Europe

  The Chinese economy is in trouble, and there is little hope for a recovery. Although its annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth has remained just under 5 percent over the past three years, doubts about the meaning of that figure are growing. Growth in fixed investments (machinery and equipment) has slowed considerably, from 9.9 percent […]

  French sovereign bonds are currently trading at yields comparable to those of Greek bonds. Although France’s bonds are still rated higher than Greece’s, they are edging toward the lowest investment-grade level. The unfavorable ratings are deserved: They are based on economic and fiscal realities. In fact, French bonds are still overrated; some might consider […]

  Historian Christopher Clark wrote the impressive book on how the European powers sleepwalked unnecessarily into World War I at the beginning of the last century. Can we learn something from this? There has been no period in history without war. Europe had the unique chance of a very long peace, mainly protected by the United […]

  Europe faces a rising wave of terrorism and increasing crime, yet its political elites struggle to address the situation effectively. They often misidentify the root causes – likely due to ideological bias – leading to misguided measures. Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna was canceled due to a terrorist threat, and France and Germany imposed disproportionately high […]

Europe consists of a variety of countries and cultures with distinct traditions. The competition between them has long been the driver of developments. But Europeans also had something in common that was the fundamental component of success: a Christian heritage with its demand for self-responsibility and the call to “love thy neighbor.” Responsibility and respect […]