Blog Profile / Gavin Hewitt's Europe
| URL : | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/correspondents/gavinhewitt/ | |
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| Filed Under: | News / International Affairs | |
| Posts on Regator: | 263 | |
| Posts / Week: | 2.2 | |
| Archived Since: | February 21, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
Europe's push against tax fraud gains momentum
David Cameron began his day by restating his position that he not only wants to reform the European Union but that Britain was better off in a reformed EU. Today is an example of how work gets done in Europe. There is what is called a "thematic summit". Show More Summary
The realities of re-negotiating Europe
At some point in the future - and particularly if David Cameron wins the election in 2015- the UK will attempt to re-negotiate the terms of its membership of the EU. It will be a long, tortuous process, strewn with potential difficulties. In...Show More Summary
President Hollande's dream
The grand gesture lives! French President Francois Hollande marked the start of his second year in power with a news conference at the Elysee Palace. In the face of disastrous poll ratings and an economy in recession he came with a big idea for the future. Show More Summary
Francois Hollande's tough first year
A year ago today Francois Hollande was sworn in as French President. It was a day of dark and forbidding skies. The new president rode up the Champs Elysees in an open-topped Citroen in the pouring rain and emerged bedraggled. Before the day was out his plane had been hit by lightning while en route to see Angela Merkel. Show More Summary
Europe's summer of argument
There is a ferment of debate in Europe. A summer of argument. It has broken out at almost every level and in every country. It is testament to the depth of a crisis which continues to defy solution. What is interesting is that it noShow More Summary
Europe and the anti-establishment vote
The recent success of UKIP in the English local elections caused barely a ripple in the rest of Europe. Yet the poll served as a reminder of another more important fight which lies ahead and is getting closer. Elections will be heldShow More Summary
Europe: a cautious rate cut
For the first time in 10 months the European Central Bank has cut its main interest rate, from 0.75% to 0.50%. It is now at an all-time low. Some had expected a larger cut, in response to growing anxiety in Europe over growth and unemployment. The President of the ECB, Mario Draghi, said: "labour markets remain weak... Show More Summary
Will Europe cut its interest rate?
On Thursday the governing council of the European Central Bank will meet in Bratislava. The speculation is that the ECB will cut its current interest rate of 0.75% by half a percentage point. There is a new mood in Europe. It is more fear than panic. Show More Summary
No quick fix for Spain
It is the one set of figures that European officials fear: the quarterly statistics on unemployment. For amidst all the sightings of green shoots, the lines of those without work serve as a reminder that the crisis in Europe is far from over. In Spain, the general unemployment level has risen to 27.16%. Show More Summary
Europe: Retreat from austerity
Like the arrival of a new season, all the signs are that Europe is in retreat from austerity. The retreat is disguised, but cannot be concealed. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said: "While I think 'austerity'...Show More Summary
Cyprus: Bailed out or broken
The question remains unanswered: has Cyprus been saved or has its economic future been put in jeopardy? Doubts about its economic survival have re-emerged after it was revealed that the country needed to find 6bn euros (£5bn; $8bn) more than was agreed just three weeks ago. Show More Summary
Europe and Thatcher: The great divide
Europe's leaders both resented her and admired her. Francois Mitterrand said she had "the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe". Another French President Jacques Chirac said: "She was one of the most feared figures on the international stage." He went on to say: "What made her great in my view was above all her conviction... Show More Summary
The troubles of France's President Hollande
France and its president are of major concern in Berlin and in Brussels. Some German officials say France is the country in the eurozone which worries them the most. It is not about the recent scandal, which caught a French minister, Jerome Cahuzac, lying about his bank account in Switzerland. Show More Summary
The pain of southern Europe's jobless
When Europe's unemployment figures were published today, they once again underlined the north-south divide. Increasingly there are two Europes. As Andrea Broughton from the Institute for Employment Studies points out: "At the lowestShow More Summary
Cyprus bank crisis: the legacy
Today about 1,500 students marched to parliament in Nicosia. They believe the bailout deal robs them of a future. Their angry chants were directed at the troika, the EU and in particular Germany's Angela Merkel. There were banners linking Mrs Merkel to Hitler. Show More Summary
Few winners in Cyprus deal
After 12 hours of negotiations, a deal was done in Brussels which protects Cyprus from bankruptcy. It will stay in the eurozone and will receive a 10bn euro bailout. Its rescue comes with a heavy price. The battle to protect its business...Show More Summary
Coming hours 'to seal Cyprus' fate
Whatever the outcome, the legacy will be one of bitterness. I have seen anti-German posters and heard anti-German rhetoric in Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal. But never has it been so open as in Cyprus. Even if the Germans are right...Show More Summary
The struggle for Cyprus
There is a fierce struggle going on between the elected government of Cyprus on one side and Germany and European officials on the other. The tension is not disguised. Many Cypriot MPs believe they are being blackmailed into doing what the eurozone wants. European officials are furious. Show More Summary
Cyprus bank crisis: Mounting EU pressure
It is possible to be lulled into thinking that the Cypriot crisis is not acute. Yes, the banks are closed but the cash machines are being refilled. The queues for money are small. Yet beneath the surface the economy is under strain from the closed banks. Petrol stations won't accept credit cards any longer. Show More Summary
Cyprus bailout: Who messed up?
Almost nobody now believes the Cypriot bailout deal negotiated in the early hours of Saturday morning was smart. As the economist Paul Krugman put it, it was as if Europeans were holding up a sign which read "time to stage a run on your bank". Show More Summary