Ivan Rogers, David Cameron’s advisor on European and global issues and a former Treasury official, is expected this month to be appointed as the UK’s new permanent representative to the EU, reports the FT.FTSPD open to grand coalition with Merkel’s party, but only if she is not ChancellorIn an interview with German public broadcaster
ZDF, the SPD Chancellor Candidate Peer Steinbrück ruled out a grand coalition with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU. However, according to
FAZ, SPD sources have suggested that the party would enter a grand coalition if the CDU put forward an alternative Chancellor candidate instead of Merkel.
Meanwhile, a new Emnid poll for
Bild am Sonntag put the CDU/CSU on 40%, the SPD on 25%, the Greens on 13%, the Left party on 8%, the FDP on 5%, the Pirate party on 3%, and the anti-euro party AfD on 2%. Separately, the
WSJ reports that Jürgen Trittin, the leader of the German Green Party, has been lined up for the post of Finance Minister if an SPD/Green coalition wins next month’s German elections. Trittin is open to a potential Greek debt haircut and supports a financial transaction tax with proceeds used to boost investment in Europe.
WSJ SPD FAZ Handelsblatt SüddeutscheThe Sunday Telegraph reported that, according to unnamed French sources, French President François Hollande has said he will not back David Cameron in his attempts to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU, and has labelled the decision to hold a referendum on the issue a “risk”. However, Hollande also said he is keen to keep the UK in the EU.Sunday Telegraph Sunday Telegraph: AndersonA study by the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) notes that the EU’s proposed financial transaction tax could “wipe out” up to 65% of securities lending in those EU member states that have decided to introduce the levy under so-called ‘enhanced cooperation’, reports the FT.FTAccording to the latest IMF forecast, unemployment rate in Spain should stay above 25% for at least five more years. Spanish Deputy Economy Minister Fernando Jiménez Latorre said the forecast was “pessimistic”, reports Expansión.FT Weekend Expansión Expansión 2UK International Development Minister, Alan Duncan, told the FT that he is “absolutely baffled” by the European Commission’s decision to investigate price fixing in the oil market. “The very fact they are even considering an inquiry suggests they don’t understand what they are dealing with”, he argued. FT: Duncan