Europe in DEEPEST RECESSION since WWII...

wgadget

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...and all along I thought there was a glimmer of hope that the green shoots meant the recession was OVER.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...t-recession-since-War-as-Germany-suffers.html


German economic policy is "bankrupt", economists have said.


By Edmund Conway and Angela Monaghan
Last Updated: 7:34PM BST 15 May 2009

The declaration was made as it emerged that Europe's biggest economy has now suffered a worse "lost decade" than Japan and is deeper in recession than any other major economy.

On a day of dismal news for the European economy, official figures also showed that Italy, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands are facing their biggest combined slump in post-war history, sparking warnings about the potential for social unrest throughout Europe.

Within hours, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the global recession is far from over and that people must prepare themselves for more financial shocks. Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the world remains in the grips of a "Great Recession" and played down talk of "green shoots".

Germany's economy shrank by 3.8pc in the first three months of the year - a record contraction that is almost double the fall of Britain's gross domestic product in the first quarter. The figures sparked attacks on Germany's government, which has repeatedly shown reluctance to bail out either its economy or financial system.

In figures described by economists as "disastrous", Eurostat also reported that Italy shrank by 2.4pc, Austria and the Netherlands by 2.8pc, Spain by 1.8pc and France by 1.2pc. The statistics underline the fact that although Britain's financial system was badly hit in the early months of the crisis, the UK's economy has not fared as badly as its continental rivals, contracting by 1.9pc in the first quarter.

The sharp German contraction - the worst since the Second World War - follows news that the bill for bailing out its economy is likely to exceed the cost of re-unification in the years of austerity after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Economists said that the country's reluctance to move quickly to cut taxes and raise spending was largely to blame.


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Also, check out these Drudge headlines:


German economy shrinks 3.8% in first quarter...
Hong Kong suffers record contraction...
US prices fall most since 1955...
 
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That's not surprising. Obviously, the country that turned down bailouts will (currently) be in the worst shape in the short term. The question is, who will recover the fastest? The bailout countries who are being strung along on life support through borrowed funds, or the country that is biting the bullet and taking the correction now?
 
I have to disagree with both.

Yes, here in Europe (not including the UK) we have not made such big bailouts (we have done some but no so big) but we alredy have a lot of welfare spending, wich could account as permanent bailouts.

In the other hand, yes, we are in bad shape (the whole world is in bad shape), but I would not believe a word of what a US or a UK media says about Europe. There is a information war going on between US/UK vs UE since 2007. The UE is suffering but dont believe what a US or UK media says about Europe, you need to find less biased sources if you want to know the truth.
 
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I have to disagree with both.

Yes, here in Europe (not including the UK) we have not made such big bailouts (we have done some but no so big) but we alredy have a lot of welfare spending, wich could account as permanent bailouts.

In the other hand, yes, we are in bad shape (the whole world is in bad shape), but I would not believe a word of what a US or a UK media says about Europe. There is a information war going on between US/UK vs UE since 2007. The UE is suffering but dont believe what a US or UK media says about Europe, you need to find less biased sources if you want to know the truth.

All I know is that i do not see any signs about a recession in the Benelux, i've heard a lot of talks but i do not see much. Unless that one time in that one street where 4 houses or so were put for sale. But i think it's not that bad yet, but it will probably change pretty soon now.
 
All I know is that i do not see any signs about a recession in the Benelux, i've heard a lot of talks but i do not see much. Unless that one time in that one street where 4 houses or so were put for sale. But i think it's not that bad yet, but it will probably change pretty soon now.

Spain is in pretty bad shape. We are almost at 20% unemployment. The good thing is that we are used to it. We had 24% unemployment 20 years ago, and the president got reelected... We are lazy even to protest (I dont know if I should laught or cry). Some parts of europe will suffer, but I dont think the EU situation is critical. I wish it was and the EU would disappear, but I dont think that will happen.
 
"Economists said that the country's reluctance to move quickly to cut taxes and raise spending was largely to blame. "

Huh?
 
The housing/credit bubble for last couple years hid what was really happening in Europe just like in US they were hemorrhaging Tech and Manufacturing jobs to China and India. Take for example Ireland which continued growing even as companies including IBM,DELL and Intel closed shop and moved to Bangalore thanks in part of massive Housing boom. When that crashed in 2007 so did its fortunes.

I fear Europe will end up likely going into far worse recession or even depression compared to US..

CNN article on Ireland
 
can we at least say depression with a small "d"
rather than a deep recession in most total caps?
 
Germany, Netherlands or Italy didn´t have a housing/credit bubble. Others, like Spain, UK and Ireland, had a BIG one. The first group suffers the sharpest fall of GDP because they are the most exporting nations in EU; being Germany the 1st in the world. Japan is in the same situation. But unemployment rates in those countries is stable or rises slowly. For example, the Netherlands is still at 2,8% (2,7% one year ago) even if GDP fell as much as 2.8% in first three months of 2009. And their budget deficits are under 5 or 4%.
In contrast with them, the second group have LARGE trade deficits, unemployment rises much faster (specially in Spain, Ireland and Baltic countries) and budget deficits will exceed 10% of GDP this year. According to most predictions, the first group will rebound sooner than the second.
 
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* GDP growth Q1 2009:

Germany: -3.8%
Netherlands: -2.8%
Austria: -2.8%
Italy: -2.4%

United Kingdom: -1.9%
Spain: -1.8%
France: -1.2%

United States: -1.6%
Japan: -4.2%


* Unemployment march 2009:

Germany: 8.6% (8% in march 2008)
Netherlands: 2.8% (2.8% in march 2008)
Italy: 7.3% (6.6%)
Austria: 4.5% (3.8%)

France: 8.8% (7.6%)
United Kingdon: 7.1% (5%)

Spain: 17.4% (9.5%)
Ireland: 10.6% (5.2%)
Lithuania: 15.5% (4.3%)
Latvia: 16.1% (6.1%)

Japan: 4.5% (3.8%)
United States: 8.5% (5.1%)


* Deficit estimation 2009:

Below 5 or 6% of GDP: Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Japan...
Above 10% of GDP: United States (13%), UK, Spain, Ireland, Lithuania....
 
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