MADRID | By Antonio Sánchez-Gijón at CapitalMadrid | On May 9 the European Union will deliver Charlemagne Prize to Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite. The idea is not to reward her as a former EC Commissioner, but as the person who embodies the success of three small countries of Northern Europe out of their deep economic crisis in two years. While the populations of the Mediterranean Europe and France are raised in arms against austerity policies imposed from Brussels and Frankfurt to exit the stagnation and save the euro, two European Baltic nations are looking forward to joining the common currency.
EU against interchanging fees: Should we save the Euro at all costs?
The European interchange fees reduction project is very similar to the measures adopted by the Spanish Government in 2005. However, several studies show that measures adopted to reduce interchange fees have finally harmed consumers, as French site Bursorama points out. Is there any ideological agenda behind it?
Let’s fight austerity, not Germany
MADRID | If Spain’s democracy owes something to someone it would be Germany. During Spain’s democratic transition, Christian democracy and Social Democracy German foundations sustained and alerted incipient political parties when they need it.
Only own goals in the Spain-Catalonia match
There is a mirroring effect in all these conflicts: Europeans appear unable to talk about the actual issues that trouble them, that is, debt and democracy.
The (bright) Spain you won’t get in some Anglo media
NEW YORK | A group of the most important Spanish companies presented their report “Spain, land of opportunities” in New York on Wednesday. The Business Council for Competitiveness (CEC), claim to represent more than 35% of Spanish GDP and 1.7 million Spanish employees. This is their side of the story. Economic propaganda, or real data that you won’t see in the FT nor the WSJ’s front page?
Spanish SME’s special financial market will reach $1.3bn in 2014
MADRID | The newly created Alternative Fixed Income Market (MARFI, in its Spanish initials) for small and medium size enterprises (SME), that the government wants to have ready, could mobilize around 1 billion euros (1.3 billion dollars) within its first year of existence, says Axesor. The company, specialized in information and credit risk management, adds that the yield could stand somewhere between 6 and 10%.
BBVA wants to avoid surprises in Latin America
MADRID | BBVA Chairman Francisco González wants to eliminate all risks in Latin America and avoid the unpleasant situations his Spanish peers Repsol, REE, Iberdrola, Abertis or Aena had to put up with in the continent.
Münchau’s hazardous panic game
MADRID | By Javier Arce, editor at Revista Consejeros | Commentary scaring savers–whether in Cyprus, Spain, Italy or France–smells of negligence at the very least. In Spain, where we had to face capital outflows of over €200 billion in 2012, we are particularly aware of it.
Twitter’s bird makes its nest in Spain
Like other American tech giants such as Facebook, Google or Microsoft, Spain is the new gate for Twitter’s international expansion… although all of them go to Ireland to pay taxes.
Spaniards richer than Germans? A Bundesbank tale
MADRID | by Luis Martí | Almost twice as many Spaniards as Germans own their home and look therefore, richer. But they are not.
