A European Currency War?
Update: remarks made by French President Francois Hollande in Strasbourg on Feb. 5, 2013 concerning the need for action on the strength of the euro has only helped to stoke …
The Legacy of the Elysee Treaty
In a conversation with his ambassador to France, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer once impatiently remarked that Germans needed to be more closely bound to France for a very simple reason: to …
Europe’s Pivotal Week
This was truly a remarkable week for Europe. It opened with Franco-German festivities in Berlin celebrating fifty years of the Elysee treaty. It continued with UK Prime Minister David Cameron …
No Claim to Victory
While most commentators who listened to Mario Draghi’s first press conference in 2013 focused on the upbeat tone of the remarks made by the ECB’s president, I prefer to focus …
Monti’s Campaign
By finally stepping into the political fray, Italy’s outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti has sent a strong message to the outside world that it should still be very worried about …
Yet Another Year of the Central Banker
2012 was the year that Mario Draghi saved the euro. There is no doubt that it was the European central banker’s simple statement that the ECB was ready to do …
End of Year Summitry
The European Union’s end of year summit delivered what amounts to solid progress: there is a deal on a banking union and the European central bank will in fact become …
Italy’s Revolving Political Door
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s sudden decision to pull the plug on his own government sent shockwaves across Europe and spooked investors. In fact, many observers squarely attacked former Italian …
Zusammenfassung: Es geht nicht nur ums Geld
Seit mehr als zwei Jahren hat die europäische Schuldenkrise Amerika und Deutschland geholfen, die Folgen der großen Rezession zu überwinden. Beide Länder werden als Zufluchtsort für Anlagen gesehen und haben …
Domestic Victories, European Challenges
With 97.94% of votes cast in her favor, the German Chancellor and head of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Angela Merkel could not be happier. At their party convention in …
The Waiting Game
Despite a flurry of Anglophone media reports suggesting that the results of the latest regional election in the Spanish region of Catalunya has increased the likelihood of a vote on …
It’s Not Only the Economy: Germany’s role in averting a Western meltdown
Download Policy Report The observed capital flows out of distressed countries into countries that are seen as “safe harbors” have in fact resulted in historically low yields of German and …