European News | Page 237 of 307

In Europe 6th March 2014

Reasons for the ECB not to make a move

MADRID | By The Corner team | Neither the recovery of euro zone leading PMI services index, nor the stability of low inflation levels or financial conditions favouring all the region, including peripheral countries, would justify new significant monetary stimulus from the European Central Bank in today’s meeting. Furthermore, there is not a consensus even within the ECB itself. “Just the continuing appreciation of the euro could make the ECB to take action”, Renta 4’s analysts in Madrid said earlier this morning. As regards central bank’s expectations on inflation up to 2016, Draghi will probably confirm they will continue to be firmly anchored in the medium term, even though levels in the short term are very low.

In Europe 5th March 2014

The Bizarre Twist of Spain’s Unemployment Data

MADRID | By Julia Pastor and Fernando G. Urbaneja | 1,949 unemployed less in Spain in February. Agreed that it is just a drop in the ocean of almost 6 million of jobless Spanish people, but the figure symbolizes an improvement. A tiny one, but positive at last. For the first time in four years, February’s affiliation to social security increased in 40,000 people, which means reaching a yearly positive rate of 0.4%. If we take a look at the number of affiliated, though, it makes a total of 16.12 million in Spain’s labour market, which surprisingly is one of the worst data in all XXI century.

In Europe 4th March 2014

Good Jobs Report in a Deeply Unemployed Spain

MADRID | By The Corner Team | The Spanish government celebrated February’s job report on Tuesday, with jobless rate fall by 1,949 people from the previous month to 4.81 million. Although figures show that the worst of the recession is already behind the curve, critics point out there is still a deep employment fragility, with job creation mainly happening in Andalousia’s temporary agricultural sector.

In Europe 3rd March 2014

Praising recovery in tailor-made Global Forum Spain

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, architectural symbol of modernity and refurbishment, has been chosen to hold the international forum celebrating economic recovery. Among VIP guests: IMF’s head Christine Lagarde, OECD’s secretary Ángel Gurría and Eurogroup’s president Jeroen Dijsselbloem, along with four major international Spanish companies such as Inditex, Telefónica, BBVA and Ibedrola. However, social agents and NGOs who had a key role during the crisis supporting families in severe need have not been invited.

In Europe 27th February 2014

Greece, the troika and banks’ capital needs: A step-by-step guide

ATHENS | Op-ed by MacroPolis | [NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: This article was published ahead of Troika officials’ meeting with Bank of Greece (BoG) governor Giorgos Provopoulos on Wednesday]. As local lenders’ capital needs have shot to the top of the agenda in the current round of talks between Greece and its lenders and ahead of the troika’s arrival on Monday, it had been widely reported that Greek banks would need no more than 6 billion euros. However, there is now speculation that the troika believes this figure will be much higher. Here is our take on how this disagreement came about and what the outcome might be.

In Europe 27th February 2014

Spain cannot become Norway, Norway cannot become Spain- at least easily

OP-ED By Julia Pastor | Spain should turn its clocks back taking the time zone of their European counterparts since the country stands at the same range of Greenwich Mean Times that rules dayly life of the City of London and main financial places in Europe. This measure would push Spanish competitivity and help families to reconcile work and private life, according to Spanish government and also some anglosaxon media. Most of Spanish workers would be pleased to change working hours for leaving the office at 5 o’ clock like their neighbours. But will companies move on so easily?

In Europe 27th February 2014

The EU Youth Guarantee: A “Lost Generation”?

Youth unemployment in the EU has now reached an average rise of 23.5%. More specifically, there has been an increase of the “NEETs,” young people who are not in employment, education or training to 14 million young Europeans. As a new targeted policy, the European Council endorsed the principle of the Youth Guarantee in June 2013, an scheme to offer all young people up to the age of 25 a good quality employment opportunity, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving their formal education or becoming unemployed. The Youth Guarantee is based on the model of earlier national plans that were successfully implemented in Scandinavian countries, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland.

In Europe 26th February 2014

Are Europeans Closing their Borders?

PARIS | By Jean Pisani-Ferry via Caixin | Europe needs migration much more than at any time in recent decades, but has never given a clear answer to how it feels about the issue.

In Europe 26th February 2014

The Irony of Corruption Convicts in Ukraine

MADRID | By Álex García.

In Europe 26th February 2014

Spain’s new jobs to have a €100 flat rate on social contributions

MADRID | By Francisco López | PM Mariano Rajoy’ leading measures to push up Spanish economy in 2014 include a €100 flat rate for social security contributions of new jobs as well as a tax cut that can benefit 12 million of workers. While the first initiative intends to foster permanent contracts more than alleviate companies’ tax charges, the second is not very clear since we don’t really know how many employees will benefit from it. Also, the next fiscal reform could change tax structure completely.