Europe Economics Update Can Italy shrug off its political deadlock? The recent news from Italy suggests that it could still be some time before a new government is in place. While there is little sign, for now at least, that this has damaged business and consumer... 2nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Feb. 13) The latest euro-zone monetary data showed more mixed developments in financial markets than in previous months. And there is still limited evidence of a pick-up in credit to the private sector. 28th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Mar.) Italy and Spain missed their 2012 deficit targets by a small margin and timelier data point to further likely slippage in the initial stages of this year. 27th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Who will be the next Cyprus? Cyprus has shown that even the smallest members of the euro-zone can rock the single currency area. Slovenia is probably the next country most likely to be forced into a bailout programme, but Malta... 27th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Capital controls: vital stopgap or dangerous precedent? While capital controls could be crucial to preventing the collapse of the Cypriot banking system in the coming weeks, their persistence or more widespread use would threaten to undermine the basic... 26th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Cyprus: Disaster averted, but with lasting effects While the Cypriot banking package has averted imminent disaster, the episode will have damaging effects on Cyprus’s economy and has raised new questions over the stability of the currency union. 25th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What next for Cyprus? The Cypriot Parliament’s overwhelming rejection of the proposed levy on bank deposits adds to the uncertainty surrounding the future of Cyprus and increases the risk of the country eventually exiting... 20th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Cyprus really a special case? The plan to impose losses on Cypriot bank depositors has potentially serious implications for financial stability in the euro-zone as a whole. Cyprus is arguably a special case, but given remaining... 18th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italian deadlock set to continue The opening of Parliament on Friday will do little to lift the political uncertainty in Italy. Accordingly, a prolonged period of policy deadlock looks likely to fuel concerns over the outlook for... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Norges Bank will continue to push back rate hikes The Norges Bank’s decision to leave the policy rate unchanged reflects the dilemma facing the Bank as a strong currency prevents it from hiking rates to stem a housing boom. These countervailing... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update SNB ready to do more if deflation risks rise The Swiss National Bank pledged to maintain its extremely supportive policy stance today, keeping interest rates as close to zero as possible and defending its exchange rate ceiling. But even at the... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB ready to do more if deflation risks rise The Swiss National Bank pledged to maintain its extremely supportive policy stance today, keeping interest rates as close to zero as possible and defending its exchange rate ceiling. But even at the... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank will continue to push back rate hikes The Norges Bank’s decision to leave the policy rate unchanged reflects the dilemma facing the Bank as a strong currency prevents it from hiking rates to stem a housing boom. These countervailing... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What’s left in the ECB toolbox for SMEs? Reviving lending to small and medium-sized enterprises is crucial for the euro-zone’s prospects given the importance of these firms to the region, particularly in the periphery. Indeed, ECB President... 13th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is austerity working after all? Despite concerns that austerity is not working in the euro-zone, most of the region’s peripheral economies managed to reduce their budget deficits in 2012. But fiscal progress has been slower than... 13th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Italy really on autopilot? We are not fully convinced by the argument espoused by Mario Draghi that Italian fiscal policy is on “automatic pilot” and that the budget deficit will narrow regardless of who eventually takes power... 12th March 2013 · 1 min read
