Can The Ghost Of Robert Maxwell End The Euro’s Problems?
It seems as though the true costs of the financial crisis are to be much worse than originally expected.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I am a red-blooded capitalist. I always have been and always will be. I believe completely in free markets (business and financial). But even by my standards, things are going too far and [...]
Innovating Business Models In Berlin
I’m in Berlin. 2009 to 2010 is the year of Germany as the Chair of the rotating EUREKA Presidency and the end of this year is being celebrated with a Ministerial Conference and award ceremony.
In case you don’t know, EUREKA is a network that helps to stimulate and foster new projects. Though they have many [...]
France And Germany Push Harder For A Banking Tax
The latest news seems to be that most major governments want a bank tax. The reasons behind this are clear to everyone I’m sure, but they do open the prospect of regulatory arbitrage - a subject that this blog has touched upon in recent months.
The problems with a bank tax are obvious though. Any [...]
Do Markets Negate Democracy?
At the end of last week and for part of the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Biennale Firenze in Florence, Italy. The event was being hosted by EESC, the European Economic and Social Committee. With a title of “Education To Combat Social Exclusion”, it is not a natural event for a blog [...]
Financial Transaction Reforms Explained
Earlier this week, I was able to interview one of the key players and thinkers on the European Commission team for financial reform as a part of the ‘day job’.
As mentioned here, David Wright, Deputy Director of DG Internal Market and Services, is one of the most public voices right now on the direction [...]
Can The EU Lead On Financial Reforms?
The European Parliament should be leading the development of financial regulation reform. According to MEP Dr Kay Swinburne, member of the Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS), many MEPs have the belief that if the European Parliament creates good, workable legislation - and does so first - the United States will [...]
Too Big To Fail Is A Thing Of The Past!
Your author was able to attend the 8th Annual European Financial Services Conference in Brussels earlier this week. There were certainly some interesting panelists and contributors, including European Commissioner Michel Barnier.
There were many different perspectives discussed, but as you may imagine, financial services regulations were high on the list.
In the main, these regulations [...]
Ann Mettler: Has the time finally come for Fiscal Sustainability?
The following opinion piece from Ann Mettler, Executive Director of the Brussels based think tank The Lisbon Council is kindly being republished from her blog.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Ann on a number of occassions and I can attest to her knowledge and commitment to seeing Europe become the economy that many of [...]
Where Will The Next Global Financial Centre Be?
An odd question, I know. Isn’t the global financial centre New York? Why ask if it is changing?
My thoughts are becoming more and more based on the economic realities of life. The regions with the strongest economies have strong financial centres. People go to these places to access capital to help their company grow.
But isn’t [...]
Will The Euro Last?
I would like to draw your attention to this post at Financial Sense.
I think the post itself is pretty self-explanatory.
The reason for posting is simply that I have been a questioner of the Euro for many years. Politically, it was a masterstroke. Pure genius. But economically, it has always seemed like a flawed [...]