Europe Economics Weekly Consumer outlook darkens Data published last week did nothing to alter the picture of a rapidly worsening outlook for domestic spending throughout the euro-zone. Consumer sentiment in the periphery is now only a touch above... 31st August 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is this the real crunch time for Greece? Given the number of “crunch times”, “end-games” and “abysses” that Greece has faced over the last two years, it would be easy to dismiss the latest speculation that the tragedy is about to reach its... 24th August 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Core’s export resilience won’t last The most surprising element of last week’s Q2 GDP figures was the robustness of exports from France and Germany. Previously strong demand from Asia and the US appears to have been the key, while the... 17th August 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Action will need to follow words before long Two weeks after Mario Draghi’s pledge to do whatever it takes to save the euro, his words have still not been followed by actions. Indeed, an impasse appears to have ensued in which the major players... 10th August 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB ups the pressure on governments The ECB’s statement last week that it might buy more peripheral government bonds if countries first apply to the EFSF for support was a step forward. But Spain and Italy are not yet willing to accept... 3rd August 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Three little words The markets got very excited about three little words at the end of last week. Spanish and Italian bond yields plunged, and the euro and euro-zone stock markets rose sharply, in response to ECB... 27th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Hopes of near-term policy boost fade further Developments last week confirmed that support for the periphery from the region’s core governments will be slow in coming. Some attention has turned back to the ECB for policy support, but it has very... 20th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Weaker currency won’t bail out the euro-zone The drop in the euro exchange rate to its most competitive trade-weighted level in over nine years might appear to improve the euro-zone’s growth prospects and reduce the need for the uncompetitive... 13th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is the ECB out of ammo? After cutting interest rates to a historic low last week, ECB President Mario Draghi suggested that there was little more that the ECB could do. As far as conventional policy is concerned, this may... 9th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Sensible changes, but no big cure Against a background of low expectations, the changes agreed at the EU Summit to tackle several issues which threatened to inhibit the effectiveness of short-term support measures came as a pleasant... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Bail-out talks are the next key hurdle for Greece The formation of a coalition Government headed by New Democracy has reduced the chances of Greece exiting the euro-zone imminently. But the political situation remains precarious and the Government’s... 25th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly What’s left in the pot? Our prediction last week that market optimism towards the Spanish banking bail-out would be short-lived was borne out more quickly and decisively than even we had anticipated. Even by the standards of... 18th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Markets' optimism to prove short lived Growing speculation that Spain may be about to gain a banking sector bail-out with limited conditionality has raised expectations that euro-zone policymakers are beginning to take a more flexible... 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Are we too optimistic on the euro? Recent developments in the euro-zone have raised the question of whether our central scenario of a limited form of currency union break-up - involving the departure of Greece and one or two of the... 4th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Growth plans look futile as German activity falls European policymakers focused again last week on the need for growth in the region, with Wednesday’s informal EU summit ending in pledges to speed up structural reforms, strengthen job creation and... 28th May 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The exit path becomes clearer Developments last week shed more light on the course of events which could culminate in the exit of Greece from the euro-zone. The failure of the political parties to form a coalition or even appoint... 21st May 2012 · 1 min read
