Eurostat’s publication of prices of food and drink across Europe has highlighted again how expensive Ireland is relative to its neighbours. This post examines prices across Eurozone members since 2001 and finds that the damage was done in Ireland by 2003 – and that much has been reversed in the last two years. It’s unlikely, though, that Ireland will rank below third in price league tables any time soon.
This post examines the so-called “web of debt” across the EU, a graphic published in a recent New York Times article. By using gross debt statistics, and regardless of the borrower’s sector, the chart misses the obvious point that the markets are worried primarily about government debt. Indeed, the logic of the chart forces the authors into almost the completely wrong conclusion about the UK!
Inflation in the eurozone has jumped up in recent months from -0.5% to +1.0%. This post examines the likely pressures on eurozone inflation in 2010, by looking at the prices of commodities. Using World Bank data on commodity prices, it finds rapid inflation in commodities since late 2009. With the current over-reliance of macroeconomic policy on interest rates, this poses a threat to eurozone growth.
Following last weekend’s European elections, commentators have highlighted a general move to the right and the usual protest vote. An examination of country-level results reveals that the move to the right may be driven more by punishment of governing parties for economic failures than any idealogical shift.
Relationship between government deficits and European election results
Two weeks ago, I examined the IMF’s estimates for growth prospects in 2009 and came to the conclusion that in a year where countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Laos are among the world’s fastest growing economies, more open economies are being hit by a collapse in the globalized consumer’s demand.
The temptation may be to [...]
Earlier this year, I calculated average salary estimates for the public and private sectors in Ireland. The answer, that the average worker in the private sector earned €40,000 last year, almost €10,000 less than their public sector counterpart, has proved if not controversial than certainly a starting point for debate. Given some of the comments [...]
Ricky Gervais has a very funny sketch about how ludicrous the children’s rhyme, Humpty Dumpty, is. In particular, employing horses, who don’t even have thumbs let alone opposable ones, to put him back together again. Actually, it’s so good, I’m going to embed it here:
[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hYytaZ06Hco]
Anyway, spurious introduction aside, apparently according to the Financial Times (thank [...]
