Western Europe

NEWSMAKERS: EUROPE   by Anita Hawser   Draghi: Will face scrutiny Despite attempts to block his candidacy, Bank of Italy governor Mario Draghi will become the new president of the European Central Bank (ECB) when Jean-Claude Trichet retires in October. ...

NEWSMAKERS: IRELAND   by Gordon Platt   Full throttle: Ryanair powers up its fleet with giant order Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, stole the limelight at the Paris Air Show in June by signing an ...

Light At The End Of The Tunnel   By Vanessa Drucker   Portugal’s new political leaders have a plan to dig their country out of its deep fiscal hole.   Portugal is about to receive a dose of strong medicine. ...

MILESTONES: EUROPE   By Anita Hawser   How many central securities depositories (CSDs) does Europe need? The European Commission and the European Central Bank believe it is far fewer than the 40 CSDs currently scattered across the continent.   The ...

NEWSMAKERS: GLOBAL   By Luca Ventura   While the shocking arrest in May of IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in connection with an alleged sexual assault dominated the news all over the world, it only complicated a plot that was ...

Europe Capital Performance   The past year has been one of continuing struggle for much of the European banking sector. After a bruising 2009, which was characterized by banking failures and government bailouts, 2010 brought the European sovereign debt crisis. ...

MILESTONES: UNITED KINGDOM   By Anita Hawser   Before the 2008 financial crisis ripped through the world’s markets, the UK’s Financial Services Authority was renowned for its light-touch approach to regulation.   Davies, RPC: Big jump in FSA fines In ...

MILESTONES : PORTUGAL   By Anita Hawser   Sovereign debt in the eurozone is back in the headlines again, with Portugal going cap in hand to the European Union and asking for an emergency bailout.   Debt burden leaves little ...

NEWSMAKERS : ITALY   By Luca Ventura   When the dairy giant Parmalat, a household name in more than 30 countries, collapsed in 2003 with a $20 billion hole in its accounts, Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti fittingly dubbed the ...

Global Finance Announces Best Banks by Region 2011 NEW YORK, April 8, 2011 – Global Finance magazine has announced its annual awards for the World’s Best Banks in Developed and Emerging Markets. For the first time, the selections will be ...

NEWSMAKERS: IRELAND   By Dan Keeler   When Ireland’s voters unceremoniously booted out the Fianna Fail-led government in early March election, they were hoping that new leadership would give the country a fresh start.   IDA’s O’Leary: Confident Humbled by ...

MILESTONES: UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED STATES   By Anita Hawser   Banks are scrambling to launch electronic trading platforms for derivatives transactions such as credit default swaps (CDSs) in an attempt to get ahead of planned regulatory changes aimed at ...

MILESTONES: CANADA / UNITED KINGDOM   By Erik Heinrich   London Stock Exchange: Dominant partner? The proposed merger between the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has prompted criticisms that it would not be, as the ...

FOCUS: UK RECOVERY STRATEGY   By Justin Keay   The UK government’s savage spending cuts and deep austerity measures have been touted as a model recovery strategy for stumbling Western economies. Faltering growth is raising questions over the strategy’s validity. ...

NEWSMAKERS: EUROPE   By Justin Keay   Piebalgs: Pressing Europeans to give more Spare a thought for Andris Piebalgs, the EU's development commissioner. At a time when politicians across Europe are telling people to tighten their belts during the toughest ...

NEWSMAKERS: UK   By Anita Awser   High risk: UK bribery law will affect companies worldwide In a sign that regulators are clamping down on bribery and corruption in international business, from April 2011 the UK will implement what legal ...

UPDATE: SEPA   By Anita Hawser   Proponents of the Single Euro Payments Area are considering stringent measures to encourage companies to hop on board.   As eurozone countries busy themselves implementing liquidity measures designed to calm market fears about ...

WINNERS: EUROPE   Best Commodity Derivatives Provider Morgan Stanley Despite attempts by competitors to nibble at its market share when commodities prices were soaring in 2009, Morgan Stanley has maintained its dominant position in commodities derivatives in Europe thanks to ...

COVER STORY: LIVING ON THE EDGE   By Laurence Neville   Southern Europe's sovereign debt crisis may appear to have been resolved, but severe trials still lie ahead—particularly for Greece.   The travails of Southern Europe—in particular Spain, Portugal and ...

NEWSMAKERS: FRANCE   By Denise Bedell   Smooth move: Sarkozy hopes to rein in price volatility Commodity speculation is once again in the spotlight as Angela Merkel, German chancellor, has announced her support for plans by incoming G20 president Nicolas ...