Draft rules to scale back banker bonuses were enough to prompt a public spat yesterday between Deutsche Bank co-Chief Executive Officer Juergen Fitschen and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble as the two men sat side-by-side on a panel discussing finance...
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Banker-Bonus Rules Stoke Tempers in Berlin
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Monti’s Virtue vs. Germany’s Vices
For once, Mario Monti had a sympathetic audience — dozens of European officials he mingled with and presided over during a 10-year European Commission career that, by the looks of it, he will remember more fondly than the 15 months...
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Italy’s Vote Was Bersani’s to Lose, and He Almost Pulled It Off
The Italian elections were his to lose, and Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani did a really good job of almost doing just that. Bersani, a former communist who backed Prime Minister Mario Monti’s technical government, squandered a 15-point poll...
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Calls for Spanish Premier to Quit Echo Attacks That Made Aznar
Spain’s socialist opposition leader Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba is trying to make the most of graft allegations against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. His campaign to get Rajoy to quit brings back memories of when the Socialist Party was ejected from power...
Read more »Today in Euro Crisis History: Annals of Innocence
February 14, 2010 Trichet Says Promises by European Leaders, Greece Are ‘Enough’ European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said promises made last week by Greece and the 26 other European Union governments on finances and the stability of the euro...
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France Is Psyched for Deficit Valentine
Meeting budget-deficit targets isn’t France’s strong suit, but it’s looking increasingly likely that President Francois Hollande will be given some breathing space next week, when the European Commission puts out economic forecasts for the euro zone. The previous forecasts, in...
Read more »Today in Euro Crisis History: The First Crisis Summit
February 11, 2010 EU Demands Greek Cuts in Bid to Uphold Euro Stability European leaders ordered Greece to get the bloc’s highest budget deficit under control and promised “determined” action to staunch the worst crisis in the euro currency’s 11-year...
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Draghi in Triple Hot Seat May Seek Verbal Escape Route
It’s not going to be easy for Mario Draghi today. The President of the European Central Bank is often lauded as a straight talker. He might have to be just the opposite when he gives a press conference at 14:30...
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Berlusconi Rides Monte Paschi Scandal, Balotelli Signing to Surge
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has cut the lead of front-runner Pier Luigi Bersani to 5 percentage points in the countdown to Italian parliamentary elections Feb. 24-25. Berlusconi is tapping into public anger over a banking scandal at Banca Monte...
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Monte Paschi Provides Fodder for Berlusconi Attacks on Rivals
Revelations that Banca Monte Paschi hid details of structured finance deals that may produce hundreds of millions of euros in losses is embroiling everyone from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti to European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, while providing fodder...
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