Press
Only Lord Mandy could make austerity this cool
15 May 2012
The Times
The blooming bromance between Ed Balls and Lord Mandelson had to be seen to be believed. Odd couple does not even begin to cover it. But it seems the old enemies over the euro are now as one on how to save the eurozone. Yesterday, they went public at an event organised by the Centre for European Reform think-tank.
Holland will try to sway Merkel to his vision
15 May 2012
International Herald Tribune
He may even push for a restructuring of the rest of Greek debt. But it will be a hard sell, and Mr Hollande has to be careful, notes Charles Grant, director of the CER. "If Hollande tried to gang up with, say, Italy and Spain, to force Germany into a complete U-turn, he would fail ...
Greek impasse prompts euro exit warnings, rattles markets
14 May 2012
Reuters
"If Greece moves towards exiting the euro ... the EU would then need to enlarge its bailout funds and prepare other emergency measures," said Charles Grant, director of the CER think-tank in London. ...
Isolated Merkel sticks by austerity after vote setback
14 May 2012
Reuters
"Merkel will find it hard to resist them all," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London.
Ed Balls backs calls for new referendum on Europe
14 May 2012
The Guardian
Speaking at a Centre for European Reform seminar in London, Mandelson also praised as prescient a speech by Balls in 2010 in which he set himself up as an early opponent of the coalition's government's deficit reduction policy.
Miliband to get back on track with reshuffle
14 May 2012
Financial Times
Lord Mandelson also joined Mr Balls on the platform of a Centre for European Reform event and praised the shadow chancellor for his "prescient" speech two years ago at Bloomberg in which he warned of the dangers of sucking demand out of the economy as a storm approached.
François Hollande faces a baptism of fire in Berlin
14 May 2012
The Guardian
"France has much less clout in the EU than Germany. The financial crisis and the euro crisis have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the French economy: its waning competitiveness," wrote Charles Grant, director of the CER. ... "Can Hollande really make a difference? He might ... The political crisis in Greece makes it urgent for Merkel and Hollande to find a modus vivendi … Until recently, many German leaders seemed disconcertingly certain that their policies for dealing with the eurozone crisis were absolutely right.
Greece to make final push Tuesday to form coalition
14 May 2012
CNBC
"If Greece moves towards exiting the euro ... the EU would then need to enlarge its bailout funds and prepare other emergency measures," said Charles Grant, director of the CER. ... "They should tell the Greeks that if they wish to stay in the euro they cannot avoid austerity and structural reform ... But to raise the Greeks' morale the EU will have to relax Greece's deficit reduction targets, write off much more Greek debt and think more imaginatively about how to encourage external investment in Greece. Merkel will find such policies harder to embrace than Hollande."
Greece and risk of contagion
14 May 2012
BBC News
Simon Tilford talks about the impact of Greece leaving the eurozone on the news at 10. Watch at 6.23.
Shadow chancellor offers hints on EU referendum
14 May 2012
Financial Times
Although Labour has never ruled out a plebiscite, Mr Balls's comments at a Centre for European Reform debate surprised senior colleagues who had agreed not to speculate on the subject. Mr Balls said there were questions about "whether there could be a case for there being a referendum more widely on Britain's relationship with Europe as a new settlement evolves". He added: "That might be an issue whose time comes, that might be. But I don't think it’s now."
Blair to back Labour's economic strategy
13 May 2012
Financial Times
On Monday when Lord Mandelson appears alongside his one-time political foe Ed Balls, shadow chancellor, at a CER event. Both men are expected to share a common critique that David Cameron has left Britain marginalised in Europe and that he should be helping to forge a growth strategy at an EU level.
Soccer boycott could kick Ukraine toward reform
11 May 2012
Bloomberg
If war is a continuation of politics by other means, then so is soccer. That's why European Union leaders are right to use the"beautiful game" to pressure an ugly regime in Ukraine.
Chevron and Shell near Ukraine gas deals
10 May 2012
Financial Times
"Through Ukraine's dependence on Russian gas, Moscow always has this weapon to bring Kiev to heel if it, say, tries to move closer to Europe," said Katinka Barysch, deputy director of the CER. "If that stranglehold no longer existed, Ukraine would have more freedom to choose its own path."
Developing joint policies is a slow and difficult job
08 May 2012
Financial Times
"The Lisbon treaty has triggered a huge degree of turf warfare between the European Commission and the External Action Service," says Thomas Valasek of the CER.
France's Francois Hollande changes the mix in Europe
07 May 2012
LA Times
"Hollande makes an awful lot of sense when he talks about the need for less austere, less restrictive fiscal policies, but his credibility is much undermined when he talks about reversing the increases in the retirement age or increasing the minimal wage by a huge amount," said Simon Tilford, of the CER.
A taste of Hollandaise
07 May 2012
Hindustan Times
"If Hollande has ever understood the need to cut public spending in France and introduce painful structural reforms to boost productivity," says Charles Grant, of the CER, "he has kept that hidden."
Greek voters vent rage on major parties
07 May 2012
Global Post
“We might still have a government where mainstream political forces account for the majority, but unless they can arrest the implosion of the Greek economy, I don’t think they will be in power for very long,” said Simon Tilford of the CER.
Can Hollande save Europe?
07 May 2012
The Sunday Times
Hollande "seems inert but might change the face of the EU," said Hugo Brady of the CER. "Because a lot more is needed than the fiscal compact to save the single currency it will be easier for Hollande to present himself as the spokesman for the disenchanted of the crisis," he said.
Hollande defeats Sarkozy in French presidency vote
06 May 2012
USA Today
"Hollande makes an awful lot of sense when he talks about the need for less austere, less restrictive fiscal policies, but his credibility is much undermined when he talks about reversing the increases in the retirement age or increasing the minimal wage by a huge amount," said Simon Tilford of the CER.
Analysis: Greek, French voters reject German-led austerity
06 May 2012
Reuters
"In many ways Spain remains a bigger problem than Greece because of its size," said Charles Grant, of the CER. ..."I think it's very hard to see how Greece can stay in the euro in the long run. It's the only country where there are no signs that the medicine is working.