Junk Rating Stirs Anger in Hungary

BUDAPEST—Moody's Investors Service's downgrade of Hungary's debt to "junk" status late Thursday is raising the pressure on Budapest to make concessions in its negotiations for help from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, and sparked an angry reaction Friday from the government. READ MORE

Market Punishes Italy

Italian Yields Jump After Poor Auction

FRANKFURT—Italian two-year and five-year government-bond yields soared to euro-era highs Friday as investors began giving up on the euro zone's ability to break the political gridlock that is blocking a more decisive response to the currency bloc's debt crisis.

Ireland, Portugal Woes Pose Risks

BRUSSELS—The euro zone's focus is on turmoil in Italy, politics in Germany and the multifaceted mess that is Greece. But Ireland and Portugal, the overshadowed bailout recipients, are still far from success—and any failure could roil the euro zone yet more. 
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Options Dwindle for Euro Crisis

The biggest question in Europe isn't what it was a few weeks ago. It is no longer just whether any of the 17 governments in the euro zone will default on its debts; increasingly it is whether the euro zone will survive in its current form at all...READ MORE.

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Fitch Slashes Portugal's Ratings To Near Junk

Fitch Ratings on Friday slashed its credit ratings on Portugal to one notch above junk status after concluding that the embattled nation was less likely to seek external support in the near term after setting elections for June 5. READ MORE

German Bond Auction Cause For Concern

German Bond Auction Spurs Worries, Adds Fuel to European Debt Crisis

FRANKFURT—A German government debt auction drew some of the weakest demand since the introduction of the euro, signaling diminishing investor appetite for even the safest euro-zone assets amid Europe's worsening debt crisis.

The Key Players in Europe's Debt Crisis

Profiles, Quotes - Europe's political and financial leaders are looking for ways to stem the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis. VIEW INTERACTIVE

Euro-Zone Consumer Confidence Weakens

LONDON—Consumers in the 17 countries that use the euro became more downbeat about their prospects in November 2011, as the currency bloc's fiscal crisis deepened, weakening the outlook for the economy and the jobs market. READ MORE

What Will Make the Great Financial Crisis Look Like Child's Play?

In 2008, when we were hours away from ATMs running out of money, small businesses being unable to pay their staffs, and schools and hospitals closing down through lack of cash flow, it felt as if the crisis of the century was upon us. But if the world continues on its current path, the historians of the future will say that the great financial collapse of three years ago was simply the trailer for a succession of avoidable crises that eroded popular consent for globalization itself. READ MORE

Euro Bonds: The Pros and Cons, According to the European Commission

A European Commission discussion paper on euro bonds to be released on Wednesday, puts forward three possible approaches for issuing common government bonds in the euro zone.
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The Reason Why the Euro in its Current State Will Not Continue

European Credit Crisis Set To Change Political Map

By Grant de Graf

The historic landslide victory by Spain's conservative opposition party, at the election polls, is yet another sign that the credit crisis is changing the European political map. The electorate will not buy into austerity, as has been evident by the riots in Greece and demonstrations in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Running a balanced budget or keeping a deficit in check, may be a practical blueprint to running a healthy economy, but it is not a plan that will provide a quick-fix solution to an economy that is ailing. On the contrary, irrespective of the political ramifications, it will only serve to undermine efforts by a government to restore economic prosperity.

Additionally, the communities in Germany and France will never be satisfied with financing the lunch bars of Europe's poor, which only highlights the inadequacies of the European Union. This is the asset test for the feasibility of such a union: whether tax payers are prepared to pay for the less fortunate in another country that is part of the union. Ultimately, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain (PIGS) must exit the Euro for those economies to benefit from a fluctuating exchange rate, to resolve the incongruousness that prevails in those markets. Ireland may survive the cut, due to the strong economic ties that it has with Britain. In the end, a Euro with Germany and France making up 90% of its constituency could survive and provide somewhat of an argument for its sustainability, even though weaknesses to the model still exist.

Conservative Party Victorious in Spanish Election

Spain's Opposition Party Wins Historic Landslide Victory Amid Crisis

Conservatives Ride Crisis to Victory in Spanish Vote

MADRID—Spain's conservative opposition won a sweeping electoral victory on Sunday, in the latest sign that Europe's financial crisis is remaking the political map.

Hundreds Say They'd Take Australian Mining Job

Hundreds Say They'd Take Australian Mining Job

Most were American, but others were from India, the Philippines, Belize, Rwanda, Fiji, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. Only one European—a German—wrote the Journal wanting to know how to get a mining job in Australia, which has reported a shortage of miners.

The euro crisis: The German problem

The euro crisis: The German problem: 
To save the single currency Merkel must take on her own economic establishment

12 Fastest Growing Economies for 2012

12 Fastest Growing Economies for 2012

A look at 12 countries poised for strong economic growth in 2012:

The European Debt Crisis Gets Complicated

The European Central Bank: Brink think | The Economist

WHEN Mario Draghi took over as president of the European Central Bank at the beginning of this month, it was felt that he had to prove his credentials in Germany. That task is made harder by calls on the ECB to act as backstop to troubled Italy, Mr Draghi’s home country, and to contain a sovereign-debt crisis that is raising borrowing costs for most euro-zone countries, while driving them down in Germany.

Yields Leap at Spanish Bond Auction

FRANKFURT—The euro-zone debt market brushed off renewed efforts by the European Central Bank to support Italian and Spanish government bonds after new warnings on Spanish debt sustainability.

Greek Deficit Could Exceed 9% This Year

Greek Deficit Could Exceed 9% This Year

LONDON—Greece's budget deficit could exceed 9% of gross domestic product this year compared with an 8.9% to 9% estimate as the economy is expected to sink deeper into recession, a senior government official said Wednesday.

The Report That Caused Banks To Tank In The Final Hour Of The Day

This Is The Report That Caused Banks To Tank In The Final Hour Of The Day

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18 Biggest Internet Markets In Europe

These Are 18 Biggest Internet Markets In Europe
Today, digital researcher comScore released figures for Europe's Internet usage for September this year.
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The Little Island That is Hurting From The Euro Crisis

You'll Never Guess Which Country The Euro Crisis Has Already Spread To. You think you got problems?
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Why America is Falling Apart

Returning To America After A Long Time Abroad, The Changes Hit You In The Head Like A Baseball Bat
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The One Solution For Europe That Will Save It

LOOK: There's One Solution For Europe, Everyone Knows What It Is, And If It Doesn't Happen, There Will Be A Collapse.

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Von Mises on Expanding Monetary Policy (By Brad DeLong)

"He is not saying that easy money and easy credit sometimes lead to financial crises that cause depressions."

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Spain Is Going To Need The Kind Of Bailout Italy Got

And in this case neither the banks nor anyone else are winning. On the contrary, there are myriad losers.

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For first time, nations mull Greek exit from euro

Ever since the idea of the euro currency really took off in the late 1980s, it has been accepted wisdom that entry was forever. But now, with no less than the leaders of France and Germany conceding that Greece could leave the euro, everyone is scrambling to figure out exactly what would happen.   More »

ECB Punching Into The Wind

Pressure mounted on the European Central Bank to take drastic action to stabilize euro-zone bond markets, as investors shrugged off the bank's limited bond buying and European politicians sparred over the ECB's role in fighting the debt crisis.

Steve Jobs's Gamechanging Plan That Was Never Realized

Steve Jobs's Plan To Go Where Others Had Failed Was Gamechanging

Hungary's Debt Hits Radar Screens

BUDAPEST—Hungary's weakening currency and rising borrowing needs have swollen its debt load to 82% of gross domestic product, overshooting government fiscal targets.

A Glimpse Into the Future Job Market