Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was fighting for his political survival overnight, as Italy’s borrowing costs reached new highs.
Greece economy
Maley: PM is gone as Greece clings to austerity plan
Financial markets face a tense start to the week, as they wait to see whether Greece’s sparring politicians can work together in a national unity government and whether Italy can reassure nervous investors that it will push ahead with fresh austerity measures.
RBA’s rate cut an insurance against Europe falling over
Like it or not, Australia’s immediate economic outlook is in the hands of the cast of clowns, fools and the well meaning trying to keep Europe on an even keel.
Political snippets: Julia Gillard gets ready to jet-about
Julia Gillard will be a jet-about Prime Minister for the next few weeks with a series of international conferences interrupted briefly by a visiting US President Barack Obama.
Financial crisis takes toll on Greece’s health
The creeping consequences of austerity measures in Greece are beginning to show, with the nation facing a sharp increase in suicides and restrictions on access to health care, writes Stephen Leeder.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Greece needs to sort itself out
Crikey readers have their say.
What makes a very normal Greek take to the streets? Where to start?
The latest raft of austerity was passed Thursday evening and many breathed a collective sigh of relief because no one wants to overdose on poisonous Troika medicine, writes Dr Nick Skrekas, author, economic analyst and international lawyer.
Maley: the EU debt clock ticks down
With time fast running out, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy again held emergency talks overnight in an attempt to settle their differences before Sunday’s crucial summit of European political chiefs.
Political snippets: Some cheerful statistics
Better than expected retail sales figures and confirmation of the boom in engineering works were released this morning by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Again the RBA meets as world markets crumble
On top of fears about Greece, Europe’s debt woes have started rattling the area’s banks.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Why (in principle) European union is a great idea
Crikey readers have their say.
Maley: recycling a Greek mess
Greece’s cabinet has approved large spending cuts and given the green light to a controversial plan aimed at slashing the size of the country’s public sector, writes Karen Maley of Business Spectator.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Europe, United, may never be defeated
Crikey readers have their say.
Maley: the whole market in their hands
European sharemarkets again staged a euphoric rally overnight, on hopes that European politicians will soon unveil dramatic plans for dealing with the region’s raging debt crisis, writes Karen Maley.
In Greece, the black economy has run riot for years
A large part of the financial mess that is Greece is the result of the Greek people making an art form of tax avoidance. Despite this politicians keeps assuming that the new taxes they are demanding will actually be collected, writes Richard Farmer.
Political snippets: Spare a sympathetic thought for Wayne.
According to a study, there is no evidence that voters are at all interested in whether their economies are performing better relative to other economies in other countries.
Maley: a Greek default in the frame
German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to calm markets by dismissing speculation about an imminent Greek debt default, writes Karen Maley, of Business Spectator
Maley: EU banks to the slaughter
European bank stocks were hammered overnight, as investors worried about the hefty losses they would suffer in the increasingly likely event of a Greek debt default, writes Karen Maley, of Business Spectator.
Maley: seeking a Greek stop loss
Financial markets face a tense week, as Greece totters on the verge of bankruptcy, while pressures in the European banking sector continue to build, writes Karen Maley.
Political snippets: No clear-cut successor to Gillard
So suppose Labor does take the plunge and sack another Prime Minister: who would the party turn to?
Political snippets: A constitutional court decision to really worry about
Germany’s constitutional court on Wednesday will had down a judgment that could well throw the world of international finance back into complete chaos.
Kohler: stranded at super’s ground zero
The aim of retirement incomes policy in Australia for two decades has been to shift the burden of risk to individuals before the next big bear market hit. It worked quite nicely.
Political snippets: ABS reveals where the money is
The Australian Bureau of Statistics this morning released a study showing where Australia’s highest paid wage and salary earners live.
