Will they stay or will they go?
MADRID| Sean Duffy | Nobody knows how the Greece debt negotiations will turn out, but aren´t we all getting a little tired of the saga?
eurogroup
Greece edging close to exit?
MADRID | Sean Duffy | A defiant speech on Sunday in the Greek parliament from Alexis Tsipras has heightened tensions once again. The game of brinkmanship continues apace, but is the Greek Government edging itself towards a euro exit?
Eurogroup to park economic stimulus talks
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | EU finance ministers are meeting in Milan on Friday to focus on Ireland, Greece and Cyprus exit plan to leave their IMF-EU financial assistance programs. The much-needed debate about economic stimulus and growth is not on the agenda, nor will be Scotland, despite the thorny economic implications of an eventual yes vote in the upcoming referendum.
Dijsselbloem hangs onto the Eurogroup Presidency: “I have a job”
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | After displaying a substantial diplomacy effort during the summer, Spain may be losing the battle. Jeroem Dijsselbloem wants to keep himself as Eurogroup President with the goodwill of his goverment. At the boxing ring’s opposite corner is Spain’s candidate, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos. In front of the Europarliament Economic Committe on Thursday, Dijsselbloem insisted that his term will end in July next year and he is “determined to fulfill it”.
Merkel supports Luis de Guindos to be the next President of the Eurogroup
MADRID |The Corner | After a meeting between Mariano Rajoy and Angela Merkel in Santiago de Compostela, the German chancellor gave her support to the candidature of the Spanish Economy Minister, Luis de Guindos, to succeed Jeroen Dijsselbloem as President of the Eurogroup. As Barclays analysts comment, “with Italy’s and France’s leftwing governments and UK in or out of the EU, Spain is now a more attractive partner.” Regarding Germany, Angela Merkel recognised that the crisis in Ukraine is damaging the German economy. Nevertheless, Merkel affirmed that she forecasts a good annual growth if nothing dramatic happens.
Tuesday’s chart suggestion for the Eurogroup: the US is generating jobs
LONDON/MADRID | Eurogroup leaders must be helplessly looking at the other side of the Atlantic with at the very least a moderate degree of envy: job numbers are improving at a pre-crisis rates.
Future European banking rescue package limited at €60 billion
LONDON/MADRID | To compensate the news of a banking bailout limitation, the Eurogroup today may bring up a few tricks: the protection of SMEs’ non-guaranteed deposits of up to €100,000.
The unbelievable creditless recovery
Five years into the most global financial crisis, with continued economic recession and growing unemployment, should the Eurogroup consider a change of course in its meeting today?