Euro

France Simmers In Its Own Juices, Germany Frets

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on France Simmers In Its Own Juices, Germany Frets

“We’re not doing this for the Greeks, but for us,” said Angela Merkel amidst a cacophony of doomsday scenarios. It’s all about propping up German banks and exporters. For the French, however, the European debt crisis doesn’t seem to exist.

Obama to EU: Get Your S__t Together; Got An Election Next Year

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Obama to EU: Get Your S__t Together; Got An Election Next Year

The White House is lobbying European governments to shut up and do something. No more disputes in public. No more disagreements over fundamental issues. The world is collapsing, and it’s time to act boldly. Hank Paulson’s extortion racket is back.

Bailout Rebellion in Germany Heats Up

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Bailout Rebellion in Germany Heats Up

Geithner gets smacked down, and Germany might be threatened by a populist movement to exit the E.U. For the first time ever, a clear majority of Germans no longer sees any benefits to being part of the Eurozone. And two-thirds reject aiding Greece and other heavily indebted countries.

Bailout Rebellion In Germany

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Bailout Rebellion In Germany

“We’re on the way to a worldwide financial dictatorship governed by bankers,” said Peter Gauweiler, German Member of Parliament. “We don’t support Greece. We support 25 or 30 worldwide investment banks and their insane activities.”

‘Let the Euro Die,’ Said the Woman Who Could Be the Next French President

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on ‘Let the Euro Die,’ Said the Woman Who Could Be the Next French President

Marine Le Pen, president of the Front National and one of the top contenders in the 2012 presidential election, said the unspeakable. And the media printed it. And now word is out.

Knife Drawn, the Bundesbank Attacks the ECB, and German Industrialists Tremble

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Knife Drawn, the Bundesbank Attacks the ECB, and German Industrialists Tremble

The Bundesbank lashes out at the ECB for its decision to print money and buy crappy bonds of eurozone countries that lived high on the hog for years but are crumbling under a pile of debt. This puts it on collision course with the German industrialists that got rich off those countries. Angela Merkel is caught in between.

Swiss Franc Wreaks Havoc In Switzerland

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Swiss Franc Wreaks Havoc In Switzerland

The run-up of the Swiss franc entailed a stock-market crash, gigantic hits to wealth invested overseas, and big losses in Swiss pension funds. Companies are reeling. Layoffs and a recession are next. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) flooded the market with francs, intervened in the currency markets, and forced real interest rates into negative territory. Without much success.