February, 2021

• 22 February

  How Donald Trump set up Joe Biden for success

  

  By President Joe Biden’s own admission, defeating Donald Trump was the main motivating force of his campaign. As his administration clarifies its economic agenda, however, it’s becoming clear that Biden’s true legacy lies not in rolling back Trump’s policies but in refining them. Of course there are many differences, in both style and substance, between Biden and Trump. Yet the ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Elon Musk should come clean

  

  At a time when most major companies are working on plans to cut their carbon emissions, one of the darlings of green investing is working to increase its emissions footprint. You read that right. Thanks to its explosive expansion in China and a planned car plant in India, Tesla Inc is in the process of not just increasing the total ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Banker bonuses always send important message

  The message the European Central Bank (ECB) has sent by objecting to Deutsche Bank AG’s proposed bonus pool is unmistakable in the midst of a pandemic, but the banking regulator needs to be careful about unintended consequences. The European Union is on a concerted post-Brexit drive to lure highly-paid bankers to the continent from the City of London. Regardless of ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  UK and France need to reckon with race

  A new division has opened up within what used to be called the “West.” Divesting white supremacism of political legitimacy, the United States has begun a fresh reckoning with its past of slavery and begun to meaningfully acknowledge its demographic diversity. At the same time, the ruling classes of both France and Britain are loudly recoiling from a similar self-examination, ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Biden’s $1.9trn stimulus plan enters 3-week Congress dash

  

  Bloomberg Democrats begin the final push for President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill this week, dropping any pretense of bipartisanship to quickly pass the package before an earlier round of benefits runs out. This will be the first real test for Democrats’ full control of government since former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, with implications for the rest of ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Romania’s economy outshines rest of EU

  Bloomberg Romania’s economy outperformed the rest of the European Union (EU) last quarter as the government opted not to impose the kind of harsh lockdown that shuttered most of the continent. Output not only grew from the previous three months, but surged more than 10 times what analysts had expected. The expansion of 5.3% puts it ahead of all other ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  About 1,000 firms plan to open UK offices after Brexit

  

  Bloomberg Around 1,000 European Union (EU) finance firms are expected to open their first offices in the UK after losing their passporting rights because of Brexit. Roughly two-thirds of the 1,500 money managers, payment firms and insurers that have applied for regulatory permission to continue operating in the UK previously had no physical operations in Britain, according to Financial Conduct ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Inflation anxiety awaits Europe’s economy as firms ponder prices

  

  Bloomberg Europe’s consumer-facing companies face a critical choice for when the pandemic passes: should they exploit the expected pickup in business by raising prices? There’s likely to be a rush to hairdressers, restaurants and tourism agencies reopening when virus curbs end, fueled by pent-up demand and a hoard of cash accumulated after more than a year of forced saving. Some ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Europe launches space programme

  Bloomberg The European Union (EU) unveiled several programs aimed at boosting the bloc’s civil, space and defense industries, including a low-earth orbit satellite infrastructure to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink network. The push will aim to provide reliable, secure and cost-effective connectivity for governmental and commercial communications, as well as high-speed broadband throughout Europe, the European Commission said on Monday. The commission ...

  Read More »
• 22 February

  Italy extends ban on movement between regions

  Bloomberg Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has extended a ban on movement between the country’s 20 regions for another month — until late March — as his new government tries to step up a vaccination campaign to counter the pandemic. A cabinet meeting chaired by Draghi prolonged travel curbs between regions until March 27 and maintained a 10 p.m. curfew, ...

  Read More »