreak of the financial crisis approaches its seventh anniversary, large parts of the world economy are still in stagnation. The financial system remains highly fragile, and high levels of unemployment and income inequality are posing a serious threat to social peace and political stability in many countries. Some commentators even see the world economy doomed to secular stagnation with high levels of unemployment being the new normal. Others point to the "return of capital", with wealth and inheritances becoming once again the dominant source of economic inequality in a context of low income growth.

Source: IMK

Documentation 

17th FMM Conference : THE JOBS CRISIS: CAUSES, CURES, CONSTRAINTS

More than five years after the beginning of the financial crisis in the United States, the world economy is still highly fragile. In particular, many countries are facing a severe jobs crisis. This is especially true for the euro area, which fell back into recession in 2012 and where unemployment has reached unprecedented levels. Especially worrying is the surge in youth unemployment in some countries. Even in those parts of the world, where unemployment is comparably low, a jobs crisis exists of a different nature: many jobs are increasingly precarious and low paid.

Source: IMK

Documentation 

16th FMM Conference : THE STATE OF ECONOMICS AFTER THE CRISIS

It is obvious that the experience of the global economic crisis, now commonly referred to as the “Great Recession”, will also change economics as a discipline. The mainstream textbook economics, based on the fiction of rational economic agents and efficient markets, have clearly failed to foresee the crisis and cannot explain its underlying causes. But although various deviant schools of thought have always been critical of the free market economics, the “Great Recession” came as a big surprise also to many heterodox economists.

Source: IMK

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15th FMM Conference : FROM CRISIS TO GROWTH? THE CHALLENGE OF IMBALANCES, DEPT, AND LIMITED RESOURCES

Four years after the first turbulences on the U.S. housing market that triggered the subsequent global crisis, the future of the world economy is still highly uncertain. Is the crisis over, or are we heading towards a period of stagnation or recession? What will be the drivers of future growth? How to cope with high private and public debt? Is there a new growth model capable of overcoming the problems of financial instability, income inequality and trade imbalances? Are high growth rates still possible or desirable, given limited natural resources?

Source: IMK

Documentation 

14th FMM Conference : STABILISING AN UNEQUAL ECONOMY?

Minsky's question of how to stabilise an unstable economy is obviously of renewed importance today. But are the present policies merely stabilising an unsustainable accumulation regime based on income polarisation and the dominance of financial markets? What are the economic and political implications of rising public debt? How can financial regulation contribute to stability as well as equity?

Source: IMK

Documentation 

13th FMM Conference : THE WORLD ECONOMY IN CRISIS - THE RETURN OF KEYNESIANISM?

The Research Network Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies (FMM) organised its 13th conference on ‘The World Economy in Crisis - The Return of Keynesianism?' The submission of papers in the following areas is encouraged: Global imbalances and the current crisis; financial crisis, real crisis and the risks of depression and deflation; paradigm shift in macroeconomics - the return of Keynesianism?; economic policy reactions and the future relationship between the market and the state; regulation of the financial sector from a Keynesian perspective; and perspectives for a Keynesian New Deal.

Source: IMK

Documentation 

12th FMM Conference : MACROECONOMIC POLICIES ON SHAKY FOUNDATIONS - WHITHER MAINSTREAM ECONOMICS?

Mainstream economics seems to be changing. The homo economicus has repeatedly been called into questions; many macroeconomic models are not based on a market clearing equilibrium any more. How profound are these changes in mainstream economics? What, if any, is the new orthodoxy in macroeconomics? What are the implications for Post-Keynesian macroeconomics? And how is the relationship between these developments and macroeconomic policies?

Source: IMK

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11th FMM Conference : FINANCE-LED CAPITALISM? MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR

Contents of this Conference were: Finance-led accumulation regimes? Theory and empirics, Empirical studies on changes in the financial sector, Financialisation and distribution, Global imbalances, Asset markets and monetary policy, Financial structure and economic growth, Financialisation and Post-Keynesian modelling of distribution and growth, Financial stability and financial crises, Financial aspects of demographic change.

Source: IMK

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10th FMM Conference : EUROPEAN INTEGRATION IN CRISIS

Despite the current growth speed up and increasing employment within the EU, one can still say that European integration is in crisis: Economic performance of the EU and, in particular, the Euro area has been lagging behind the USA, not to mention other regions of the world.

Source: IMK

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9th FMM Conference : MACROECONOMICS AND MACROECONOMIC POLICIES - ALTERNATIVES TO THE ORTHODOXY

The conference was intended to contribute to an improvement of European heterodox networking in macroeconomics. On the one hand, the state of heterodox macroeconomics have been discussed. On the other hand, perspectives for European economic policies have been debated.

Source: IMK

Documentation