THE INDEPENDENT - As the economic consequences of the credit crunch rumble across Europe, producing soaring unemployment rates and falling wages, protesters are taking to the streets in more and more countries to voice their anger. Yesterday saw the first mass demonstrations against the government response – or lack of it – to the economic crisis in France… THE INDEPENDENT
January 30th, 2009
THE GUARDIAN - The worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression is not a natural phenomenon but a man-made disaster in which we all played a part. In the second part of a week-long series looking behind the slump, Guardian City editor Julia Finch picks out the individuals who have led us into the current crisis - THE GUARDIAN
January 30th, 2009
NM 29/01 - Le manifeste est écrit avant toutes choses comme réponse à la crise financière et économique actuelle. Afin de la combattre, le manifeste appelle à une meilleure coopération au niveau européen. Des propositions concrètes, en particulier la nécessaire réforme des marchés financiers manquent pourtant. Le manifeste se contente d’exiger une « meilleure régulation »… NM 29/01
January 30th, 2009
NEWROPEANS - As part of its « European socio-political warnings » and of its recommendation to the Members States and European institutions to face the crisis, Newropeans launches a new warning : Money of banks bail-out is about to miss its goal: Newropeans requires a European financial commitment which should benefit to all citizens! With huge amount of money Members States are attempting to fight the crisis and the recession which will inevitably occur. But all those bail-out, all those recovery plans are soiled with 3 fundamental errors… NEWROPEANS
January 30th, 2009
EUOBSERVER - The global economic crisis could claim up to 50 million jobs worldwide by the end of this year, according to a report presented by the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Wednesday (28 January). EUOBSERVER
January 30th, 2009
LES ECHOS - Chute record de la production, brusque hausse du chômage, consommation en chute… une nouvelle série d’indicateurs catastrophiques a confirmé vendredi la gravité de la récession au Japon, tandis que les mauvaises nouvelles se multipliaient du côté des entreprises. - LES ECHOS -
January 30th, 2009
LIBERATION - Ce ne sera une surprise pour personne. Mais Laurent Wauquiez prend les devants. Les chiffres du nombre de chômeurs inscrits à l’ANPE, qui n’ont pu être publiés hier, le seront lundi, et ils seront «mauvais», a averti ce matin le secrétaire d’Etat à l’Emploi: «On rentre dans une période de crise dure, ça se voit au niveau des chiffres de l’emploi.» LIBERATION
January 30th, 2009
EUOBSERVER - Germany’s constitutional court has been handed a second complaint over the EU’s Lisbon Treaty with the potential to delay the country’s final ratification of the document for several months. The new legal action, running to over 200 pages, is concerned with economic as well as political issues, which the complainants say are not addressed by the Lisbon Treaty. EUOBSERVER
January 30th, 2009
SPIEGEL - In a letter to the European Commission, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on the EU’s member states to support a controversial natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. Her remarks come just days after her Czech counterpart expressed support for a rival scheme. SPIEGEL
January 30th, 2009
RIAN - Le gouvernement islandais a été le premier à tomber, terrassé par la crise qui fait rage en Europe. Suite à la démission de ministres et responsables financiers d’Islande début janvier, c’est la coalition gouvernementale qui s’est effondrée, et dans la nuit du 26 au 27 janvier, le premier ministre Geir Haarde a fini par annoncer la démission de son gouvernement. Les élections anticipées pourraient avoir lieu en février ou en mars prochain (au lieu de mai 2011). RIAN
January 30th, 2009
DEUTSCHE WELLE - A new study published on Monday shows that Turks are the least integrated group of immigrants in German society and are also less successful than immigrants from other countries in securing a job in Germany. DEUTSCHE WELLE
January 30th, 2009
RNW - This week thousands of layoffs were announced by electronics giant Philips, ING bank and the Corus Group (steel and aluminium producer). Dozens of smaller Dutch companies are on the brink of bankruptcy. Although the crisis seems to be producing nothing but losers, there are also winners. The more the banks tighten their purse-strings, the more business there is for pawnbrokers. RNW
January 30th, 2009
FT - Any attempt by Barack Obama to get European Union members of Nato to send more troops to Afghanistan will be strongly rebuffed by EU voters, according to a new opinion poll for the Financial Times. FT
As Mr Obama prepares to be sworn in as US president on Tuesday, a Harris poll for the FT shows that clear majorities of people in the UK, France, Italy and Germany believe that their governments must not send more forces to Afghanistan, irrespective of demands that the new American head of state might make.
The opinion poll shows that Mr Obama continues to enjoy high approval ratings in these four EU states. At least three-quarters of people in each of the countries surveyed, which also included Spain, believe that the new president will have “a positive impact on the course of international events”.
But while the poll underscores the considerable respect Mr Obama enjoys in these European countries, it also reveals the resistance he will face if, as strongly expected, he calls on Europe to do more in the fight against the Taliban. (Story continues below the graphic …)
Some 60 per cent of German respondents to the survey said they would not wish Berlin to send more troops to Afghanistan under any circumstances. Even in the UK, the second largest contributor to Nato’s mission in Afghanistan, some 57 per cent of respondents rejected calls for any more British troops to be sent.
In both France and Italy, some 53 per cent of people said their countries should not send troops. Only in Spain is there a majority willing to consider sending additional troop numbers.
The opinion poll, which was conducted online among a total of 6,299 adults between January 8 and January 15, reveals that voters in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain believe the international financial crisis must be at the top of the list of issues to which Mr Obama should give priority.
A clear majority of respondents in four of the five European countries surveyed – Spain being the exception – said they had no concerns at all that Mr Obama’s relative lack of experience would hinder an economic recovery in the US or Europe.
On the diplomatic front, the poll reveals that voters would like to see the new president reaching out to Iran, amid fears in many western states that Tehran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon. At least two thirds of adults in all five European countries, as well as the US, agreed that Mr Obama “should personally meet leading figures in the Iranian government”.
However, the poll shows a sharp divergence between the US and the EU countries on the significance that Mr Obama should attach to fighting al-Qaeda and the jihadist terrorist threat.
Some 45 per cent of US respondents said that President Obama should continue to place the fight against international terrorism at the top of his list of priorities. However, in each of the European countries, the number that took this view was considerably lower.
In the UK, only 24 per cent of respondents said fighting international terrorism should be top of Mr Obama’s priorities, while in Germany the figure was as low as 13 per cent.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/33fe1c50-e678-11dd-8e4f-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
January 20th, 2009