After his graduation, he became assistant to Alfred Müller-Armack and worked from 1965 to 1969 at his Institute for Economic Policy in the University of Cologne.

Müller-Armack, who had invented the term 'social market economy' had previously worked under Economics Minister Ludwig Erhard and then served as a state secretary for European Affairs.

He feared that the Euro would not be as strong and stable as the Deutsche Mark, that it might result in higher inflation and that Germany might ultimately be compelled to pay for the national debt of other countries within the currency zone.

[2] Starbatty has launched together with other professors several legal challenges against the currency union and later the monetary policy of the European Central Bank at the German Constitutional Court with ultimately all failed.

[4][5] Following his departure, he joined the Liberal Conservative Reformers, a small party founded by former AfD leader Bernd Lucke, but left in September 2018.