The Spanish think tank Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad (Fundalib) has won the 2020 Europe Liberty Award for Índice de Libertad Económica de las Ciudades Españolas (Index on the Economic Freedom of Spain’s Cities), which examines municipal data that impacts the economic freedom of cities throughout Spain and makes recommendations that will strengthen local economies.
In 2018, Fundalib published the first index, looking at more than a dozen basic indicators grouped in 4 areas:
A. Municipal macroeconomics
B. Municipal payroll
C. Economic interventionism at the municipal level
D. Municipal taxation
The most recent study examined data from Spain’s 50 largest cities and was released in May 2019. Copies were sent out to all city councilors, media, and other stakeholders, and Fundalib’s team worked with local representatives to ensure that they understood what changes might have the greatest impact.
Thanks to the recommendations offered by Fundalib’s previous report, several policy changes have been enacted at the municipal level, including tax cuts in Madrid, a debt adjustment plan in Granada, debt reduction in Zaragoza, and a tax freeze in Oviedo. In total, the adopted recommendations have affected an overall population of more than 7.7 million residents.
To read more about the project, click here.
The Europe Liberty Award is generously sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust.