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In Europe 12th March 2015

Europe and the Greek crisis: Will the real men of unity please stand up?

ATHENS | March 12, 2015 | By Nick Malkoutzis via MacroPolis | At first it seemed like a harmless joke. “And now for one member state, all the men need to take off their ties,” said European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans at the end of a recent photo shoot for the College of Commissioners in Brussels. After all, the Greek government’s penchant for not wearing ties has been the cause of lightheartedness from the moment SYRIZA came to power. 

 

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In Europe 12th March 2015

Eurozone inflation gives a respite

The Corner | March 12, 2015 |  EU inflation figures have offered  a more encouraging picture than was predicted.  Month-on-month inflation in the Spanish economy edged up 0.1% in February to 117.82, reversing a trend of four consecutive monthly declines.

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In Europe 9th March 2015

Morning briefing-ECB to begin buying sovereign bonds

The Corner | March 9, 2015 | The ECB will finally begin its purchasing of sovereign bonds today, but as ever, the Greek question continues to loom in the background. Greece will return to the forefront of events today at the meeting of the Eurogroup of finance ministers in Brussels. Weekend remarks from the Syriza led government seemed to spell out just how precarious the government’s financial situation now is. Yet once again, the country and its creditors appear polls apart on how best to proceed.

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In Europe 6th March 2015

ECB optimism a good omen for traders

The Corner | March 6, 2015 | Markets are likely to be buoyed by the positive assessment of Mario Draghi yesterday, which will probably be backed up by euro zone growth figures for Q4, released later this morning. In other news, Spanish 10-year bonds are up for auction too, while Spain’s industrial sector is expected to return to positive territory

ECB's QE country breakdown

In Europe 5th March 2015

Memento: How QE will work

The Corner | March 5, 2015 | Whatever it takes, don’t miss the mechanics of the European Central Bank’s next purchase programme starting on Monday. 

Juncker and Rajoy

In Europe 5th March 2015

OECD: “There are risks of persistent stagnation over the Eurozone”

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.

Greece's PM Alexis Tsipras

In Europe 5th March 2015

Greece: The gathering storm

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.

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In Europe 5th March 2015

ECB to detail QE plans

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.