Berlo And His Pushy Hand
Once again, Silvio Berlusconi has pushed Italy’s government into crisis. Maybe, just maybe, that’s a good thing. Read Here – Businessweek
Tag: Italy
Italy’s Bunga Bunga Politics
The political tug of war has already dominated Italy‘s summer silly season. Berlusconi has stated almost every day that he is innocent and will not give up. Airplane banners calling for “freedom for Silvio” have flown above Italian beaches. If Berlusconi has to step down, his most loyal followers see it as an end to […]
The Boiling Sea
So far, public debate about the intervention in Syria has centered on the immediate scope and aims of any U.S.-led military operation, and whether the U.S. Congress should be involved. But no matter how the possible intervention and its aftermath play out, one thing is certain: the eastern Mediterranean — where exploratory drilling has unearthed […]
Germany Has Won the Euro War Thanks To China
Germans are less and less interested in Southern Europe as a market for exports. The driver of German exports abroad are emerging markets (and the United States, to a lesser degree). Italy is only the seventh-largest importer of German goods, and Greece, Spain and Portugal are even further down the list. Notwithstanding a collapse of […]
Can Italy’s New Leader Trim a Bloated State?
Enrico Letta, Italy’s new prime minister, says he can reinvigorate his country’s ailing economy by slashing taxes and downsizing government…Letta plans to roll back taxes imposed by his predecessor, Mario Monti, while offsetting the lost revenues with as-yet-unspecified budget reductions. Lettanomics could represent the first big test of the anti-austerity movement that has been gaining steam […]
Italy’s Deng Xiao Ping
For all those who had been expecting it, this is it: Italy’s Third Republic began on April 20, 2013 with the re-election of 88-year old Giorgio Napolitano as president. If you believed that the new republic had already started with the nomination of Mario Monti as prime minister in late 2011, you are mistaken. Monti was […]
‘Europe’ Now Has a Soothing Ring to It?
Since Greece’s insolvent-grade financials first came to light, Europe has consistently and reliably emanated ripples of distress across the Atlantic. Recall the mini-panic of 2011, with its big selloffs in global markets. And periodic fears about the endearingly named PIIGS—Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain—sneezing their malaise onto France and beyond. Then there’s the latest bank-run-that-wasn’t out […]
Falling Interest Rates in Europe Aren’t Great News
If very high interest rates are bad for Europe, then very low ones must be good, right? Seems logical. Yet the big drop in yields on government bonds of Italy, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal isn’t entirely positive, especially for the European Central Bank. Read Here – Businessweek
In Italy, A Re-Election That’s Just A Pause Button
Despite the surprise and very rapid election of Giorgio Napolitano, Italy’s 87-year-old outgoing President for a second seven-year term, Italy remains politically gridlocked. His election may have won querulous lawmakers a short breather, but for the moment at least, no permanent end to the crisis is in sight. Read Here – The Hindu
The Pope’s Dirty Past: The Daily Beast
The so-called “Dirty War” in Argentina ended 30 years ago. But the trials of the Argentine military men accused of monstrous crimes during that time go on. On Thursday, a woman who had been tortured and raped in one of their concentration camps looked at the 44 men in the dock and named the sadists […]
looking beyond borders 