EU Leaders ‘Occupy Greece’ to Oversee Bailout
The Greek financial rescue package, apart from its obvious necessity as a bailout mechanism, has always been about holding eurozone together, and living up to the legacies left by the European visionaries who started the continent on its way to…
Europe Faces a Two-headed Monster of Debt and Oil
It looks as though we have a deal between Greece and its private-sector creditors, and not a moment too soon. The announced agreement over the weekend ended months of handwringing and protracted talks between the government of Greek Prime Minister…
Eurozone to Greece: Cut a Deal or No Bailout
After the historic, defend-the-euro deal cut among European Union members last month, the question now seems to be who, if anyone, will blink first—political leaders in Greece as they impose more austerity, international lenders, or the bondholders now negotiating what…
Iran Sanctions: Another Cuban Missile Crisis?
And two more hotspots: Iraq and Egypt Is 2012 destined to be a year of Middle East challenges—not to say calamities—for the Obama administration? It has certainly started out ominously. The White House already has three fires to put out…
Five Things that Worked in 2011 Foretell 2012
2011 will go down as a good year for very few of us. Suspense, crisis, loss, frustration, and anxiety seemed to lie everywhere one turned. What better time to remind ourselves of a few developments during the year that are…
The War in Europe Escalates—No Guns, Just Butter
It took exactly two days for European markets to cast a negative vote on the agreement eurozone countries reached in Brussels last week. It took a couple more for the eurozone countries to begin bickering with Britain, that is isolated…
Britain is Odd Man Out in Europe’s ‘New Deal’
You cannot fault the Europeans for their timing. The agreement reached in Brussels on the euro last Friday came 20 years to the day after European leaders signed the treaties that created the single currency. And the pact euro zone…
Euro Zone Debacle: This Week Could End the Crisis
This could well be the week the eurozone crisis advances toward a credible resolution. We have heard this before, so it is too soon to exhale, but if all goes according to plan, a way through Europe’s currency and economic…
Save the Euro! The Risky Option that Could Work
Last week was miserable for those hoping the eurozone holds together and its 17 members remain part of the world’s first common-currency union. The bad news kept coming straight through Thanksgiving. But does it all add up to the collapse…
3 Reasons to Bet the Euro Deal Will Work
Global stock markets today are reflecting the many uncertainties that still surround the eurozone rescue package European Union leaders announced in Brussels late last week. It is not yet clear how some of the EU’s plans will be financed, and…
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