Europe – Germany

LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption

Apparently, it has been impossible to sell Greece any weapons at all, not even a water pistol, without bribing officials at the Defense Ministry. But it takes two to tango. And in holier-than-thou Germany, the defense industry has been all too eager to dance with Greece.

This Ends In A “Planned Economy” – Bundesbank President

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on This Ends In A “Planned Economy” – Bundesbank President

When Jens Weidmann, President of the emasculated Bundesbank, speaks, central bankers and money printers worldwide stuff wax into their ears. “Caution,” he started out, “the euro crisis is far from over.” Then he committed central-bank heresy.

Germany’s Complex Export Religion In One Chart

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Germany’s Complex Export Religion In One Chart

Today we got another morsel from the German export smorgasbord, along with a beautiful long-term chart from the German statistical agency that says it all.

French Megabank: “Germany Should Leave The Eurozone”

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on French Megabank: “Germany Should Leave The Eurozone”

Suddenly, there’s a solution to France’s economic crisis. Unlike the cacophonous clamor from the far right to drop the euro, this one is attractively presented with graphs and in terms that even a French politician might understand. And it’s not contaminated by partisanship.

Extortion Over Minimum Wage In Germany: BMW, Daimler, VW Threaten to Offshore Production

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Extortion Over Minimum Wage In Germany: BMW, Daimler, VW Threaten to Offshore Production

Germany has neither a minimum wage nor a government. Someday it might. If not, there will be new elections, and Chancellor Merkel might get pummeled because she’d be blamed for them. So she’s trying to form a coalition with the left-leaning SPD on whose list of campaign promises was a decent minimum wage.

German Industry Dreads Getting Slammed By The Costs Of Green Energy

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on German Industry Dreads Getting Slammed By The Costs Of Green Energy

By Scott Belinksi, Oilprice.com: In Germany, where renewable energy has been aggressively pushed, companies may soon lose an exemption from expensive renewable energy surcharges. Business leaders worry this will “destroy Germany’s industrial core.”

Are You Overweight EU Equities For The Big Recovery Yet?

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Are You Overweight EU Equities For The Big Recovery Yet?

There has been a symphony of calls for American investors to plow their money into European stocks. So, net inflows into European equity funds have set records, driven by euphoria about a presumed recovery. Equities soared. But turns out, reality has bad breath.

Nobel Peace Prize, Asylum for Snowden: Germans Turn Up Heat

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Nobel Peace Prize, Asylum for Snowden: Germans Turn Up Heat

While the US government wants to get its hands on NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and crucify him properly, the German government remains red-faced and tangled up in its own underwear. Yet among Germans, and their politicians, support for him is surging.

OMG, Those “Who Truly Rule The World”

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on OMG, Those “Who Truly Rule The World”

Most powerful person in the world? Putin! Sez Forbes. At least, it wasn’t Merkel, who has been throwing her weight around when she found out that her Handy had been bugged by the NSA, just like our cellphones. We have to take it; she gets to make a big stink and gripe to Obama on the (bugged) phone.

France Clamors for Currency War, Bundesbank Warns Of Housing Bubble

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on France Clamors for Currency War, Bundesbank Warns Of Housing Bubble

The euro, its dexterous management, the “whatever-it-takes” guarantees by ECB President Draghi, the trillions being shifted around to prop up banks and governments – all these efforts to keep the Eurozone duct-taped together have hit countries differently. Including France and Germany. They’re shooting at each other now, and hitting the ECB.