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Kazakhstan and the United States: Twenty Years of Ambiguous Partnership
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Council News
Jonathan Paris Discusses Syrian Crisis with France 24
Jonathan Paris, nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, appeared on France 24 to discuss Russia's support for the Assad regime and what it means for a possible UN resolution against Syria.
Damon Wilson US Senate Testimony: Ukraine at a Crossroads
On February 1, Atlantic Council executive vice president Damon Wilson testified at a hearing of the US Senate Committe on Foreign Relations on the topic: "Ukraine at a Crossroads: What's at Stake for the US and Europe?"
Michele Dunne on US-Egypt Relations for NPR's Morning Edition
Relations between the US and Egypt have taken a downturn since Egyptian authorities raided the offices of seventeen nongovernmental organizations in December - three of them US-funded. Michele Dunne, director of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, spoke on NPR's Morning Edition about the situation and what it means for US aid to Egypt.
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The South Asia Center receives guidance and support from many experts throughout the world. Our senior fellows, guest-speakers, Center patrons, and visitors contribute heavily to the Center’s mission to “wage peace,” and engage the international community in the region. The Center asked our contributors the simple, but key question, “What you do expect in 2012?”
REGISTER
France and Germany Clash over EU Economic Rescue Plans
Peter Cassata | November 25, 2008At a Monday meeting, Sarkozy and Merkel both agreed not to adopt the valued-added tax cuts enacted in the UK to stimulate spending, an interesting reversal from the leading role Brown took in October after unveiling his financial rescue measures. However, this seems to be about all France and Germany can agree on. The FT wrote:
Mr. Sarkozy let slip his frustration with Berlin when talking about the need for fresh measures to support the economy. "France is working on it, Germany is thinking about it," he said.
There is intense irritation in the French government at Ms. Merkel’s reluctance to do more to support Germany’s growth with a fiscal stimulus, especially given Berlin’s sound finances.
Merkel remains insistent that Germany will not contribute further funds to any proposed EU-wide rescue package. Deutsche Welle reported that, "Merkel's government has already pledged 1.3 percent of GDP to energize the German economy, but Brussels is to request a further 1 percent of GDP to help pull the continent out of the financial doldrums."
Furthermore, tensions between other countries in the union also persist, according to the IHT:
Countries including Germany and France want all European countries, whatever their public finances, to spend 1 percent of their gross domestic product to stimulate growth, a figure that would work out roughly to a combined €130 ($167) billion. This idea is opposed by countries like Latvia and Hungary, which argue that their financial situation gives them no room to cut taxes or increase spending.
Whether or not all nations are asked to meet the 1 percent target, the commission is expected to say that its budget deficit rules will be applied flexibly. Member states will be given longer than usual to bring their budgets back into balance because of the exceptional circumstances.
The stimulus package is expected to be announced on Wednesday and submitted to EU leaders in December.
Related Post:
- More Fiscal Stimulus Planned for Europe – Peter Cassata
