1. French president François Hollande greets Italy's prime minister Enrico Letta in Paris, May 1, 2013

    France, Italy Seek Different “Growth” Than Germany

    When European leaders speak of “growth,” they can mean very different things.

    Italy appears to have joined the ranks of European nations calling for an end to austerity with its new prime minister, Enrico Letta, insisting earlier this week that his country had "done its bit" as far as fiscal consolidation was concerned…
  1. European Commission president José Manuel Barroso speaks with Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel during a meeting of the European Council in Brussels, March 15, 2013

    End to European Austerity? Probably Not

    Austerity may have reaches its “limits” but that doesn’t mean Europe will reverse the policy.

    European Commission president José Manuel Barroso suggested on Monday that the continent's austerity policy has run its course. "While I think this policy is fundamentally right, I…
  1. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus answer questions from reporters at a European People's Party summit in Limassol, January 11, 2013

    Cyprus: A Small Country Raises Big Questions

    The Cypriot bailout rekindled many fears about the eurozone’s ability to stay together.

    Recent negotiations over Cyprus' bailout plan tested the hard wrought stability of a union which seemed finally to have solved a few of its core problems. Few imagined that the…
  1. The Reichstag building in Berlin, seat of the German parliament, September 22, 2012

    “German Europe” Replaces “European Germany” in Crisis

    The European Union was designed to contain German power but now it can’t do without.

    After all the wrangling and talk, Cyprus swallowed the bitter medicine---a European bailout conditioned on austerity measures, including a tax on bank deposits. Many analysts argue that the small Mediterranean country has been forced to succumb to the will of Germany. There is…
  1. Portuguese finance minister Vitor Gaspar talks with his Spanish counterpart Luis de Guindos Jurado during a European Council meeting in Brussels, July 10, 2012

    Portugal Gets Extra Year to Meet Budget Targets

    As Portugal’s economy fails to recover, the government struggles to reduce its deficit.

    Portugal's international creditors gave the southern European country an extra year to meet its budget targets on Friday, allowing the country to exit its bailout program…
  1. The skyline of Frankfurt, Germany at night, April 17, 2012

    Central Bank “Doing Nothing” to Save Eurozone?

    The European Central Bank has alarmed the Germans by doing too much!

    The European Central Bank has purchased more than €200 billion worth of Greek, Irish, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish government bonds but apparently it's not enough. Quartz' Simone Foxman complains that the central bank is "still doing nothing" while Europe sinks into recession. Why? Because…