Can The Ghost Of Robert Maxwell End The Euro’s Problems?
It seems as though the true costs of the financial crisis are to be much worse than originally expected.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I am a red-blooded capitalist. I always have been and always will be. I believe completely in free markets (business and financial). But even by my standards, things are going too far and [...]
France And Germany Push Harder For A Banking Tax
The latest news seems to be that most major governments want a bank tax. The reasons behind this are clear to everyone I’m sure, but they do open the prospect of regulatory arbitrage - a subject that this blog has touched upon in recent months.
The problems with a bank tax are obvious though. Any [...]
Do Markets Negate Democracy?
At the end of last week and for part of the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Biennale Firenze in Florence, Italy. The event was being hosted by EESC, the European Economic and Social Committee. With a title of “Education To Combat Social Exclusion”, it is not a natural event for a blog [...]
Lithuania Slumps
This blog recently highlighted the trouble being faced by Latvia in this economic crisis. We all knew that Latvia was not the only country suffering and not the only Baltic country suffering. But todays news suggests that Lithuania is in even deeper trouble.
Poor Lithuania…
This story explains that the Lithuanian economy has falled by a thumping [...]
Do European Governments Care About Innovation?
Your author has just returned from a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, to attend the Eureka Innovation Days event. I was invited as part of a media partnership with my employer. We were there to interview a range of participants which would then be used as the basis for both blog posts and more ‘traditional’ online [...]
Is The UK Economy Heading For Bankruptcy?
Asking whether bankruptcy is on the cards for a sovereign nation may seem a little extreme, but the economic portents are not good for the UK.
Without getting too political, the British public has listened to Gordon Brown explain time and again how amazing he is with the economy. If you are from the UK, you [...]
Unemployment In Spain Is Up
The latest unemployment figures from Spain must send a shock through the powers that be in most major economies.
The latest numbers show that unemployment is up again in Spain. It has now breached 17%. Thats right, 17%. The BBC reports on it here.
To be fair, Spain has a seasonal economy because of the huge numbers [...]
Small Business - The Real National Economy
Last week I was able to sit in on a meeting with a couple of highly placed European Commission officials. We were discussing what will soon become known as the SBA - the Small Business Act. 2009 will be a year of many events and publicity for this new piece of EU legislation.
Now I realise [...]