German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble famously remarked that “elections change nothing”. He was talking about debt and public finance. The European Commission now seems intent on confirming Schäuble’s maxim when it comes to ensuring the protection of public health and the environment. Voting in the European Parliament, public opinion and credible, independent scientific research appear […]
Private Equity, Plunder And Profit – A Glimpse Of The Future For Greece?
A Luxembourg court will decide next month whether the alleged financial pillage of a Greek mobile phone company at the height of the buyout boom by two large private equity funds, Apax and TPG, was carried out by fraudulent means. That decision will presumably impact on a civil lawsuit by the same creditors which will […]
Greek Theme Park ‘Dettoland’: A Modest Anti-crisis Proposal
Where there’s a will there’s a way, Chancellor Merkel reminds us. Now that the IMF has revisited the numbers and (again) come up with the unsurprising conclusion that Greek debt is hugely unsustainable, it’s time to revisit the proposal for a Greek asset fund. Like the debt sustainability figures based on growth and budget projections […]