The new British Prime Minister Theresa May’s choices of Boris Johnson as Foreign minister and David Davis as ‘Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union’, in some respect can be considered as a declaration of a trade war on mainland Europe. The latter of the two despite being almost unknown to the wider public, […]Britain declares trade war on mainland Europe
July 18, 2016 by 2 Comments
The new British Prime Minister Theresa May’s choices of Boris Johnson as Foreign minister and David Davis as ‘Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union’, in some respect can be considered as a declaration of a trade war on mainland Europe. The latter of the two despite being almost unknown to the wider public, […]Deutsche Bank: the next financial crisis is here and the lenders need €150 billion from taxpayers
July 14, 2016 by 1 Comment
Last Monday David Folkerts-Landau, the chief economist of Deutsche Bank, the ailing largest lender of Germany, in an interview with the prestigious newspaper ‘Die Welt’ stated that European banks must be subsidized with €150 billion in rescue money to recapitalize. Obviously, it will be the taxpayers to once more provide the capital the euro area […]Brexit casts a shadow over the LSE – Deutsche Börse merger: a tracer of how or if brexit is to be implemented
July 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment
One of the most direct and important consequences of the Brexit vote is the uncertainty it casts on the merger of Europe’s largest stock exchanges and clearing houses, the London Stock Exchange and the German bourse in Frankfurt, the Deutsche Börse. The two mammoth institutions, the double sun of Europe’s financial universe, last March agreed […]EU free-trade agreements with Canada and US: imagine the fallout if put to national referendums
July 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
When it comes to ‘selling’ its proposals to EU member states’ government and peoples, the European Commission turns the calendar some centuries back and starts painting saintly icons. The more inportant the proposal it is, the more boldly the Commission hides the real ‘catch 22s’ from citizens, under the bright colors of imaginary gains for […]Is there a de facto impossibility for the Brexit to kick-start?
June 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Quite understandably, the European Union leaders including of course the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French President Francois Hollande and the EU Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, want a swift and stern Brexit. The reports about a Franco-German split, with a fictitious Berlin tolerance and the Paris harshness, do not hold water. The France-Germany axis must […]The Brits are not an exception and that’s why they voted to leave
June 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The choice made by a bit more than half of the adult Britons to exit the European Union has already triggered financial and political turmoil. In a short while the direct impact on people’s lives will start to materialize. Let’s count the most important adverse effects: the financial markets turmoil, the international trade fallout, the […]The UK referendum has already damaged Europe: even a ‘remain’ result is not without cost to Britain and the EU
June 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The adult Brits are deciding today about their country’s position in or out the European Union, in a referendum that Prime Minister David Cameron was forced by his party’s ultra-Eurosceptics in January 2013 to promise to conduct it, should the Conservative Party win a majority in the 2015 legislative election. This promise was then thought […]Jo Cox’s murderer believed the ‘leave’ campaign leaders that the ‘remain’ vote is treason
June 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The assassination of Jo Cox, the Labour Party MP who actively and candidly campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union, can change the balance between the ‘remain’ and the ‘leave’ vote in Thursday’s referendum. Analysts are sensing that the murder of a solid and amiable advocate of ‘remain’ may reverse the surprising strengthening of […]Does the world have strong enough institutions to handle risks like Trump and Brexit?
June 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last December, after the attack in San Bernardino California that left 14 dead, Donald Trump proposed a “temporary ban on Muslims entering the US”. This statement gave him a clear lead in the race for the Republican Party nomination, amongst the twelve candidates for the 8 November Presidential election. Republican voters seemingly appreciated his strong […]Why does the whole world want Britain to stay in the EU?
June 13, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Foreign leaders, countries, international bodies and major world entities of any kind are supporting the ‘stay’ option for Britain ahead of 23 June referendum, about the country’s position in or out of the European Union. The American President Barack Obama and the Chinese and the Indian governments have expressly supported the ‘stay’ option, to mention […]Conflicting statistics and bad banks haunt the Eurozone
May 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last week, Eurostat, the EU statistical service, released its flash estimate of the GDP of the first quarter of 2016, finding it, in both the Eurozone and the EU28, to be 0.5% bigger in comparison to the previous period. In the fourth quarter of 2015, GDP had also grown by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Does […]To Brexit or not to Brexit: British exceptionalism doesn’t allow any Obama telling Brits what to do
April 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Barack Obama visited the UK last week clearly in an attempt to boost the “Remain” campaign urging Britain to stay within the EU. This move has not yet been exactly measured as beneficial or not for David Cameron’s campaign but has certainly caused several reactions to the British voters about two months before the referendum. The […]The EU checks the multinationals for tax fraud but Britain may sail out of the EU via Panama
April 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Panama Papers did not offer to the world community much more news than most people already knew. For example, the ‘revelation’ that a close friend to the Russian President Vladimir Putin was enormously rich without having labored for his wealth, is no news at all. Every Russian or informed citizen in the entire world […]What little Cameron got in Brussels seems enough to keep Britain in the EU
February 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Even since 18 January this newspaper was convinced that David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, was ready to campaign for his country to remain in the European Union. A few days later, the European Sting prediction was more or less confirmed by Cameron’s speech delivered at the Davos World Economic Forum on January 21, where he […]Brexit update: Tusk’s proposal is out and Cameron takes it all
February 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It was just yesterday when Donald Tusk, president of the European Council (EC), released a draft deal that intends to keep Britain within the EU. This new proposal is mostly aligned with what the British Prime Minister has been asking for from the European Union. However, this draft text must be voted by all 28 […]Why are the financial markets shivering again?
January 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The major central banks of the world are currently in the middle of a precise but of dubious results surgical operation on capital markets. On the one hand, the monetary authorities aim at supporting the real economy by injecting more cash into the financial system. On the other, they try to mitigate the risky super […]WEF Davos 2016 LIVE: Cameron corroborates that Britain should remain in the EU
January 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Some days ago and more precisely on 18 January, this newspaper argued that David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, readies to support the ‘yes’ side for his country’s position in or out the EU in the referendum. Yesterday afternoon he actually confirmed this with a speech at the Davos WEF. Having recited the four conditions […]Cameron readies to support ‘yes’ for Britain in the EU
January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
At the next European Council of 18-19 February, the 28 European Union leaders are expected to deliberate and possibly finalize the terms on Britain’s position in the club. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, has set four conditions in order to support the ‘yes’ vote in the referendum which can definitely decide his country’s position […]One more country to test the EU project: Kaczynski’s Poland
January 14, 2016 by 1 Comment
Poland, with a population of 40 million or 8% of the EU is not the land locked and Russia loving Hungary that Brussels may easily pretend doesn’t exist. The October electoral triumph of the Eurosceptic, if not anti-EU, Law and Justice party (PiS) under the extreme right wing politician Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a rampant populist, decisively […]Capital markets selloff: The financial moguls send messages to monetary authorities
January 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The wild selloff in the major capital markets of the world that culminated last Monday, the first working day of the New Year and continued on Wednesday for a fifth day in row was not just an overreaction to the anticipated slowdown of the Chinese economy, as almost all chief analysts assumed in mainstream media. […]The 28 EU leaders unable to start a relevant debate on migration and Brexit
December 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The poor results of last week’s meeting of the 28 EU leaders are reflected in the triviality of the remarks by the Council President Donald Tusk, in summarizing the outcome of the 17 – 18 December gathering in Brussels. His most vivid comment was about the “hard work done and the extreme efficiency of the […]Unemployment and immigrants haunt the EU; who can offer relief?
December 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
On Tuesday 1st December, Eurostat the EU statistical service reminded us all that in the euro area the October unemployment rate still remained in the double digit region with 10.7%. Understandably, this is the official percentage of people without a job, while the real unemployment rate may be double that, as this newspaper has proved, […]Europe slammed by Turkey’s shaky Erdoğan; both playing with immigrants’ agony
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Probably the greatest achievement of last Thursday’s European Council was that its conclusions were refuted within hours after they were published. While the official text of the Council results boasts about a “joint action plan with Turkey”, to stem the immigration flows to the EU, the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs Feridun Sinirlioglu commented otherwise. […]The UN supports Europe’s military action in Libya and the Mediterranean; Russia and China agree
October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday 9 October the UN Security Council and its five permanent members unanimously decided to actually trade entire nations and geographical regions between them. To this effect they authorized the European Union to employ warships in the Libyan waters to “board ships for inspection, seize and even dispose of vessels suspected of being used […]What the world will look like after the Iran and 5+1 deal; the US emerges as major power broker in Middle East
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The first to travel to Tehran after the nuclear agreement was struck last week between Iran and the 5+1 (France, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States plus Germany) are the German Vice Chancellor Zigmar Gabriel and Laurent Fabius the French minister for Foreign Affairs. Understandably, French and German dignitaries are more welcomed […]The hostilities in south and eastern Ukraine resume; where could they lead?
June 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The resumption of hostilities in south-eastern Ukraine is blamed by the West to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow reportedly wants to help the pro-Russian separatists who prevail in the Luhansk and Donetsk region to gain control of Mariupol a key port in this area on the Black Sea. However, the heavy fighting that took […]A few, or rather two, trade and economic alliances may rule our brave new world
June 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU Commission President together with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave a Press conference following the 23rd EU-Japan Summit which took place in Tokyo on 29 May. The focal point of the meeting was supposed to be the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides. However the EU dignitary spoke […]Big world banks to pay $ 4.95bn for cheating customers; Is it a punishment or a gentle caress?
May 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last week five of the world largest banks, JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland and Union de Banques Suisses were fined by the American magistrates a total of $ 4.7 billion for rigging interest rate benchmarks. The banks had been setting those standards by themselves for five years after 2007. In another case the […]Why is the EU launching a doomed policy in stopping immigrant waves? What are the real targets?
May 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For what it’s worth, the Libyan government, the one recognized by Europe and the West, rejected the EU plan to carry out military operations in the country’s territorial waters and soil against the traffickers of immigrants. This reaction by the one of the two Libyan governments is quite understandable, because it’s practically impossible to distinguish […]EU’s core members are eyeing larger parts of arms trade and of world map
May 14, 2015 by 1 Comment
Last Friday, 8 May, the European Commission released two documents setting a path for defense and security cooperation within the EU. The reports will be presented in an upcoming discussion by the competent 28 Ministers on 18 May and the Heads of State and Government in the European Council of 25 June. The two documents […]Why did Cameron gain absolute majority? What will he do now? Will he vote ‘yes’ in Britain’s in – out EU referendum?
May 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The UK election results came as a shock to many but primarily shook the British public opinion poll experts. All of them failed to even come anywhere near predicting the final results. For Britain, David Cameron’s win means no-change where it counts, the economy, the foreign policy and the home affairs. Regarding the repercussions on […]The EU Parliament and the ECB unknowingly or unwillingly fail to protect our financial assets
April 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
This week the European Parliament and the European Central Bank rather unknowingly or unwillingly failed to protect the European citizens from the attacks of ‘money sharks’. In two different occasions the two most important European institutions secured the bankers reign on peoples’ money. Let us take one thing at a time. When the average hard […]Last-chance Commission: Why Juncker promised investments of €300 billion?
November 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Jean-Claude Juncker is a ‘product’ of the 2008-2010 and still ongoing financial crisis in the Western economic volume. So is his Commission Presidency and he has a deep understanding of that. Juncker, as a President of Eurogroup had to face consecutive crises with Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy. What followed the financial meltdown is […]
