European Crisis
Taking stock of the Euro Crisis, in light of the 2014 Euro Parliament Elections: Long Radio Interview with Doug Henwood
, 30/05/2014
/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/behind-the-news-14_05_29.mp3On Sun News TV (Canada): The Euro Project in the light of the 2014 European Parliament Elections
, 30/05/2014
Faith Goldy interviews Yanis Varoufakis to discuss the future of the European Union based on the historic results of recent European Union elections (Duration: 7 minutes)
A Europe of One Extreme: Interviewed by Thomas Fazi on the European Parliamentary Election outcome
, 29/05/2014
Europe went to the polls last weekend. Here is my take on the election results – in an interview with Thomas Farzi (author of The Battle for Europe: How an Elite Hijacked a Continent – and How We Can Take It Back). – What’s your general take on the results of the European elections?
European Parliament Elections: Our choice between Euro-loyalists, Euro-sceptics & Euro-critics
, 24/05/2014
In this European Parliament election, Europeans are confronted with a stark trilemma; with three competing narratives on the state of the Union one of which we must adopt and vote accordingly.
How should the ECB enact Quantitative Easing? A proposal
, 19/05/2014
The ECB has no alternative to enacting some form of Quantitative Easing (QE) in order to prevent deflationary expectations from setting in fully. Core inflation has already reached a level that, even according to Mr Draghi’s own pronouncements on 24th April, should have already triggered off QE. (See also Wolfgang Munchau’s well argued case here.) However, […]
Is Europe Reforming? At the Bellwether Economist Conference
, 19/05/2014
On 15th May, the Bellwether Economist Conference (see program) posed the broader question “Who will fill the funding gap?” and the narrower but crucial question “Is Europe Reforming?” In this post the reader can find/hear my contribution in lieu of an answer to the second question, as well as to questions on how the ECB should […]
Depressed, depressing Europe – video
, 13/05/2014
In conversation with Andrew Brady of USiLive regarding the state of Europe now.
How the Greek Banks Secured an Additional, Hidden €41 billion Bailout from European taxpayers
, 11/05/2014
In 2013 Greek taxpayers borrowed from the rest of Europe’s taxpayers €41 billion to pump into the Greek banks. This is well known. What is not known is that, also in 2013/4, the Greek banks received an additional, well hidden, €41 billion bailout loan from Greek and European citizens. This bailout was never authorised by any Parliament or […]
Sleepless in Europe – in Huffington Post
, 10/05/2014
Some weeks ago I heard Arianna Huffington deliver a talk, in Austin, on sleep deprivation and the terrible decisions that it leads to. This made me recall that all the awful decisions of our European leaders (and there were so many of them) were reached at around 4.00am. I mentioned that to Arianna and she […]
Europe’s slide into deflation, and what to do about it – Interviewed for Jornal de Negócios by Jorge N. Rodrigues
, 04/05/2014
Europe is in the clasps of the deflationary forces that resulted directly from its inane handling of the Eurozone crisis. In this interview, I discuss deflation and low-flation and suggest a particular form of quantitative easing that, unlike the Fed’s or the Bank of England’s QE, will not reinflate the bubbles of the financial sector but, instead, […]
EUROBANK: Another scandal re-packaged as part of the Greek Success Story
, 04/05/2014
Eurobank is an apt example of Greek ingenuity. Its name is a coup in itself.[1] Beyond semantics, however, and coming to recent developments, Eurobank is a wonderful example of the Greek establishment’s ingenious efforts to defraud Greek and European taxpayers, and then to proclaim a glorious Greek Success Story, weeks before the European Parliament elections. […]
My endorsement of Alexis Tsipras' Candidacy for the Presidency of the European Commission – video
, 01/05/2014
Over the past year I have argued that Europe needs a jolt.
‘European Progressive Policy Initiative’ endorses the Modest Proposal’s four main policies
, 01/05/2014
A group of noted international economists (including Joseph Stiglitz, Peter Bofinger and Stefanie Griffith-Jones), known as the European Progressive Policy Initiative (EPPI), has issued a policy paper that endorses the main planks of our Modest Proposal for Resolving the Euro Crisis 4.0. EPPI was assembled in 2013 by Europe’s social democratic alliance in the European […]
A rejoinder to ELSTAT's & EUROSTAT's defence of the New Greek Statistics
, 30/04/2014
ELSTAT, the official Greek statistical service, has put out a document in response to my post unveiling, what I call, their New Greek Statistics over the calculation of the Greek government’s primary budget outcome for 2013. In addition, Eurostat gave an informal response to various journalists who took the matter to them. Full marks for […]
Europe and Greece in Review: Interviewed by Michael Maier for Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten
, 28/04/2014
Interviewed by Dr. Michael Maier for Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten: For the interview in German, as published on the DWN site, Click here for PART A , on the Ukrainian crisis Click here for PART B, on Greece and the Eurozone For the whole interview in English,…
New Greek Statistics: Athens, again, ready to confess to the sin to claim the glory
, 27/04/2014
It is official! The Greek government now confirms that the much lauded Greek government primary surplus for 2013 was a mirage created by the return of Greek Statistics (see this recent post). And also that the statistical trickery involved had the full approval of Eurostat, of the troika, of Berlin etc. The ‘confession’ has come in the […]
Interview with Der Standard: "Noch nie war Athen so bankrott wie heute"
, 25/04/2014
INTERVIEW with ANDREAS SATOR, April 25, 2014. Click here for THE STANDARD’s website or read on …
Greek statistics are back: Primary deficit presented as surplus, with Eurostat’s seal of approval
, 24/04/2014
Have you heard the one about Greece’s Eurostat-approved 2013 primary surplus? Well, you should not believe it. Here is why:
More on the Grand Greek De-coupling – Interviewed on RT tv
, 16/04/2014
Interviewed on RT’s Boom-Bust show on themes already covered in posts here and here.
Greece’s Grand Decoupling, the Nuclear Option and an Alternative Strategy: A comment on Münchau
, 14/04/2014
In his latest Financial Times column Wolfgang Münchau concurs with much of what I have written here (on the Greek social economy’s deep coma) and here (on the reasons why investors are piling in) but goes on to suggest that Greece should seriously consider exiting the Eurozone. In today’s post I offer an evaluation of his argument. In brief, […]
The Grand Greek Paradox: Bankrupt but embraced by the money markets – On the BBC World Service
, 09/04/2014
(listen to the first story; first 15′) Greece is about to issue 5 year bonds again. Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt and Athens are celebrating Greece’s recovery. For my part, I think (and tell the BBC World Service) that this is a sad day for Greece and it is a sad day for Europe. Why do I refuse […]
Europe’s latest policy on Irish and Greek banking losses: A tale of two swindles too similar for comfort
, 01/04/2014
The Irish and the Greeks are, in many ways, very different people. And yet, caught up in the Euro Crisis, our fortunes have become too close for comfort. Recently, European authorities have devised a creative new method for damaging the people of Ireland and of Greece further. The new method involved imposed changes on the public […]
AUSTERITY – a televised debate (by the Institute of World Affairs) on its logic and discontents featuring J.K. Galbraith, Jeff Sommers and Yanis Varoufakis
, 27/03/2014
James Galbraith, Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations and Professor of Government, University of Texas – Austin Yanis Varoufakis, Visiting Professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas – Austin, and Jeffrey Sommers, Senior Fellow, Institute of World Affairs Moderator: Doug Savage, Institute of World Affairs
Bengt-Ake Lundvall: "The Portuguese Manifesto could become a trigger for change"
, 27/03/2014
Bengt-Ake Lundvall is a co-signatory of the petition by 74 of us in favour of an immediate restructuring of Portugal’s public debt. Here are his reasons for signing the petition. (And, for readers who missed them, here are the reasons I gave for signing the same petition.)