Introduction Financial regulators and governments have made much of their success in restoring the global financial system to a state of stability after the Global Financial Crisis and the Eurozone…
Europe
Introduction Two years after we last reviewed the fintech sector1, three significant trends are emerging which we explore in the body of this Newsletter: Investors remain wary of the sector…
Is there an air pollution emergency in Northern Italy? That’s what you might have thought if you had read the news or watched tv a couple of weeks ago. A…
Stability or Sovereignty? Italy’s Challenging Relationship with the European Stability Mechanism
The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is an intergovernmental organization founded in 2012 by the euro area member states. Its primary objective consists in ensuring long-term financial stability in the euro…
Cars and trucks are polluting, dangerous, generate congestion and consume a lot of energy. Trains are clean, safe and energy efficient. A single convoy can replace up to 500 cars…
The world is warming up and now “boiling”, according to the new definition by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Yet, instead of tackling the “climate crisis”, governments are subsidising fossil fuels.…
Is a return to sound public finances possible, and is it probable? This topic will be discussed in another interesting talk at the Anglo-American University in Prague. Jan Schnellenbach as…
What are the lessons for Europe from the demise of Silicon Valley Bank?
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has gone from hero-to-zero in 48 hours. From established bankers to start-ups in the tech, fintech, and biotech industries and to Napa Valley’s premium wineries on…
Bulgaria Has Postponed its Entry into the Eurozone. What Does this Mean?
Introduction – Bulgaria’s recent announcement On 17 February, Bulgarian finance minister Rositza Velkova announced that, rather than continue as planned with the full, formal adoption of the euro on 1…
Background Since December 2020, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to Europe via three interconnected pipelines – the South Caucasus (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum or BTE, operating since 2006), the Trans-Anatolian (TANAP, Erzurum-Eskişehir, inaugurated in…