Britannia Radio

	Home   About Us   Multimedia   In The News   Events   Research & Analysis Media Centre Open Europe Berlin
New on the Open Europe Blog Not everyone in Francois Hollande's party cares about Franco-German diplomacy...  Open Europe Blog Conflict of interest (rates): clamour for ECB rate cut grows but Germany remains wary Open Europe Blog Quango unchained: The EU's subculture you've probably never heard of Open Europe Blog
Daily Press Summary French Finance Minister Moscovici: “Confrontation with Berlin is counter-productive”France’s Socialist party has back-pedalled over the weekend after a leaked document attacking German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to light on Friday. While the affair divided the French press, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called on Germany and France to have “an intensive and honest dialogue;” with Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici adding that “a confrontation with Berlin is counter-productive.”Open Europe’s blog on the leaked document was cited by both FXStreet and Finnish newspaperTalouselämä. Separately, the FT reports that French President Francois Hollande will attempt to woo businesses with tax-cuts. Open Europe Blog Le Figaro Le FigaroII Euractiv FT FAZ Süddeutsche LeMonde LeMondeII FT WeekendFXStreet Talouselämä In a guest feature on Liberal Democrat Voice, Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki argues that while Lib Dems have been robust in standing up for civil liberties domestically, it “would be wrong not to adopt the same approach to Brussels simply because the laws proposed have the pre-fix European” given significant concerns over measures such as the European Arrest Warrant.LDV: Swidlicki Open Europe Director Mats Persson was quoted by Saturday’s Telegraph as saying that if the German Constitutional Court were to rule against the ECB’s OMT bond-buying programme, it could mean “the end of the euro.” He added, “The stakes are so high that I don’t see how they could just pull the trigger.”Saturday's Telegraph Irish times Italy forms grand coalition governmentItaly formed a grand coalition government on Sunday, ending two months of political deadlock. While bond markets welcomed Prime Minister Enrico Letta and his cabinet, mayhem met Italy’s new government as an unemployed man shot and injured two policemen at the proceedings. Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki appeared on CNBC discussing the developments. EUObserver FT FTII FAZ FAZ: Nonnenmacher Süddeutsche:BachsteinEuropean Voice BBCIHTIndependent Times WSJ Joe McDevitt, head of bond-trader Pimco’s London office, has warned that the costs of complying with EU regulation are so “out of control” that they are preventing fledgling international fund houses from establishing Ucits platforms in Europe, reports the FT. Open Europe research: EU Financial regulation FT The Sunday Telegraph reported that the International Banking Federation has warned EU finance ministers that the plans to impose a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) could deepen the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis. Separately, Belgian Finance Minister Koen Geens has said that he will be “careful” in introducing the EU’s financial transaction tax because “Belgium has a lot of banks who are trading extensively in our own debt”.Standaard LDH Sunday Telegraph City AM: Gifford New Greek poll: New Democracy narrowly ahead of SYRIZA and Golden Dawn A new opinion poll published today by Kathimerini has Prime Minster Antonis Samars’ centre-right New Democracy top on 20.5%, far-left SYRIZA on 19.9%, far-right Golden Dawn on 9.3%, PASOK on 5.5%, the Independent Greeks on 5%, the Communist party on 4.9% and Democratic Left on 3.7%. Meanwhile the Greek Parliament passed a multi-bill on Sunday night which included plans for 15,000 civil servants to be dismissed by the end of 2014. The measures in the bill had been agreed with the Troika earlier this month and Greece had to adopt them to qualify for further bailout funding. Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Reuters BBC The FT reports that industry figures have warned that Europe’s €490bn fixed value money market fund industry would be “killed off” by draft European Commission proposals, which include requiring them to maintain a 3% cash buffer to absorb losses. Open Europe research FT Austrian daily Die Presse cites Open Europe’s finding that between 2005 – when the then UK government launched its domestic ‘Better Regulation Agenda’ – and 2009, the costs of EU regulation doubled. Open Europe research: Still out of Control? Open Europe events: Smarter Regulation - Can Brussels deliver? Die Presse In an interview with FAZ, Slovenian Finance Minister Borut Pahor argues that the government will maintain the country’s programme of fiscal consolidation, arguing that “Although I am social democrat I believe in the necessity of austerity… there are no buts!” FAZ Iceland’s centre-right Independence and Progressive parties have emerged as the winners of Saturday’s parliamentary elections, with each winning 19 seats in the 63 seat parliament, ending four years of a centre-left coalition. Both parties oppose Iceland’s membership of the euro and the EU.WSJ EUobserver Euractiv FAZ EU member states will vote on a proposal to restrict the use of pesticides that scientific studies have linked to the collapse of Europe’s bee population, although the findings are disputed by many farmers and crop experts. BBC Commission proposes to “make it easier” for people to exercise free movement rightsOn Friday, the European Commission made a proposal for a new directive to “make it easier for people” to exercise their EU free movement rights “in practice”. The directive would oblige national government’s to create “national contact points providing information, assistance and advice so that EU migrant workers, and employers, are better informed about their rights” including access to welfare benefits. Open Europe research Saturday’s Sun Saturday’s Express Saturday's Mail Saturday's Telegraph Express: McKinstry The BBC quotes Andrea Leadsom, Co-Founder of the Fresh Start group, warning that the lack of accountability and the weakening of democratic consent for the EU must be addressed as soon as possible. “There are too many laws decided in Brussels that would be better decided in our parliament,” she said.BBC Independent on Sunday: Mandelson Ahead of this week’s local elections, Boris Johnson argues in the Telegraph that “the rise of Ukip is actually a good sign for the Conservative Party” and warns against “ill-advised insults” directed at the party.Telegraph Telegraph: Johnson Independent Times Times: Leader Sun Sun: Kavanagh Mail ObserverSunday Times Times 2 Following a meeting between Irish and Spanish leaders Enda Kenny and Mariano Rajoy, both men urged European leaders to fulfill their pledge last June to break the link between bank and sovereign debt. Irish Times Prominent German economist Hans-Werner Sinn: “It is worth defending the euro”In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung, prominent German economist Hans-Werner Sinn, President of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research, says “it is worth defending the euro” while advocating “temporary exits of weak countries”. On the new German anti-euro party ‘Alternativefür Deutschland’ (AfD), Sinn says they are “acknowledged economists who know what they’re talking about” but added that he is less pessimistic about the future of euro than the AfD. You can watch aninterview Hans-Werner Sinn gave to Open Europe earlier this month. Open Europe video FAS FAZ Britain has paid out more than £900m to EU countries to cover the costs of ­ British patients who fell ill abroad – and received just £49m back for NHS treatment of overseas visitors, according to new figures, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Sunday Telegraph