The roles & policies of other member-states

Why Ireland should ratify any eurozone treaty early

18 December 2011
The Sunday Business Post
EU officials are putting the final touches to the first draft of a 'fiscal stability' treaty to be ratified by eurozone countries by the end of 2012. The treaty - which commits each euro government to run balanced budgets in perpetuity -  will be one of the oddest ever signed...

Believe it or not, Angela Merkel has a plan to tackle the euro crisis

Katinka Barysch
05 December 2011
The Guardian
While Merkel's vision for a fiscal union may not be the answer to all the eurozone's problems it could be a vital part of any solution.
A new "fiscal union" to underpin the euro is the main topic that Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will discuss at their Paris meeting. Merkel...

Is Austerity George saving the UK economy?

Simon Tilford
30 November 2011
The Times
Britain’s unlikely status as a safe haven is more to do with Europe’s problems than our cuts.George Osborne likes to point at Britain’s record low borrowing costs — the Government can issue ten-year debt at just over 2 per cent — as proof of confidence in his stewardship of the economy.

European leaders must step up their game

11 July 2011
Financial Times
George Soros is right that Germany's new approach to Europe bears some responsibility for the eurozone crisis. Germany's leaders are finding it hard to consider broader European rather than immediate national interests.