Category Archives: English
The (New) Dutch Disease
In the second half of 2011 the Dutch economy experienced a sharp downturn, recording negative q-o-q growth of 0.4% in the third quarter and 0.7% in the fourth quarter, in and implying that the Netherlands is now in a recession. … Continue reading
It’s our Turn to Eat: When Ants Turn into Crickets
Say German workers to the whole world: it is our turn to eat now. Real gross German wages have increased 1% only in 2011 and 1.5% only in 2010. Much higher the increases in the rest of the Europe and … Continue reading
European Leadership for Sale
While French President Sarkozy today (in his campaign toward Spring elections) promised a revolutionary (and very welcome) shift toward – just like in the USA - reserving a share of European public contracts to small and medium firms (something forbidden so far by … Continue reading
Oversestimating growth, ECB style.
Does the ECB consistently overestimate growth? The following graph, regarding official euro area growth projections (min and max) by ECB staff on 2012 growth since December 2010 seems to confirm that. Reasons? A bad model of the economy within ECB … Continue reading
Krugman, Lucas, Keynes, Woodstock and those grey-suit economists
Things happen in my head when I read Paul Krugman about the Great Divide that Emerged in Macroeconomics in the 1970s , 40 years and more ago, and all the sorry crazy mistakes that we economists are doing right this … Continue reading
A Roman Recommends an Indian Woman as Next President of the World Bank
Here we go. Campaign primaries for the next President of the World Bank have started. Jeffrey Sachs, a world-reknown economist, has unusually launched his candidature. An expert indeed of world development issues and a brilliant economist. We should be aware however … Continue reading
Roosevelt in Bejing.
So today I went to the Jeu de Paumes in Paris to see the exhibit of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, jailed first and now spending his time in house arrest for his protests against the Chinese government on many matters, … Continue reading
No, Money Can’t Buy Everything, Markets Say.
So now we have this big monetary policy package. When has money ever bought the way out from a recession in a large fixed exchange rate area without the help of fiscal policy? I fail to remember. There might be … Continue reading
The Other and Us: We Must not Forget.
The Other, l’Autre. How do we look at those that seem different from us? Are they different because we so badly want them to be? and why is their difference not an asset but a threat for societies? I enter … Continue reading