Europe: who has the crisis hit hardest?
European countries are not all equal in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Both the impact of the epidemic and responses to it have differed greatly, as this overview by Alternatives Economiques shows.
Eurobonds can wait, for the time being
EU heads of state and government failed to agree on a united response to the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19. Yet after the measures taken by the European Central Bank, there is no longer urgency to enact a measure like eurobonds.
Coronavirus: 5 decisions the EU should make right now
Calls have been coming from all sides for the EU to intervene in the COVID-19 crisis in the name of European solidarity. Although the Union has little room for manoeuvre in the public-health sphere, it can use the powerful lever of economic and monetary policy to counter the coming economic downturn.
Can Europe avoid the coming crisis?
The international outlook for this autumn does not seem rosy. Will Europe be able to act in response to the warning signs? That will largely depend on the German government’s willingness to (finally) let go of the dogmas imposed on the eurozone for the last decade.
Italy: the game begins
On 5 June the European Commission cleared the way for an excessive deficit procedure against Italy. This could lead to a fine of several billion euro being imposed on Italy. Above all, this new showdown risks restarting the general eurozone crisis just as Europe’s economy is slowing sharply. A slowdown which is partly caused by the vulnerability of Germany, Europe’s flagship economy, to the China-USA trade war and its dampening effect on the world economy.
Landscapes are increasingly manmade
Roads, houses, shopping malls: our way of life covers the land in cement. The phenomenon is exacerbating the world ecological crisis.
Europe, both populating and depopulating
Since 2008 Europe has seen major demographic changes. In particular due to migration: internal as a result of the economic crisis, external linked to geopolitical instability in Europe’s neighborhood.
Industrial policy: back to reality
With no common industrial policy and given the great openness of its internal market, Europe has missed the latest waves of technological innovation: microelectronics, computers, mobile telephones, internet.
The eurozone: inadequate remedies
After the 2010 crisis, some corrections were done to the common currency system. The eurozone has been saved, but the living standards of the middle and lower classes continue to worsen.
The minimum wage, a bulwark against poverty
France has more minimum-wage employees than other European countries. But that is not to say that they are poor.