BRUSSELS | March 5, 2015 | By Alexandre Mato | When presenting its annual report, ‘Going for growth’ in Brussels, the Paris-based institution raised some doubts about the ongoing recovery in Europe. Structural, long-term unemployment and low productivity in some Member States are becoming the main economic issues of concern, with neither investment nor fiscal adjustments seen as the antidote.
ATHENS | By Nick Malkoutzis via MacroPolis | As the dust settles from Greece’s negotiations with its lenders and the arduous work of implementing their agreement begins, it is becoming increasingly evident that the next four months will be an extremely testing experience for everyone concerned.
The Corner | March 5, 2015 | Markets are again looking to the ECB for a gauge as to where the continent is headed, with Mario Draghi expected to announce more detailed descriptions of the bank’s QE plan. Elsewhere, data from Germany, Italy and Greece are likely to highlight the divergent fortunes of countries within the single currency area.
The Corner | March 4, 2015 | Data released today are expected to confirm that retail sales are on the rise in the euro area. Forecasters are predicting a rise of between 1.5 and 2.0% for the year to January. However, markets are eagerly awating further indications on the finer details of the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing programme, which will be announced in Nicosia on Thursday. Markit composite figures are due today, but traders are more likely to be mindful of tomorrow’s scheduled announcement.
ATHENS | March 3, 2015 | By Nick Malkoutzis via MacroPolis | There was a defining moment in the recent election campaign. It wasn’t New Democracy’s decision to go full negative by running a campaign ad that suggested Armageddon was around the corner. Nor was it To Potami’s claim that it would unveil its plan for reaching an agreement with Greece’s lenders after the elections. Instead, it came on a mild Thursday night in Omonia Square.
MADRID | March 3, 2015 | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | The creation of 13,500 new jobs in January is in line with encouraging figures elsewhere in the Spanish economy. While there will rightly be optimism in the wake of the latest data, the worrying plight of the youth and long-term unemployed continue to cause concern.
MADRID | March 3, 2015 | By JP Marín-Arrese | Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has unwisely accused Spain and Portugal of intentionally trying to block a solution for his country’s troublesome discussions with the Euro group at a Syriza party meeting. The reaction has gone beyond any reasonable limit. The two targeted nations filed formal claims to the European Commission asking it to take action against Greece. One wonders why their Foreign Ministries did not warn of the utter ridicule such a step would precipitate. Worse still, the row between EU partners might leave longstanding scars.
The Corner | March 3, 2015 | Retail sales in Germany beat expectations in January: they rose by 5.3% instead of the forecast 3.0%, and up from the December’s upwardly revised 4.8% rise. Spanish and German consumers are seemingly much happier about the state of the economy.
The Corner | March 2, 2015 | Concerns about the impact that the ECB’s quantitative easing programme will have persist ahead of monthly purchase of €60 billion in sovereign bonds.
The Corner | March 2, 2015 | The engine of Europe’s economy outperformed expectations in 4Q2014, and that is good news for all the eurozone. Germany is increasingly depending on internal demand, which was the main contributor to the 1.6% GDP growth last year: 0.4 basis points.