Draghi’s Holding Pattern
While central banks in the U.S. and Japan are struggling with the consequences of their non-conventional policies, President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi proudly promotes his institution’s more …
The Age of Central Bank Experimentation
This publication, part of AGI’s 30th anniversary Symposium, focuses on the increasingly public role central banks play in the twenty-first century. It asks important questions, including: Do central banks have …
Bernanke’s Slide
The global financial markets’ slide on Thursday was a stark reminder of the fact that investors remain addicted to cheap money from central banks. It only took U.S. Federal Reserve …
Wait and See
Europeans are looking at September 22 as the day that could finally deliver some badly needed change to the continent. This is not to say that many Germany watchers expect …
Schaeuble’s Interim Banking Union
In a recent article for the Financial Times, Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble finally explained to an international audience why he thinks treaty changes are necessary in order to provide …
Selling the German Model
In my recent piece from the Financial Times (paid content), I argue that the German economic model being sold so aggressively throughout the euro zone may not be the most effective …
Abenomics
‘Abenomics’ has taken Europe by storm. Don’t get me wrong, policymakers on the old continent expected the new Bank of Japan’s governor Haruhiko Kuroda to act, but they certainly did …
Lessons from Cyprus for the ECB
Days after agreeing to a punitive bailout, the citizens of Cyprus are getting ready to witness the end of a flawed business model. Successfully preventing a sovereign default and euro …
After the Bank of Japan’s Move
Global central banks were back in the spotlight on Thursday, as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) finally decided to emulate the U.S. approach to the economic crisis. By engaging in …
Napolitano’s Plan
At age 87, the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, is getting ready to guide Italian politics out of the deep hole it has sunk into. He will need to gather …
Italy’s Electoral Chaos
The Italian elections have resulted in gridlock. With polls increasingly painting a picture of utter confusion, and no obvious majority, Italian commentators displayed growing incredulity. Many international observers are already …
Italian Election Scenarios
“If Italians want to vote for Silvio Berlusconi, the problem is not Berlusconi, it’s Italians.” Those few words uttered by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti during a radio interview just …