A neutral Switzerland is a pleonasm. The country has enjoyed a status that it has been defending tooth and nail as a non-aligned power since the Congress of Vienna in 1815. This has even been established as a political doctrine, that of “good offices”which can be summarized as follows: “We are a small country that … Read more
The U.S. and several allies announced a plan to limit Russia’s financial capabilities on Saturday, while Germany and the U.S. said they will send more munitions to Ukraine as the Eastern European country deals with multifaceted attacks from Russian forces. Earlier in the day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had managed to repel Russian … Read more
Faced with the worsening of the Ukrainian crisis, Germany ended up resolving to suspend the commissioning of Nord Stream 2, this gas pipeline which runs at the bottom of the Baltic. Germany already sources more than 50% of its gas from Russia. It would therefore be very difficult to do without this supplier. The country … Read more
The pandemic is also leaving economic scars that need to be addressed urgently. While it has dug debts everywhere, the burden risks becoming unbearable for a number of countries, most of which are in Africa. Seventeen countries on the continent are now at high risk of over-indebtedness, compared to four in 2014, and four are … Read more
In less than fifteen years, the industrial zone of Tangier-Med, in Morocco, has become one of the very first in Africa. A thousand companies produce there for aeronautics, the automobile or the textile sector. “The Moroccan automotive industry exports more than 8 billion euros per year. It will soon overtake that of Italy”observes Patrick Dupoux, … Read more
Will invade? not invade? Europeans and Americans insist that if Russian troops cross the Ukrainian border, the country will face major economic sanctions. The latest, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveling to Ukraine on Monday February 14 promised “ serious consequences in the event of an invasion, while the finance ministers of the G7 countries committed … Read more
It is hot and humid there. Under the greenhouses of this Kenyan farm, in perfectly aligned rows, red, white, orange or mauve roses rub shoulders. Strolling through the aisles, Samson Philip commented passionately: ” I love “named after a French perfume because “they smell very good”, or even those that grow right next to it, … Read more
As Brexit continues to bring its share of negotiations, threats and political tensions, Irish economic data points to a new reality: once Ireland’s favored neighbour, Britain is increasingly shunned by businesses of the island. A finding that is found first in the foreign trade figures. According to a report by the Economic and Social Research … Read more