Angela Merkel
Europe’s illusory deal
After Merkel’s decision to allow Eurozone funds to be used to bail out Spanish and Italian banks, the press tomorrow may declare – yet again – that some kind of… Continue reading
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Angela’s anguish on ESM vote
This all feels rather miserably familiar. Eurozone leaders come to a dawn agreement about resolving the crisis. Markets react positively. The leaders appear on podiums to congratulate one another and… Continue reading
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Italy and Spain put Merkel in the corner
It took them 13 hours, but eurozone leaders have finally agreed to use bailout funds to recapitalise banks directly. The deal, which was reached at 4am (David Cameron had gone… Continue reading
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Of technocrats and democrats
A former European leader was a guest at a private dinner in London recently. It was a polite and reverential occasion, but conversation grew lighter as Sauternes gave way to… Continue reading
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A turning point in Greece? Think again
Things in Greece could have been worse after yesterday’s election, but that fact can’t be hailed as a ‘turning point’. Assuming that Greek political leaders form a coalition and push… Continue reading
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The morning after the night before
This morning’s front pages are devoted to Greece, and the consensus is that the result of yesterday’s election amounts to little more than a stay of execution for Greece and… Continue reading
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Cameron defies increasingly isolated Merkel
‘No’ used to be the French prerogative in matters of European integration. Charles de Gaulle made a late career out of it. But perhaps the title is passing to Britain.… Continue reading
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Merkel heads to the G8
I doubt that Angela Merkel is looking forward to the G8 summit very much. It will mostly consist of the other world leaders telling her to give ground on austerity.… Continue reading
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Cameron vents his euro frustration
David Cameron’s speech today is a sign of his frustration with the eurozone. Numbers 10 and 11 are increasingly irritated by how eurozone leaders are refusing to accept the logic… Continue reading
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The staring contest over Greece
Now that negotiations have broken down in Athens, and there will be another election, we face the prospect of an almighty staring contest. On one side, the Eurocracy, who will… Continue reading
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Greece is still the word
Remember when Europe’s leaders were basically saying, ‘Don’t worry, it’s all sorted’? Remember when they were putting out communiqués that started ‘The euro continues to rest on solid fundamentals’? No… Continue reading
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Can Merkel and Hollande meet in the middle?
This afternoon, it’s even clearer that the French and Greek elections are a significant moment in the life of the Eurozone. It’s not just the nervous market reaction to yesterday’s… Continue reading
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Will Germany let Greece stay in the euro?
The German government is split on the biggest policy question of the day, according to the FT’s German edition. As Open Europe points out, the paper has a senior member… Continue reading
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Greece is still the word ahead of today’s eurosummit
How about this for a claim by Nicolas Sarkozy, made in a TV appearance yesterday? ‘Europe is no longer at the edge of the cliff.’ It’s quite some statement, so… Continue reading
15 CommentsDave in Davos
Reading Cameron’s speech to the suits in Davos, one thing stands out: he’s in no mood to stop ‘lecturing’ the eurozone, as Nicolas Sarkozy would put it. The whole thing… Continue reading
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A taxing kind of spin
The story being briefed out of the year’s first Franco-German Summit is that President Nicolas Sarkozy won the backing of Chancellor Angela Merkel for a tax on financial transactions, a… Continue reading
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Happy New Year from world leaders
It’s the New Year — a time when politicians all over the globe get on their soapboxes and preach to their people. From Merkel’s pledge to do everything for the… Continue reading
16 Comments26 versus 1 — really?
Judging from much of the coverage in UK media, you would be forgiven for thinking that Britain is on the fast track to becoming the North Korea of Europe —… Continue reading
45 CommentsTen myths about Cameron’s EU veto
The EU veto that Cameron pulled in the early hours of Thursday morning has been widely misunderstood on all sides. Here are the 10 most common myths: 1. Because of… Continue reading
59 CommentsA dozen questions for after the Brussels summit
Cameron will be depicted in tomorrow’s press as either a Tory Boudicca or an Essex Bulldog (© Tristram Hunt), depending on your point of view. I suspect the truth is… Continue reading
70 Comments