euro
The problem with euro-dollar parity
The euro is nearly level with the dollar. It should not matter in theory, because of the relatively low share…
Has Christine Lagarde just let slip the truth about the euro?
Ursula von der Leyen dispensing vaccines, with a halo over her head perhaps? Emmanuel Macron riding a tank to symbolise…
The EU is stepping up its raid on the city of London
It is not usual for the Governor of the Bank of England to ask permission to make a statement about…
Can ‘super’ Mario Draghi save Italy from itself?
In the aftermath of the financial crash, two ‘Super Marios’ came to Italy’s rescue. Mario Draghi, then president of the European…
Thatcher was completely right about the Euro
It was a ‘rush of blood to the head’. Its central bank would prove to be hopelessly ineffective. And cultural…
Will Western economies be ‘turning Japanese’ after Covid-19?
Japan has announced a colossal stimulus package (£1.75 trillion) as it attempts to breathe life into its Covid-19 damaged economy.…
Why Macron is happy to leave Renault’s chief shivering in his Tokyo cell
In France after New Year, the only gilets jaunes I spotted were a rather dejected bunch near an autoroute exit.…
Migration is complicated. Don’t pretend it’s not
I expect you’ve already noticed it, but in case you’ve been living in a cave or an economics faculty for…
The EU must change
David Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership has served as a powerful reminder of the case for leaving. The…
Greece Notebook
At the weekend, I tried — and failed — to get some money out of an empty cashpoint near Omonia…
The Spectator’s notes
Even if everything goes wronger still, the Greek No vote is a great victory for the left. Until now, the…
Greeks just want to keep what they’ve got
We were breakfasting outside on the morning of the Greek referendum. The result could only be guessed at and all…
Good and bad politics: the Budget against a backdrop of Greek chaos
George Osborne’s Budget was good politics: not so much in terms of tactical point-scoring, though there was plenty, but in…
This Greek catastrophe isn’t Lagarde’s fault but her career is starting to look like toast
The Greek drama took a turn few of us expected last week, when the world thought compromise was imminent. What…
Greece’s crisis turns to tragedy
Its people face an uncertain and frightening future
Europe’s great game
Merkel’s crisis is David Cameron’s opportunity
If Merkel shrugs…
Grexit would be worse for Germany than for Greece
Ten myths about Brexit
Don’t believe the scare stories about leaving the EU
Let Greece go
The campaign to keep Greece in the euro has resulted in five years of groundhog days. The unfortunate country seems…
Portrait of the week
Home Talha Asmal, aged 17, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, died in a suicide bomb attack on forces near an oil…
My nominee for politician of the year: the honourable member for Athens B
After the heat of battle: the accolades, the recriminations, the telling of history by the victors. It’s six months early…
My dad saved the pound
If you’re grateful not to be in the euro, it’s James Goldsmith and his ‘rebel army’ you should thank
Cuckoo clocks, Chinese dragons and magic needles: the pros and cons of currency pegs
The Swiss National Bank usually ticks away as quietly as one of its nation’s more expensive timepieces, but when the…
Kilkenny Notebook
‘What is a Minsky moment, anyway?’ asks Gerry Stembridge, an Irish satirist. ‘I’ve been reading about them in the papers…
The Spectator’s Notes
The conviction of Max Clifford for indecent assaults feels like a vindication of the jury system, as did the acquittal…
