Hard hitting global and local news
Backing up what Ambrose Evans-Pritchard said with hard data, the Italian site Il Sole 24 Ore reports New Fall in Bank Lending to Households and Businesses . Loans to businesses and non-financial families continue to face strong decrease
Sticking with his economically insane campaign promise to construct 500,000 new homes in 2013, Hollande Announces 20 Measures to Support Home Building . Advocating a “confidence shock” to revive the building “against the Emergency Economic, social and environmental” the head of state has shown its desire to remove “all obstacles to construction”, while there was about 340,000 starts of new homes in 2012, below the target of 500,000.
Flash Eurozone PMI Composite Output Index at 46.5 (47.9 in February). Four-month low
Le Monde Headline "No, France is Not Bankrupt" This amusing headline story by Bruno Moschetto, a professor of economics at the University of Paris in the French newspaper Le Monde has me laughing out loud this morning: " No, France is Not Bankrupt " No, France is not bankrupt …
If you need a break from money supply, jobs, Cyprus, France, Europe in general, or housing (who doesn’t) I have a wonderful visual diversion that is literally “out of this world”. You can Watch the Aurora Borealis from an International Space Station that captures otherworldly famous lights.
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Speculation on Cyprus is rampant. It is difficult to separate fact from fantasy as reports as to what is happening vary widely. For example Ekathimerini reports ” Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris is about to be replaced upon his return from his current trip to Moscow, Kathimerini understands, as he no longer enjoys the support of President Nicos Anastasiades following his handling of the crisis
Here’s one for the thick book of EU lies and hypocritical statements " Deposit guarantees only protect against bankruptcy, not levies " Guarantees on deposits in the European Union are only there if a bank completely collapses, and does not protect from fiscal steps decided by parliaments, the European Commission said on Tuesday, defending a decision to impose a levy in Cyprus. Excuse Me! What are the Cyprus banks, if not shutdown, collapsed, and bankrupt
It’s easy enough to focus on the smoldering ashes of the politically and economically insane move in Cyprus by the heavy-handed bureaucrats in Brussels and Germany. Instead, I suggest we focus on the bright side, and there is plenty to be found. The nannycrats have been permanently exposed as liars Trust is gone Everyone can now clearly see that deposit guarantees were a lie Realization has set in that in spite of nannycrat denial, this will happen again The move in Cyprus will strengthen the Five Star Movement in Italy The move in Cyprus will embolden the separatists in Spain The move in Cyprus will strengthen UKIP in Great Britain The move in Cyprus is even likely to strengthen Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Eurobonds and joint budgets are exposed as dead In Germany, Merkel is likely to have won a Pyrrhic victory (if indeed she won anything at all) Sensible people now realize all this talk of European solidarity is a gigantic lie Even ardent supporters of the eurozone are now starting to question its existence That is one heck of a lot of good things for the bargain basement price of a mere €5.8 billion
EU officials are now swarming over Cyprus threatening to cut off funds to Laiki , Cyprus’ second largest bank if the deal does not go through. Nonetheless, Cypriot politicians are balking because they know what will happen to those who go along with EU blackmail threats