Competition Policy in the Wake of the Economic Crisis

Scandinavian countries are pursuing a successful two-pronged economic policy strategy with a focus on future-orientated investment and competition which could serve as a model for Austria. While the need to close the gap in Austrian economic policy in terms of future-orientated investment has been recognised, the intensification of competition as a possible tool has been neglected. The strengthening of competition, in the framework of a consolidation of the public budget, represents an attractive economic policy option to increase growth and employment in Austria. Competitiveness could be sustainably strengthened through a proactive orientation of overall competition policy that phases out competition-distorting regulations and subsidies as well as through privatisations.