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In Europe 18th September 2014

Corporation tax: Irish soften stance amidst growing international pressure

MADRID | By Sean Duffy | The OECD´s announcement this week that it was initiating a plan to combat tax avoidance schemes from multinationals has been met with almost universal approval across Europe. Ireland in particular has been the subject of criticism from its EU partners. Until recently, the country had determinedly defended its tax policy, famously refusing to negotiate on the issue when the country was in need of an EU bailout back in 2009.

alex salmond

In Europe 18th September 2014

Salmond wins the day

MADRID | By J.P. Marín Arrese | Bets heavily lean on the No campaign snatching victory tomorrow from the jaws of defeat in the Scottish referendum. Trust professional gamblers for picking out the winning horse. The prospects of a yes vote on independence have suddenly started to look dim. 

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In Europe 16th September 2014

Greece: Survey finds 2013 household budgets devastated, inequality persists

ATHENS | By MacroPolis | The impact of austerity measures on Greek citizens has been devastating, according to the last official data. The average monthly expenditure of households dropped 7.8 percent year on year (YoY) to 1,509.39 euros in 2013, according to the 2013 Household Budget Survey published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

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In Europe 16th September 2014

Financial sector welcomes UK oversight of Banking Union

BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | The financial sector has been expecting a boost to support capital markets from the incoming EC President Jean-Claude Juncker. There has been widespread speculation as to what shape such a boost might take within the monetary union. However Britain´s opposition to Juncker´s appointment means expectations have been somewhat tempered.

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In Europe 15th September 2014

Tsipras starts to flesh out SYRIZA’s economic policy but questions remain

ATHENS | Via Macropolis | In a much-anticipated speech, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras unveiled the main pillars of his party’s economic policy platform on Saturday, focusing on debt relief from the eurozone, the use of European Union funds to boost employment, a reduction in taxes and an increase of wages and pensions.

if no deal Brexit, pound in free fall

In Europe 14th September 2014

Scotland’s starting debt

LONDON | By UBS Global Research | While there has been considerable attention paid to the impact of an independent Scotland on British government debt ratios, the debate about independence has paid very little attention to Scotland’s starting debt. If an independent Scotland were to take a per capita share of gross debt, it would have a debt burden of around 88% of GDP (after the migration of part of Scotland’s financial sector). Scotland’s initial deficit and the set-up costs for the new state would need to be added to this number.

French government next corporate taxes rise

In Europe 14th September 2014

France: two more years to get to the 3% deficit objective

LONDON | By JP Morgan analysts | The French Finance Minister, Michel Sapin, announced this week that the deficit objective of 3.8% of GDP for 2014 would not be reached. This news was not surprising as the Ministry of Finance hinted this summer that the general government deficit would likely to be above 4% this year. But in his last speech, Sapin suggested that the magnitude of the revision would be large, as the government now expects a deficit of 4.4% for 2014. This represents a 0.1% worsening of the deficit with respect to 2013.

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In Europe 12th September 2014

Boosting growth is the only way of achieving fiscal consolidation

MADRID | By Luis Alcaide | In an op-ed at Wall Street Journal on Thursday, New EU Vice Commissioner Jyrki Katainen pledged for stimulating growth in the eurozone by keeping the proper fiscal consolidation. But his comment could be put in a different way: stimulating growth by all means as the only way of achieving fiscal consolidation. Stimulating growth means that deflation, a price level increase inferior to 2% (the Stability Pact target) is a more pressing requirement than meeting the 3% public deficit in the short term. 

 

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In Europe 12th September 2014

Spain and the Catalonian issue

MADRID | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | Hundreds of thousands of Catalonians marched for the third year in a row to claim their national sovereignty. The pro-independence way in Catalonia -which comes from a feeling more than a century old and from time to time strongly emerges to fight for its goal- is behind these demonstrations and tries to capitalize them.

mgornig presse

In Europe 12th September 2014

“Spain would be one of the top destinations of a European investment agenda”

FRANKFURT | By Lidia Conde | Martin Gornig is deputy head of department of Firms and Markets at the prestigious German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin. The Institute conducts a working group that advises the Minister of Economy Sigmar Gabriel with the idea of increasing investments in Germany. Gornig and his team released a report last summer on the possibility of stimulating growth in Europe without changing the Stability Pact. The proposal of  DIW is to immediately mobilize the necessary investments “to boost growth in countries in crisis and avoid a new recession in the eurozone.” As France and Italy are demanding, the Institute bets on growth but warns that it should not be at the expense of a debt increase