Category Archives: IMF
Hollande and the French fairyland of ‘happily ever after’
One can easily understand why voters vote for politicians who cut the retirement age and promise the poorer half of the population that the State will love and nurture them forever. This is the perennial appeal of socialism in our … Read More
IMF turns euro skeptic: beginning of the end?
The IMF‘s job, in its Article IV country reports, is to fact find, then tell things like they are with a view to making recommendations to promote financial stability and growth. That being the case, its latest report on the … Read More
Greece’s leaders fulfill Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity
The last few days have seen a change of mood in the analysis of Greece’s position in the Euro. Over the weekend the German newspaper Der Spiegel published an article suggesting that the International Monetary Fund is considering cutting Greece … Read More
As her bond yields fall is Portugal’s improvement genuine or a mirage?
As 2012 has developed there has been something of a change in financial markets perception of Portugal and today I wish to examine and analyse her situation. What this has led too is something of a contrast in the Iberian … Read More
Spain’s problems are added to by more bad loans at her banks and falling construction and industrial production
As 2012 has developed we have seen more and more problems surround Spain and her economy. As fast as her government and the Euro zone has tried to solve a problem another one has popped up. Both of course are … Read More
OECD and IMF studies find their “downside risks” rising to haunt them
It is not particularly rewarding, being a macro economist when the global marbles really start to roll around. It’s even worse when you’ve just published your detailed, considered study, and the politicians give the wheel of fortune a brisk spin … Read More
Why Ireland should vote no to the Fiscal Compact Treaty tomorrow
Tomorrow Irish voters go to the polls to decide whether they should vote yes or no to the European Union’s Fiscal Compact Treaty. There is of course an element of fantasy to this as the vast majority of the 25 countries … Read More
France’s combination of an economy slowing fast and further austerity means she faces a difficult 2012
Today I wish to return to a subject I discussed back on November 11th where I reviewed whether France could still be the “crowing cockerel” of Europe. Back then she was showing signs of an economic slowdown if you cared … Read More
Spain should be singing “Help” or perhaps “With a little help from my friends!”
Today sees the Spring Meetings for both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. One of the lessons of these times is that there has been an extraordinary inflation in the number of meetings between world leaders. Sadly there … Read More
Japan lends “free money” to the IMF whilst the UK’s inflation rise embarasses the Bank of England
Sometimes the news we receive is hard to believe and at other times it goes further and becomes like an episode from the science-fiction series the Outer Limits. Today it is the latter which has come to the forefront as … Read More
