Agreed: austerity is killing the euro’s star
Presseurop.eu | The latest statistics on the state of the eurozone economy indicate that, contrary to what political leaders have recently been saying, the crisis is far from over.
In Europe
Much ado about the US-EU free trade area
BERLIN | A US-EU free trade zone is on the agenda. There are at least four good reasons for Europe to stay away from it, writes the liberal Die Welt.
“France shows same weakness signs as peripheral economies”
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Javier Flores, head of analysis at Asinver: “France’s economic system will not fall into bankruptcy, but the French model cannot be considered as a superpower any more.”
Listen, Europe: investment in science is more cost efficient than spending cuts
By Arran Frood | Resisting a reduced spend on science in Europe may require decision makers to understand the mechanisms that makes them discount future benefits in return for short-term certainty on cost savings.
Why the European Union will succeed
Ronny Patz | We seem far from having only technocratic European debates. We seem far from only hearing national politician’s views on the national aspects of European politics.
Berlusconi, Bárcenas and Angela Merkel
By Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, analyst at XTB | For all the noise these scandals bring about, the pressure on Merkel should not abate. The eurozone needs that Germany relaxes its stand on public investment cuts, and efficient measures to deal with sovereign debt should be agreed by core country members.
What’s next for the EU budget
By Ralf Grahn, lawyer | Political agreement among the heads of state or government is not the end of the EU budget story. According to Article 312(2) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Council needs the consent of at least 378 MEPs (a majority of the 754 members).
The strange case of the Irish promissory notes
Is Ireland such a good model to follow as Brussels would like the rest of the euro periphery to believe? The latest financial creative engineering to trim Irish public debt tells us that reality is quite different, and the eurozone still needs to find a long-term programme to solve its problems.
North Sea oil and banks deflate UK economic productivity
LONDON | By Jeremy Beckwith, chief investment officer of London Wall Partners LLP | “In contrast to the jobless recoveries seen in many Western countries after the 2001 downturn, the UK is experiencing a job-creating recession that is the cause of great head-scratching amongst economists.”
EU budget and selfishness
Presseurop.eu | The EU’s 27 leaders are now meeting to discuss the European Union’s 2014-2020 budget and will probably reach an agreement. But they will do so by making the usual petty deals that compromise the future, warns Le Monde.