Sarkozy will be the only French president since World War II with two recessions under his belt, if current forecasts are correct. Recessions are rare in France: between the war and the financial crisis, there were two. Against this backdrop, Sarkozy faces a tough reelection campaign. And front runner François Hollande has vowed to oppose the German dictate on how to save the Eurozone. So it might all unravel.
Europe
Merde! Chinese Wines Did What to French Wines?
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Merde! Chinese Wines Did What to French Wines?
In France, the litany of job reductions continues. Today, it was Air France. It followed automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën, French banks, nuclear-power conglomerate Areva, drug maker Sanofi, newspapers, ferry operator Seafrance, etc. It’s tough out there. And now, France’s heavily subsidized signature industry—wines—got slapped in the face. By China.
Germany’s Last-Ditch Compromise, At A Price
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany’s Last-Ditch Compromise, At A Price
“I’m very happy with the result,” Merkel told the cameras. But the agreement may be illegal under EU law and may devastate weaker economies. It elevated Germany to a leadership role that other countries perceive as domineering. By isolating the UK, it cut a deep gash into the EU. And it can’t be put into a treaty. But it did offer a compromise of sorts.
Sarkozy: “The Risk That Europe Will Explode”
by Wolf Richter • • 3 Comments
The Swiss government is preparing for a collapse of the euro while 27 heads of state convene for another EU summit in Brussels to find that elusive solution to the debt crisis. Goal: treaty changes that would impose Germany’s new religion of budgetary discipline on all 27 member states. But opposition has cropped up, and timing turns out to be impossible.
When Bond Buyers Pull Out Their Calculators
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on When Bond Buyers Pull Out Their Calculators
As the euro debt debacle unfolded, Germany benefited from a reputation as safe haven: yields on its 10-year bonds dropped below the rate of inflation while yields spiked in other countries. So when it offered €6 billion in 10-year bonds at a record low yield of 1.98%, it expected them to fly off the shelf. They didn’t. “Disaster,” the media screamed worldwide. But….
Euro Schizophrenia in Germany
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Euro Schizophrenia in Germany
My German contacts want to keep the euro. They’ve gotten used to it. They like it in their wallets. It’s so convenient for cross-border travel and commerce. And it has been strong. But now that the European bailout fund has descended into irrelevance, they fret about the euro’s future. They want it saved. And they’re increasingly willing to pay a price.
European Bailout Fund For Greek Money Laundering And Fraud
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on European Bailout Fund For Greek Money Laundering And Fraud
The ink wasn’t dry yet on the European bailout fund when it paid $1.3 billion to bail out Proton Bank in Greece. Turns out, Proton had siphoned off $1 billion in a scheme of fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and offshore front companies. Galling: the Bank of Greece knew of the criminal activity before the bailout. And then a bomb exploded….
Germany Sees Greece’s ‘Worst-Worst-Case-Szenario’
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany Sees Greece’s ‘Worst-Worst-Case-Szenario’
Judging from the stream of rumors and energetic denials, German bureaucrats, experts, and politicians are furiously working on dozens of projects that all deal with the debt crisis, and they go off in as many directions. But at the end, there is what they call in their inimitable German a Worst-Worst-Case-Szenario.
The Eurozone Turns Down Chinese Money And Quid Pro Quo
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Eurozone Turns Down Chinese Money And Quid Pro Quo
For months, rumors China would use its foreign exchange reserves to bail out the Eurozone with the stroke of a plastic pen goosed financial markets. But China has a list of demands. German industry refuses to cede ground. People shudder at becoming dependent on money from the communist regime. Clearly, the debt crisis isn’t deep enough yet.
Germany at Its Rubicon
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany at Its Rubicon
No country is economically more dependent on the survival of the euro than Germany: the export powerhouse thrived because Eurozone countries could borrow unlimited amounts of euros to buy German goods. But now that the gravy train has stopped in front of a mountain of unmanageable sovereign debt, Germany finds itself at war—with itself.