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Bubble report
«A revolution will never be possible in Brussels, because we all know each other» «A revolution will never be possible in Brussels, because we all know each other» «A revolution will never be possible in Brussels, because we all know each other»

Economics

21 results
24 January 2024
Economics
Europe

The kings of state aid – Germany and France together account for almost 80% of Europe’s €672 billion approved programmes in 2022, despite representing just over 42% of the bloc’s GDP. A significant discrepancy that leaves 25 of the EU’s 27 countries behind. Italy comes third, receiving around 8% of the subsidies, even though its industrial production is higher than that of France (16% compared to 11%). So much for the free market!

15 January 2024
Economics
Germany

A chain reaction of bankruptcies – There is no sign of a decrease in German insolvency filings, which have been rising since June 2023: 12.3% more in December 2023 than in December 2022. A danger for the whole of Europe, which has a major trading partner in the German locomotive. Meanwhile, there is growing dissatisfaction with the new Stability Pact, which pleases few and displeases many. There are fears of a return to the infamous austerity policies

22 December 2023
Economics
Europe

Bubblereport #11 – The usual farce – The little theater of the Stability Pact ended with rules that no one will ever be able to comply with. New finance ministers, just like the old ones, still prioritise appearances over content. The more things change, the more they remain the same

19 December 2023
Economics
Europe

Bubblereport #10 – The decisive day is 20 December – The rules of the Stability Pact, suspended in the wake of the epidemic, will be reinstated in 2024. EU finance ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting to try to reach a new agreement. Italy’s Giorgetti has already expressed his dissatisfaction and could join forces with his French counterpart to block the draft agreement: the bone of contention remains the 3% budget deficit to GDP ratio, a criticism that could leave Italy isolated

04 December 2023
Economics
Europe

Bubblereport #8 – After destroying Italian banks by mistakenly considering private funds as state aid, RENEW’s Margrethe Vestager might not be able to go crocheting in the chair of the European Investment Bank presidency. Ultimately, Sánchez’s economy minister, Nadia Calviño, is most likely coming out on top

28 November 2023
Economics
Europe

Bubblereport #7 – The ecological transition is a 19th century revolution – After having gutted countries like Argentina, Chile and Indonesia in search of the resources needed for its batteries (lithium and nickel), Europe is now realising that it cannot do without China and its supply chain. Dependence on Beijing is frightening, and not even the good news from Sweden’s Northvolt can be reassuring

08 November 2023
Economics
Europe

The elephant in the room: an ECB survey finds that many companies plan to leave the EU to secure their supply chains. The point is: If one wanted to reorder value chains for strategic security reasons, one would need an expansive (low rates) credit environment, not a restrictive (high rates) one, for the simple reason that this would require a massive amount of investment. Why did the ECB do the opposite?

06 November 2023
Economics
Europe

The old guard has been summoned! – Surrounded by socio-economic crises, the EU fears losing what has held it together: the internal free market. Draghi and Letta have been called to duty, but their role is still unclear and it may not be enough to keep the continent “competitive” in a world that’s rapidly moving in another direction

27 October 2023
Economics
Europe

A failure of a currency – Lagarde keeps interest rates at 4,5% and threatens future hikes: “The euro area economy remains weak”. After years of QE, inflation is now the natural enemy, and it’s here to stay. Disparities between European countries are growing, while the leading economies have been infected as well