Sunday, May 19, 2013
International

dpa

Mountains of Debt

Gone are the big, deficit-spending days of the 2000s. EU governments have undergone rounds of belt-tightening measures, including cutting social services and raising retirement ages. Even Germany, Europe's strongest economy, pushed through its own far-reaching savings package.

EU Parliament President: French Criticism of Merkel 'Unfair'

EU Parliament President French Criticism of Merkel 'Unfair'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 30, 2013

European Parliament President Martin Schulz shielded German Chancellor Angela Merkel from French criticism on Monday evening, saying she couldn't be held responsible for all the bloc's economic woes because 26 other leaders are also involved in decision-making. more...

EU Social Affairs Commissioner: 'Wages in Germany Must Increase'

EU Social Affairs Commissioner 'Wages in Germany Must Increase'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 29, 2013

Wages in Germany must increase and the government should establish a nationwide minimum wage, says EU Social Affairs Commissioner László Andor. In an interview with a German daily, he calls for a radical change in policy in the euro crisis and argues for a shift away from the country's export model. more... Forum ]

Lithuanian President: 'Brussels Was Target Before, Now It's Merkel'

Lithuanian President 'Brussels Was Target Before, Now It's Merkel'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 26, 2013

The Baltic countries have already moved on from their debt crisis, and are exhibiting healthy growth. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite explains that austerity is merely a question of political will -- and why her country wants to join the euro zone despite the crisis. more... Forum ]

EU Austerity Dispute: How Barroso Let His Opinion Slip

EU Austerity Dispute How Barroso Let His Opinion Slip

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 24, 2013

European Commission President Barroso has mostly stayed in the background in the euro crisis, but his assertion this week that austerity has "reached its limits" caused quite a stir. It was an unusually opinionated statement -- and one that came after the Portuguese official's national pride was questioned. By David Böcking more... Forum ]

Time for Growth: Austerity Has 'Reached its Limits,' Barroso Says

Time for Growth Austerity Has 'Reached its Limits,' Barroso Says

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 23, 2013

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has said that Europe has reached the political limits of its austerity measures, suggesting that crisis countries should get more time to consolidate their budgets. But Germany warned against changing course on Tuesday. more... Forum ]

Double Standards: Europeans Are Right to Be Angry with Merkel

Double Standards Europeans Are Right to Be Angry with Merkel

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 11, 2013

Chancellor Angela Merkel has tenaciously insisted that austerity is the only way out of the crisis for ailing EU countries. She doesn't practice what she preaches in Germany, though, which makes growing anger toward her understandable. A Commentary by Christoph Schwennicke more... Forum ]

Europe's Bogeyman: 'There Is No Doubt Germanophobia Exists'

Europe's Bogeyman 'There Is No Doubt Germanophobia Exists'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 11, 2013

Germany's push for austerity during the ongoing euro crisis has prompted Nazi depictions of Chancellor Angela Merkel in many parts of Southern Europe. SPIEGEL speaks with Cambridge University historian Brendan Simms about the "German question" and persistent hatred toward the country. more... Forum ]

Agreeing to Disagree: US and Europe Deeply Divided on Austerity

Agreeing to Disagree US and Europe Deeply Divided on Austerity

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 09, 2013

The visit of US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to Europe this week has highlighted the deep trans-Atlantic divide over Brussels' austerity-driven response to the euro crisis. Washington would like to see measures to stimulate growth. But none are likely to be forthcoming. more... Forum ]

Graft Report: Austerity Can Help to Fight Corruption

Graft Report Austerity Can Help to Fight Corruption

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 08, 2013

Austerity measures are widely hated in many European countries. But a recent study has shown they can have a positive effect in combating corruption, limiting the amount of cash that public officials can give out for things like bloated government contracts. By Andrew Bowen more...

Underwater: The Netherlands Falls Prey to Economic Crisis

Underwater The Netherlands Falls Prey to Economic Crisis

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 02, 2013

The Netherlands, Berlin's most important ally in pushing for greater budgetary discipline in Europe, has fallen into an economic crisis itself. The once exemplary economy is suffering from huge debts and a burst real estate bubble, which has stalled growth and endangered jobs. By Christoph Schult and Anne Seith more... Forum ]

 
TOP



TOP