http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections A Harvard undergraduate's perspective Mon, 04 May 2009 04:04:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en On Monday, we may witness the theoretical birth of a new European industrial champion, Fiat/Opel. When Fiat Group star CEO Sergio Marchionne meets influential representatives of the German government, he will push for the creation of a new "car supergroup" with factories all over northern Europe (Opel), Italy (Fiat), and ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=107 In what promises to be another momentous week in Europe, the FT will publish tomorrow an article sceptical about the new proposed regulations for hedge funds that sell in Europe. The distinction is important: the regulation aims toward hedge funds that sell their products in Europe, and not just those ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=104 I wrote a piece on the Crimson last week about the prospect of Eastern Europe joining the euro early. I still firmly believe the essential tradeoff between confidence and giving up monetary freedom makes sense for Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Granted, not all of these countries have behaved ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=102 It was a matter of time. In a rather obvious consequence of the global economic downturn (particularly acute in Britain), the famous Good Schools list of the best educational institutions in the nation witnessed the rise of state entries in the rankings, usually dominated by what the Brits call "independent ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=95 Today I am presenting at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs on my senior thesis, which addresses the economics of fascist intervention in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The Conference program can be found here. It will take place at the Belfer Case Study Room (S-020) at the Center at ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=92 In a very interesting interview on FT.com, World Bank president Robert Zoellick warns about the dangers inherent in the current global economic downturn. With rhetoric reminiscent to historians' talk about the 1930s, Zoellick makes an interesting point about Eastern Europe and its relationship with the EU. Considering the relatively recent openness ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=89 To say the Spanish economy has faced a hard landing in the last few months is nothing but an understatement. After the bursting of a real estate bubble only comparable to the United States' (with prices rising on average 247% between 1998 and 2005), Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero has overseen ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=87 Although the NYT has a story today claiming that "Death ends coma case debate that set off furor in Italy," the debate around Eluana Englaro's case and euthanasia in general in Italy is just getting started.  Ms. Englaro had been in a coma for over fifteen years after an accident in ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=84 This morning US Vice-president Biden gave a speech in Munich that sent a very clear message to Moscow: Rapprochement is not near, not by a long shot. At the foreign policy conference where then-President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin first denounced US interventionism two years ago, Biden was explicit about limiting Russia's influence ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=81   For several months, it has been clear that the partnership between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is an engine for European integration. They have agreed to disagree in some issues, such as France's mare nostrum idea of a Mediterranean Union, yet in most issues they are ... http://cesblog.fas.harvard.edu/connections/?p=73