Will Germany Swallow Inflation to Save the EU?
This weekend’s G-8 summit at Camp David, the U.S. president’s retreat, marks a big step for Europe in several different ways. After a couple of weeks of waffling, German Chancellor Angela Merkel now appears ready to deal on a new…
Will Europe Lose the War Between the States?
The Greeks did something interesting Tuesday morning. In a highly controversial decision, Athens announced that it would pay those bondholders who refused to participate in last March’s debt swap. Just 3 percent of Greece’s private creditors hold $552 million in bonds…
How a European Recession Can Infect U.S. Markets
Europe is starting to look slightly schizophrenic, and we had all better pay attention. The stock slide last week — the worst of the year — was the direct result of wobbly conditions among the European economies, notably a growing…
The Greek Debt Deal: Austerity on Steroids
What a week to be Greek—or Spanish, or Portuguese. The debt-swap deal that most of Greece’s private creditors accepted last Thursday evening is of historic importance. Greeks now have at least a fighting chance of digging themselves out of debt…
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…
Why the Greek Bailout Won’t Work in the Long Run
For the second time in a little over 3 years, Athens is burning. In December of 2008, police shot and killed a teenage student, igniting an explosive reaction by young people throughout the country and beyond. Back then, the riots…
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…
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…
In Greek Streets, Austerity Leads to Violence
Maybe it had to come to this in Greece, given what the nation’s people are being asked to accept. On Wednesday, just days before a critical summit of European Union leaders intended to resolve the Eurozone crisis, two large unions…
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