While most of Europe is still busy eating the chocolate eggs we managed to find yesterday, Brad Delong is back in his office, demonstrating on video that it takes a really, really huge mug of coffee to get through the day of a Berkeley research professor. In addition, he also shares some thoughts about his [...]

English weblog England Expects has an intriguing post on the vitality of the euro. More precisely, about its lack of vitality:
For the first time, an official French report has criticised the Euro. Indeed, the latest report of the Council for Economic Analysis (CAE) given to the French government on 23 March, “Economic policy and Growth [...]

Without support from Russia, Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, would have a much more difficult time staying in power. A substantial share of recent economic growth in Belarus has come from the difference between the below-market prices it pays for oil and natural gas from Russia and the world-market prices it receives for refined products [...]

Andrew Browni explains.

Sorry about that.

At the time of writing Berlusconi is still filibustering, but it seems to be simply that, rather than any serious attempt to derail the outcome of the electoral process. Meantime the financial markets are adapting themselves to the new reality.
I too am gearing myself up for what looks like being a very bumpy [...]

Corriere della Sera is now reporting that the Italian Senate is breaking 158-156 to the Left, with the lower house going 340-277. The controversial six seats for Italians abroad, introduced by neo-well actually quite-fascist minister (a former member of the Salo Republic’s army) Mirko Tremaglia, seem to have backfired badly on their inventor, with 4 [...]

With respect to the Italian elections, there’s still only one thing certain - it’s going to be a long night, and, possibly, not the last one. There have apparently been, if my rudimentary understanding of Italian news broadcaster Rai News 24 is correct, unjustified delays in data processing. Thus, given the closeness of the race [...]

UPDATE below the fold.
With respect to the Italian elections, there’s still only one thing certain - it’s going to be a long night, and, possibly, not the last one. There have apparently been, if my rudimentary understanding of Italian news broadcaster Rai News 24 is correct, unjustified delays in data processing. Thus, given the closeness [...]

Well, by 1630 CET today, the Milan stock market had made a very clear judgment on the outcome of the Italian elections - the MIBTEL index being up just under 1 per cent intraday, despite a pasting for Berlusconi’s own Mediaset..down 1.98 per cent at €9.68 a share. Berlusconi’s departure seems welcome indeed.
More exit poll [...]