Merkel challenged on pace of her austerity policies in eurozone;No clear winner in Merkel-Steinbrück TV debate ahead of German electionGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel was criticised for the pace of her austerity policies in the eurozone in the first and only TV debate between the Chancellor and her SPD challenger, Peer Steinbrück, on Sunday. While Steinbrück agreed that there must be budget consolidation, it could not be a deadly dose citing the talk of a third bailout in Greece as proof that Merkels eurozone policy is failing. Merkel pointed out that Steinbrücks SPD have voted in favour of all the bailouts so far and that you wouldnt have said this if it wasnt an election campaign.
Most German commentators said that, although there was no clear winner, the debate meant a small boost for Steinbrück, with an Infratest Dimap/ARD poll showing a substantial swing in the share of people preferring him as Chancellor from 28% before the debate to 45% after the debate. Snap post-debate polls also suggested that there was no clear winner, with one putting Steinbrück in the lead (49% to 44%), and two others putting Merkel ahead (40% to 33% and 44% to 43% respectively). A fourth poll put both candidates on 50%.
Separately, a new Emnid poll published yesterday put German Chancellor Angela Merkels CDU/CSU on 39%, the SPD on 23%, the Greens on 11%, Die Linke on 10%, the FDP on 6%, and the Pirate Party and the anti-euro AfD party both on 3%.
FT WSJ FT World blog Bloomberg Kathimerini EUobserver Reuters Deutschland Spiegel Spiegel 2 Handeslblatt Presse Welt Welt: Krauel Bild Bild: Anda Süddeutsche Süddeutsche 2 FAZ FAZ 2 Reuters France
TUC to complain to European Commission about UK implementation of agency worker regulation
The TUC has claimed that the UK is failing to properly implement EU rules on equal pay for agency workers, reports the Guardian. The TUC has cited the use of a loophole known as the Swedish derogation, which allows agency workers placed with companies to be paid less than direct employees, provided that the agency agrees to keep paying them for at least four weeks at times when it is unable to find them work. The TUC will lodge a formal complaint against the Government with the European Commission.
Open Europe research Guardian BBC
According to a report on the Greek economy prepared by the countrys main private sector union, the GSEE, it will take at least 20 years to bring Greeces unemployment rate below 10%.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 FAZ FAZ: Jahn The Economic Times
Following the House of Commons vote against the UKs military intervention in Syria and President Barack Obamas pledge to allow the US Congress a vote, French President François Hollande is now also coming under pressure from the opposition to hold a vote in the French parliament.
Open Europe blog Saturdays Guardian: Ed Miliband Independent Telegraph Bloomberg France24 WSJ: Nixon
The European Commission will publish draft rules on shadow banking and money market funds on Wednesday. The Commission is expected to propose that such funds hold a 3% cash buffer a move which, given the funds low returns, could cause serious harm to the industry.
Open Europe blog FT Reuters
Commenting on the German governments approach to the Syria crisis in the New York Times, former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg argues, Unfortunately, prominent German political leaders across party lines continue to believe that the countrys economic weight creates enough leverage to compensate for Germanys failure to realise its full potential as a capable and responsible member of the Atlantic alliance and the international community.
NYT: zu Guttenberg Bild Welt
British banks will pay £1.1bn to the UK Treasury, via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, to reimburse the government for part of the cost of backstopping British depositors in Icelandic banks which collapsed in 2008.
FT
Italy became the first country to introduce a tax on high-speed trading and equity derivatives this morning. The tax will apply regardless of where the transaction takes place or the country of residence of the counterparty.
FT City AM
The UK will oppose EU plans to fit cars with devices designed to prevent them exceeding the speed limit.
Mail on Sunday Sun on Sunday
Spains Castor offshore submarine gas storage facility is the first in Europe to be financed via EU project bonds for a total of 1.4bn, EurActiv reports.
EurActiv
Bron: politics.be
Most German commentators said that, although there was no clear winner, the debate meant a small boost for Steinbrück, with an Infratest Dimap/ARD poll showing a substantial swing in the share of people preferring him as Chancellor from 28% before the debate to 45% after the debate. Snap post-debate polls also suggested that there was no clear winner, with one putting Steinbrück in the lead (49% to 44%), and two others putting Merkel ahead (40% to 33% and 44% to 43% respectively). A fourth poll put both candidates on 50%.
Separately, a new Emnid poll published yesterday put German Chancellor Angela Merkels CDU/CSU on 39%, the SPD on 23%, the Greens on 11%, Die Linke on 10%, the FDP on 6%, and the Pirate Party and the anti-euro AfD party both on 3%.
FT WSJ FT World blog Bloomberg Kathimerini EUobserver Reuters Deutschland Spiegel Spiegel 2 Handeslblatt Presse Welt Welt: Krauel Bild Bild: Anda Süddeutsche Süddeutsche 2 FAZ FAZ 2 Reuters France
TUC to complain to European Commission about UK implementation of agency worker regulation
The TUC has claimed that the UK is failing to properly implement EU rules on equal pay for agency workers, reports the Guardian. The TUC has cited the use of a loophole known as the Swedish derogation, which allows agency workers placed with companies to be paid less than direct employees, provided that the agency agrees to keep paying them for at least four weeks at times when it is unable to find them work. The TUC will lodge a formal complaint against the Government with the European Commission.
Open Europe research Guardian BBC
According to a report on the Greek economy prepared by the countrys main private sector union, the GSEE, it will take at least 20 years to bring Greeces unemployment rate below 10%.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 FAZ FAZ: Jahn The Economic Times
Following the House of Commons vote against the UKs military intervention in Syria and President Barack Obamas pledge to allow the US Congress a vote, French President François Hollande is now also coming under pressure from the opposition to hold a vote in the French parliament.
Open Europe blog Saturdays Guardian: Ed Miliband Independent Telegraph Bloomberg France24 WSJ: Nixon
The European Commission will publish draft rules on shadow banking and money market funds on Wednesday. The Commission is expected to propose that such funds hold a 3% cash buffer a move which, given the funds low returns, could cause serious harm to the industry.
Open Europe blog FT Reuters
Commenting on the German governments approach to the Syria crisis in the New York Times, former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg argues, Unfortunately, prominent German political leaders across party lines continue to believe that the countrys economic weight creates enough leverage to compensate for Germanys failure to realise its full potential as a capable and responsible member of the Atlantic alliance and the international community.
NYT: zu Guttenberg Bild Welt
British banks will pay £1.1bn to the UK Treasury, via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, to reimburse the government for part of the cost of backstopping British depositors in Icelandic banks which collapsed in 2008.
FT
Italy became the first country to introduce a tax on high-speed trading and equity derivatives this morning. The tax will apply regardless of where the transaction takes place or the country of residence of the counterparty.
FT City AM
The UK will oppose EU plans to fit cars with devices designed to prevent them exceeding the speed limit.
Mail on Sunday Sun on Sunday
Spains Castor offshore submarine gas storage facility is the first in Europe to be financed via EU project bonds for a total of 1.4bn, EurActiv reports.
EurActiv
Bron: politics.be