J.L.M. Campuzano (Spanish Banking Association) | According to Eurostat, the business investment rate in the last quarter of 2016 grew to 23.5% from 22% in the previous quarter. We are talking about reaching pre-crisis levels.
The markets are beginning to reflect the “doubly” nerve-wracking effect of the fact that there are two electoral risks in France. It’s not only Marine Le Pen now; Jean-Luc Mélenchon is unexpectedly gaining ground.
By Alexander Coward|While it was a tragic day for those whimsical souls who see the lie in the notion of Britain being a modern great power, recognizing its status as a medium-sized country that used to have an empire, when Article 50 was triggered on March 29 it was not a sad day for Europe.
Housing prices in the Eurozone rose 4.1% in the fourth quarter of 2016 from a year earlier, the highest interannual increase since the third quarter of 2007, according to Eurostat data. In Spain, the average rise in prices remained at 4.4%.
Nikos Skoutaris via Macropolis | Last Wednesday, 9 months after the Brexit referendum took place, Theresa May triggered Article 50 TEU. The following day, the Government announced legislation to end authority of EU law, while on Friday the President of the EU Council, Donald Tusk released the draft guidelines for the Brexit negotiations.
Inmigration in Germany is not a new topic. The country is the second most popular migration destination in the world, after the United States. In fact, some 11 million of the people currently living in Germany were actually born elsewhere. The controversial refugee movement and last poor German demographic trends published make immigration resurface as an opportunity to boost German’s potential growth.
It beggars belief: over eight years from a calamitous financial crash in Iceland, much to do with failed financial supervision, there is still reason to worry about financial supervision in Iceland. Or rather, there is again reason to worry now that the sheltering capital controls are for all intents and purposes abolished Iceland. All of this, according to the latest IMF conclusion.
via Macropolis | Maybe the dial in his mind was still switched to the rigours of the Dutch elections or possibly his focus was on former colleagues who might now want to challenge him for his post as Eurogroup president. Whatever the case, Jeroen Dijsselbloem exposed one of the ugliest and most damaging sides to the discussion about the eurozone since the crisis broke out in the single currency area.
Italy’s government debt could set to be 133% of GDP this year – a level that is some 34% higher than it was at the end of 2007. Meanwhile, Ireland’s debt shot up as the government had to bail out the housing and banking sectors post-2007 and by 2012 it was very close to the same level as a percentage of GDP as Italy’s (123%9).
Lately there is growing criticism of the ECB over its supposed “democratic deficit”. It is being accused of oversteppping the mark by being obliged to take “political decisions”.