China has become the largest economy on the planet and we’re witnessing a collective silent scream on behalf of the West in response to the loss of its worldwide dominion.
After the Stress Test: Lending in Times of Uncertainty
European banks have just made it through the latest round of stress tests. But now what? Will lending make a come back? Looking toward the future, do these tests really guarantee a clean bill of health? These are just a few of the questions that many people are asking themselves. But really, one question sums […]
The Future of Spain Economic Growth: the Elasticity of Employment
Nobody really knows what will happen in terms of Spain’s future growth. Obviously, whatever awaits will depend on many factors, both domestic and foreign. First and foremost, Spanish growth will depend on any and all future reforms and policy measures that the current and future Spanish governments may take. Unfortunately, the reform plans of the […]
What’s Going On with the Spanish and European Banking System?
The other day, a reporter asked me three questions about the current state of Spanish and European banking. Among all the areas of economic analysis, I find monetary economics and banking most interesting. In 1992, together with three coauthors, I published one of the first articles about general equilibrium economics that had the word “banking” […]
Spain Nears Trade Equilibrium
Well, equilibrium is a bit exaggerated. In May, Spain’s trade balance accumulated over 12 months – my favorite way of looking at this data for seasonality – registered a deficit of about 20.5 billion euros, which is equal to roughly 2 percent of the GDP. The data improved by slightly more than 2 billion euros in April, due to an increase […]