Europe

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.”

Spain, No Country For Young Men

by Don Quijones •  • Comments Off on Spain, No Country For Young Men

By Don Quijones: Despite a miraculous economic “recovery,” EU-wide youth unemployment hit 24%. New records were set in Spain (56.5%), Greece (57.3%), Italy (40%), and France (26%). The warnings from history are clear: governments that allow youth unemployment to escalate, do so at their own peril.

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.

Portrait of a Kleptocrat

by Don Quijones •  • Comments Off on Portrait of a Kleptocrat

For a certain segment of the population in Spain, albeit quite a small one, life has never been better.

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.

This Is What Happens When A Spanish Judge Sends A Senior Banker to Jail

by Don Quijones •  • Comments Off on This Is What Happens When A Spanish Judge Sends A Senior Banker to Jail

By Don Quijones: Four months ago, Miguel Blesa, ex-CEO of failed Caja Madrid and senior member of the governing Popular Party, was in jail. Accused of felonies ranging from irregularities in Caja Madrid’s purchase of City National Bank of Florida to wrongful “appropriation of funds,” Blesa was not even granted bail by the judge. But now he is free, and the judge is in trouble.

Alcatel-Lucent “Could disappear,” Says CEO Michel Combes

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Alcatel-Lucent “Could disappear,” Says CEO Michel Combes

“The company could disappear,” said Alcatel-Lucent CEO Michel Combes, not exactly the kind of wondrous hype CEOs normally sputter to bamboozle people into plowing their money into the company’s stock. The end, after two decades of ingenious Wall-Street engineering, fee extraction, fanciful accounting, executive wisdom, and brilliant strategic thinking.

ECB’s Draghi: Knowing Too Much About Our Big Banks Could Set Off A Panic

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on ECB’s Draghi: Knowing Too Much About Our Big Banks Could Set Off A Panic

European regulators are desperate. The only thing known about the holes in bank balance sheets stuffed with decomposing assets is that they’re deep. No one knows how deep. No one is allowed to know – not until Eurocrats decide who will pay for bailing out these banks. How do we know? ECB President Mario Draghi said that.