Rudolf Hickel is one of Germany's best-known economists and most distinguished financial scientists. He criticises finance-driven capitalism and advocates a demand-oriented approach to economic policy. After studying economics in Tübingen and Berlin, Rudolf Hickel became professor of political economy, later of finance, at the University of Bremen, which he actively helped to establish until the early 1970s. In 1975 he becomes a member of the Alternative Economic Policy Working Group and as such publishes the counter-opinion to the German Council of Economic Experts once a year. In 2007 he ended his teaching career there after more than 34 years. The economist deals with the political economy of the development of capitalism, monetary policy in Euroland and fiscal policy in the EU. He represents the neo-Keynesian position, warns against supply-oriented casino capitalism and advocates minimum wages. He argues that wage restraint harms domestic demand and that innovation is crucial to remain internationally competitive. As a member of various supervisory boards for the employee side, Rudolf Hickel looks back on more than 30 years of experience. He is co-editor of the journal "Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik" and is an expert witness at the Finance Committee of the German Bundestag.