European Crisis
Watch the Austin Conference on the Eurozone live
, 04/11/2013
Click here for a live feed of the ‘Can the Eurozone Crisis be saved?’ conference? For more information on the conference click here.
The US Treasury is right about Germany's Eurozone policies: Here is why
, 01/11/2013
On 30th October, in its Report to Congress on Economic and Exchange Rate Policies, the US Treasury took a swipe at Germany, accusing it of exporting economic depression to the rest of Eurozone and, indeed, to the global economy. The German Finance Ministry responded the next day with a statement that: “There are no imbalances in […]
On ABC Radio National's 'Big Ideas' program: 'The Dirty War for Europe's Integrity & Soul'
, 30/10/2013
ABC Radio National’s ‘Big Ideas’ program has now broadcast my talk entitled The Dirty War for Europe’s Integrity & Soul (original broadcast: 30th October, 20.05 Sydney time). [Click here for details of the lecture.] For the complete transcript click here – please note that the ABC (to fit in both the talk and the discussion the […]
Jobs, Investment, and Rebuilding America: Economic and National Security Issues – Workshop in Washington DC, 12th November
, 30/10/2013
Economists for Peace and Security is organising a workshop on Jobs, Investment, and Rebuilding America: Economic and National Security Issues. It will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Washington DC, Capitol Hill. The keynote speech will be delivered by Jason Furman, Chair of the US Council of Economic Advisers. My involvement will concern the economic and financial […]
Can the Eurozone Be Saved?
, 27/10/2013
European Political Leaders and Policy Experts to Meet for Two Days in Austin to Discuss The LBJ School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas at Austin will host a two-day conference on the fate of the Eurozone on Nov. 4 and 5. “Can the Eurozone Be Saved?” will convene European political leaders and […]
Site re-design now complete. Welcome to my 'new' site
, 26/10/2013
Six weeks of hard labour. That was the ‘cost’ of re-configuring my site in a manner that makes it possible for readers to gain easy access to archived material. As these posts span the whole of the Euro and Global Economic/Financial Crisis since 2010, and thus read a little like a Crisis Diary, I thought […]
The Dirty War for Europe's Integrity and Soul
, 25/10/2013
Inaugural ‘Europe Public Lecture’, UWS, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney On 23rd October 2013, I was honoured by the Department of History of the University of Western Sydney with an invitation to deliver their inaugural Europe Public Lecture. The event took place in the State Library of New South Wales, in Sydney. The […]
On ABC Late Night Live, discussing 'The Dirty War for Europe's Integrity and Soul'
, 22/10/2013
Last night I had the pleasure of sitting in LNL’s studio with Philip Adams discussing some themes from a talk I am about to give tonight at the State Library of New South Wales on ‘The Dirty War for Europe’s Integrity and Soul’. Here is the podcast:
Off to Oz to talk Europe
, 18/10/2013
Next Wednesday evening, the 23rd of October, I shall be delivering The Inaugural Europe Lecture of the University of Western Sydney at the State Library of New South Wales. (Please note that till then postings will be rudimentary.) The talk itself will be entitled “The Dirty War for Europe’s Integrity and Soul” (For details click […]
Interviewed by Geraldine Dooge (ABC Radio National) on Greece's Wartime 'Loan' to Germany. Plus a simple proposal for killing two birds with one stone
, 15/10/2013
On Saturday 12th October, I was interviewed by Geraldine Dooge for the ABC Radio National’s program ‘Saturday Extra’ on the theme of Greek claims on Germany for wartime reparations and on a strange ‘loan’ that was extracted from the Greek government by the Nazi authorities. You can hear the interview here: Read on for […]
Under re-construction
, 14/10/2013
Just a quick warning, to loyal readers, that I am in the process of re-constructring the site. Over the next few days you may find new headings without the proper links and other such signs of digital chaos. By the end of the week, the ‘new’ version of the site should be complete. Thank you […]
The flow of trade, the flow of capital and the Eurozone: Guest post by Klaus Kastner
, 12/10/2013
A few weeks ago, I began doing something which I hadn’t done since my College days – I did some reading of and about John Maynard Keynes. Among others, I am just finishing the book “The Battle of Bretton Woods” by Benn Steil. And I am amazed! Two principal issues dominated the negotiations lead by […]
Euro Crisis, Modest Proposal, Social Democracy's Waterloo, and the threat of Fascism: Interview
, 11/10/2013
An interview with Alessandro Bianchi, editor-in-chief of the Italian political news website, www.lantidiplomatico.it
Johnny (Paulson) Got His Gun (and is aiming at some grim, Greek pickings)
, 07/10/2013
“Did anybody ever come back from the dead?”… “Put the guns into our hands and we will use them. Give us the slogans and we will turn them into reality.” Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun “We think Piraeus and Alpha, two banks we have a position in, are now very well capitalised and poised to recover… They have […]
Europe in 25 years – my 'futuristic' piece in Europe's World
, 02/10/2013
Europe’s World commissioned me to write the article below on where Europe may be in twenty five years from now. Hope that it proves anything other than prophetic… (Click here for Europe’s World site.) Six years have passed since the Shanghai Crash of 2032, and Europe’s architecture is incapable of responding to its challenges in a way that […]
What Merkel’s Third Term Means for Europe
, 28/09/2013
(This article was commissioned by The New Left Project – click here for the NLP’s site) A few days before the German federal election, the American commentator Bob Kuttner called upon German Chancellor Angela Merkel to use the election victory that was clearly in the making to change tack regarding the European Periphery. Focusing on […]
Alexis Tsipras at the Kreisky Forum, Vienna (the complete speech/address to Austrian social democrats)
, 24/09/2013
Last week, Alexis Tsipras (SYRIZA’s chair) gave a talk at the Kreisky Forum, in Vienna. In it he addressed Austrian social democrats, in Bruno Kreisky’s old residence. I post Tsipras’ speech here for two reasons: First, because it sends an interesting message to central European social democrats (Austrian and German in particular). Secondly, because this […]
THE INAUGURAL EUROPE LECTURE, Sydney 23rd October 2013
, 22/09/2013
The History Group in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney is pleased to present: THE INAUGURAL EUROPE LECTURE Europe: The Dirty War for its Integrity and its Soul Professor Yanis Varoufakis Wednesday 23 October 2013, 6-8pm Dixon Room, State Library of NSW For the flyer containing more information please click [...]Hollande and Merkel: Where Left is Right – guest post by Stuart Holland
, 22/09/2013
Rather than the claim of German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble that the rest of Europe needs austerity to be able to compete (The Guardian, July 19th), François Hollande was right to say in an interview with Le Monde (September 3rd) that Europe should stop apologising for the Eurozone crisis and its failure to recover growth and […]
The Modest Proposal as a Trojan Horse for the dreaded transfer union: Guest post by Hubert Marcks
, 17/09/2013
To all those who can’t help but feeling that an external surplus recycling mechanism as described in the modest proposal would just be an appeasing technical term for the dreaded transfer-union and that it would condemn the deficit countries into eternal servitude, I would like to point to an example within the mother of all […]
A modest objection to the Modest Proposal: Debt write offs instead of the Modest Proposal
, 17/09/2013
Jordi Angusto sent me the following missive regarding our Modest Proposal. To which both Stuart Holland and I respond below.
Why asymmetrical monetary unions are bound to fail (unless they feature an effective, extra-market surplus recycling mechanism)
, 15/09/2013
Asymmetrical monetary unions, wherever and whenever tried in combination with free trade and deregulated capital movements, ended up in tears and retribution. The Gold Standard, the various pegs between domestic currencies and the US dollar (S.E. Asia, Argentina, Mexico etc.), the ERM (European Exchange Rate Mechanism), the Eurozone that followed the latter’s collapse etc. they […]
Was Chancellor Merkel right (about Greece)?
, 02/09/2013
Is Chancellor Merkel right when she recently said: “Greece should not have been admitted into the euro area”?
In Mexico City
, 30/08/2013
Just a quick note for regular readers to explain my recent ‘silence’. I am in Mexico City, invited by Adalberto Palma, CEO of UNIFIM (a confederation of Mexican owned financial institutions, and IMEF (the Mexican Institute of Finance Executives), to participate in the current debates on Mexico’s forthcoming financial sector reforms. A major tussle has […]