Europe/The EU Thread (Open to all To post)

[Toby]

News and events in Europe. Open board to discuss and inform others of the events that are taking place in this corner of the world as they transcend in todays world and touch all of us eventually.

[Toby]

Spanish Economy Crumbles: Unemployment Nearly 25%

In a week that Spain can't wait to end, the country was just hit with the bad news bears Trifecta, starting with the Real Madrid loss, following with the second S&P downgrade of Spain's credit rating for the year last night (or is that now SBBB+ain?), and concluding with economic data released this morning which showed that the economy is in a free fall that is approaching that of Greece, after retail sales fell for the 21st consecutive month, while Q1 unemployment soared to, drumroll please, one quarter of the working population or 24.44% to be specific, trouncing consensus estimates of 23.8%, and up nearly 2% from the 22.85% as of December 31. Which likely means that the real unemployment is far higher, and confirms not only that the economy is in free fall mode, but that Moody's, which delayed its downgrade of the country's banks to May, will proceed shortly.

Spanish Economy Crumbles: Unemployment Nearly 25% | ZeroHedge

[Toby]

Series of blasts hit eastern Ukrainian city

A series of blasts have gone off in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk, according to the interior ministry, injuring several people.


The interior ministry in Ukraine has confirmed that three blasts have occured in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk, causing at least 15 injures.

The blasts came at public transportation stops and a movie theater.

Series of blasts hit eastern Ukrainian city | News | DW.DE | 27.04.2012

[Toby]

France Unemployment Near 10%

France Unemployment Near 10% - Bloomberg

[Roadrunner73]

France Unemployment Near 10%

France Unemployment Near 10% - Bloomberg

Put Obama in charge of France, he will show them how to fix the UE rate.

[Toby]

Put Obama in charge of France, he will show them how to fix the UE rate.

They may be getting their own socialist in

[Toby]

Netherlands judge backs cafe cannabis ban

A judge in the Netherlands has upheld a new law to ban foreign tourists from entering cannabis cafes.

While soft drugs are tolerated, there is growing concern at tourists visiting just for drugs, and foreign dealers selling illegally at home.

The ban is due to start in three southern provinces next month, and go nationwide by the end of the year.

BBC News - Netherlands judge backs cafe cannabis ban

[Toby]

Ratings Agency Downgrade

Merkel Blasts Hollande as Spain Worries Increase

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear on Thursday that she was not prepared to renegotiate the European Union fiscal pact as demanded by French presidential candidate François Hollande. Her comments come as ratings agency Standard and Poor's downgraded Spain two notches.

Ratings Agency Downgrade: Merkel Blasts Hollande as Spain Worries Increase - SPIEGEL ONLINE

[Toby]

Romanian gov't toppled in no-confidence motion

Romanian gov't toppled in no-confidence motion - Xinhua | English.news.cn

[Toby]

Eurozone Retail Sales Plunge at Strongest Pace Since Late-2008; German Retail Sales Plunge Into Contraction; French Retail Sales Plunge at Record Pace; Record Job Losses, Record Retail Plunge in Italy


Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Eurozone Retail Sales Plunge at Strongest Pace Since Late-2008; German Retail Sales Plunge Into Contraction; French Retail Sales Plunge at Record Pace; Record Job Losses, Record Retail Plunge in Italy