HEADLINES
At the Munich Security Conference IMF managing director Christine Lagarde elaborates on the ingredients of the global economy. Full interview here.
Sweet: Steady and synchronized growth, driven by all engines: consumption, investment, trade. Employment.
Sour: Financial vulnerabilities, inconsistent economic policies, government debt, geopolitical risks.
Bitter Sweet: Increasing income and wealth inequality.
More Key Quotes and Speeches and Remarks from the Munich Security Conference.
On the EU side: EU Brexit negotiator Barnier among others is urging the UK to finally give EU businesses a clear message on the future of the EU-UK trade relationship. Eurozone finance ministers meet in Brussels today to discuss Greece’s exit later this year from the EU’s bailout program. British PM Theresa May met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to talk trade (and security) last weekend in Germany.
On the US side: President Donald Trump released an infrastructure plan that includes a $200 billion fund. While the government claims the plan will generate $1.5 trillion for America’s infrastructure development, many remain skeptical.
Upcoming: This week is a big trade week for Europe: EU-Mexico trade negotiations continue until Thursday in Mexico City. Close to finished talks between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) will pick up in Paraguay on Wednesday. TPP is still slated to be signed on March 8- let’s see if there will be any concrete actions form the US side towards rejoining the pact beforehand. The seventh round of Nafta negotiations is scheduled for February 25 in Mexico City.
SPOTLIGHT
What’s the Deal?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on February 7 moved a step closer to forming a coalition government that would include her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). But first, more than 460,000 members of the SPD will need to approve the coalition agreement in a postal ballot. The results will be announced on March 4.
Approval of the deal would end more than four months of political wrangling that have followed an inconclusive election in September and keep Merkel at the helm for a fourth term as chancellor.
What does the deal say about reforming the European Union? What are the hurdles to overcome? What is in the deal? Are there any big changes from the last grand coalition? What are the next steps? Atlantic Council analysts discuss these questions and more on the New Atlanticist here.
TRADE
Official Document: Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America, The White House
Opinion: The Road to Renewal: How to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure, Michael Della Rocca, Tyler Duvall, and Rob Palter, McKinsey & Company
News: Mnuchin: Priority is on Negotiating Not Withdrawing from NAFTA, Politico
News: US Eyes Global Tariff of ‘at least’ 24% on Steel Imports, Shawn Donnan, Financial Times
Analysis: Why Economists Are Worried About International Trade, N. Gregory Mankiw, The New York Times
Analysis: U.S. Trade Policy: Clearing the Brush – Or Pulling Up Stakes?, Peter S. Rashish, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
Analysis: America Alone, David Rish, Global Trade Magazine
Analysis: We Need to Talk About the Lighthizer Doctrine, Shawn Donnan, Financial Times
Analysis: Is Italy’s Economy Really Booming?, Jack Allen, Capital Economics
News: EU Trade Policy is Being Dragged Into the Digital Age, Chris Giles and Rochelle Toplensky, Financial Times
News: WTO Outlook Indicator: Global Trade Growth to Stay Above-Trend, Tom Miles, Reuters
Analysis: Global Trade: Looking at the Big Picture, Mark Fleming-Williams, Stratfor
Opinion: Adapting International Trade Organizations to New Realities, Felix Pena, Council On Foreign Relations
Graph: After Brexit, Which Trade Deals Should Negotiators Prioritise?, The Economist
News: Brexit Threatens Pakistan’s Trade Perks With the EU, Saim Saeed, Politico
Opinion: Western Balkans Must Break Down Trade Barriers, Aleksandar Vucic, Politico
News: China’s Best Weapon in a Trade War With Trump May Backfire, Bloomberg
News: German Economy Zips Along as Trade and Spending Drive Growth, Piotr Skolimowski, Bloomberg
Graphic: Investment Plan Results- Breakdown of Results by Country and Sector, European Commission
TWEET/FACTOID OF THE WEEK
Did you know…
… that countries who host the olympics earn, on average, almost 17% more medals that year? The Atlantic produced an analysis that demonstrated several other fun facts correlated with increased medal earnings. GDP per capita, hosting, and regime type are just a few! Read the whole study here.
GLOBALIZATION
Policy Paper: The Economic Benefits of Globalization for Business and Consumers, Fredrik Erixon, European Centre for International Political Economy
Analysis: The Post-American World Economy, Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs
Report: Cryptoeconomics – The Opportunities and Challenges of Blockchain, Uuriintuya Batsaikhan, Bruegel
Opinion: Europe’s Poverty Time Bomb, Edoardo Campanella, Project Syndicate
News: Rise Of the Data Protection Officer, the Hottest Tech Ticket in Town, Salvador Rodriguez, Reuters
News: How Artificial Intelligence Is Edging Its Way Into Our Lives, The New York Times
Analysis: The Post-American World Economy, Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs
Analysis: To Fill Jobs in a Tight Labor Market, Employers May Need to Get Creative, Lauren Weber and Rachel Feintzeig, The Wall Street Journal
WHAT WE ARE READING
Report: Munich Security Report 2018: To the Brink – and Back?, Munich Security Conference
News: Presidents Day 2018: What is it, How did it Start and is it a Federal Holiday? Lucy Pasha-Robinson, Independent
Policy Brief: Mind the Gap: How France and Germany Can Spearhead Joint Foreign Policy Initiatives Now, Demesmay, Puglierin, Delcour, Kunz, Meister, Rinke & Charillon, GDAP
Analysis: The Right Kind of Grexit, Paul Taylor, Politico
News: Britain’s Summer of (EU) Love, Charlie Cooper, Politico
Opinion: It’s a ‘Bizarre Time’ for a Big Infrastructure Plan, Economists Say, Ben White, Politico
Essay: The Clash of Exceptionalisms, Charles A. Kupchan, Foreign Affairs
Analysis: The Best—and Worst—Places to be a Working Woman, The Economist
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 19:Is There Life After TTIP? The Future of Transatlantic Economic Relations (Livestream Available), Bruegel
February 20: Is Europe an Optimal Political Area, SAIS
February 21: World Economic Update, Council on Foreign Relations
February 23: Human Capital and the Future of Economic Growth and Security,Council on Foreign Relations
Your Newsletter Team:
Marie Kasperek, Associate Director, Global Business & Economics, Atlantic Council
Alexatrini Tsiknia, Intern, Global Business & Economics, Atlantic Council
Zachary Coles, Intern, Global Business & Economics, Atlantic Council
Please send us suggested news stories, opinion pieces, publications, and upcoming events that you would like us to highlight! Email mkasperek@AtlanticCouncil.org with your ideas and suggestions.
The views expressed in this newsletter and linked external articles and content do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its sponsors.
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