European growth : what's to be done

By: Jean Pisani Ferry, Bruegel

Some proposals on how to kick-start the economy.

Fannie and Freddie on the rope

By: Wolfgang Münchau

When house price are expected to decline by 30%, some strange things are happening

Globalisation - a primer about the European Debate

Globalisation is the probably the single biggest issue that hit the European Union in this decade. A present but ill-defined fear of globalisation was one of the main reported reasons why the French electorate rejected the European constitutional treaty in 2005. There is a sense in Europe that globalisation is a force that will end up impoverish the continent, that it will destroy its values, and its way of life. It is unlikely that European integration will continue further unless and until the Europeans come to terms with globalisation, and devise a strategy.

The villains are not the bankers, but the economists

This is not a financial crisis, but a crisis of economic policy. We should thus be sceptical when economists-turned-policy makers produce the same prescriptions now which they have been peddling for the last 15 years.

The consequences of non-ratification

Can a country be excluded from membership of the European Union? The answer is yes as long as there was a political will. This column explains on how this can be done, in all its gory detail.

Ireland is wrong to put its miracle at risk

After a week of what European leaders call reflection, another Irish referendum beckons, to be held early next year. Without it, there might well be an attempt to oust the Irish from the European Union.

Time to play hardball with the Irish

There are only two solutions to the Irish dilemma, both involving the retention of the Lisbon Treaty: Offer the Irish a meaningless protocol that provides guarantees they already have, or force them out of the EU.