Press
Can Russia be great?
08 September 2010
Project Syndicate
But, as Katinka Barysch of the Centre for European Reform argues, Russian leaders' concept of modernisation is overly statist, particularly given that public institutions function so badly. "An innovative economy needs open markets, venture capital, free thinking entrepreneurs, fast bankruptcy courts and solid protection of intellectual property," she argues. Instead there are "wide-spread monopolies, ubiquitous corruption, stifling state interferences, weak and contradictory laws."
Economic crisis triggers loss of trust in members of EU
04 September 2010
The Times
Hugo Brady, of the Centre for European Reform, said: "I have never known the EU not to be in some kind of crisis but trust in politicians is extremely low and it is probably coming home to people that Europe is in decline."
The strategic consequences of the euro crisis
01 September 2010
Europe's world
The euro crisis will be with us for many years. The underlying causes, such as southern Europe's lack of competitiveness, cannot be remedied overnight; Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain face years of low growth, severe curbs on public spending and perhaps social unrest.
Can Montenegro shake off crime hub image?
31 August 2010
BBC
"The rules for membership are now being applied more strictly, with greater attention to detail," says Charles Grant, from the Centre for European Reform. "But there is a risk of a vicious cycle whereby without the beacon of EU membership modernisers start losing out to conservatives."
The euro's success requires liberalisation
26 August 2010
The Wall Street Journal
Critics of the euro zone have long claimed that it suffers from structural flaws that threaten its long-term survival. The Greek sovereign-debt crisis has done much to vindicate these misgivings.
Kosovo independence ruling watched around the world
25 August 2010
Voice of America
"Basically, what the court's ruling means is whether secession is legal or not, is largely a political question. It comes down to whether enough countries recognise the entity that has seceded," said Valasek with the Centre for European Reform in London.
The downsides of German growth
18 August 2010
The Prague Post
"It is wrong to argue that Germany is the growth engine of the European economy, which is what we have seen argued in recent days," said Simon Tilford, chief economist with the Centre for European Reform.. "It is right to argue that it is a drag." This year's German trade surplus topped $ 77 billion through May, about 60 percent of that occurring within Europe.
Cameron's first 100 days
17 August 2010
Politics.co.uk
"The question," Whyte says, "is whether this is the calm before the storm". Two ominous-looking clouds are gathering on the horizon: financial regulation and the EU budget... London is the largest financial centre in Europe. So ministers face a "difficult balancing act", according to Whyte, in which they want to clamp down on banks while avoiding damaging London's competitiveness. The hedge funds directive was a case in point. Then, Osborne accepted defeat. It may not always end the same way.
Der Härtetest kommt erst noch
16 August 2010
Handelsblatt
Deutschlands Wachstum im zweiten Quartal war außergewöhnlich. Das Wachstumstempo beizubehalten wird aber sehr schwierig, sagt Philip Whyte, vom Londoner Think-Tank Centre for European Reform.
EU must co-ordinate its defence needs
15 August 2010
The Guardian
Most European countries are making drastic cuts to their defence spending. Several, including Britain, are contemplating giving up significant chunks of their military equipment.
Cameron's EU budget calls undermined
13 August 2010
Politics.co.uk
Philip Whyte, senior research fellow at Centre for European Reform, warned that the arguments justifying Britain's ongoing rebate were being increasingly undermined, however. "This is a perennial issue on which the UK finds itself alone. The UK has a rebate under the EU budget. But the UK's position is becoming increasingly unstable." Mr Whyte warned that reforms of the common agricultural policy meant less and less of the EU budget was being spent on agriculture, the basis of Britain's rebate.
Stonehenge visitor centre, Berlin palace among projects put on hold thanks to big deficits
12 August 2010
Chicago Tribune
Economist Simon Tilford at the CER said the cumulative impact of several years of predicted weak growth "will be considerable over the next decade, 15 years," especially in physical infrastructure and education. "What I fear is that the cuts will be made in the wrong places," he said, and hurt "many of the things that make Europe a good place to do business and have a high standard of living."
Will new diplomatic service help EU to speak with one voice?
24 July 2010
Radio Free Europe
"For the EU to be able to be a very effective actor abroad, it needs all of its member states to agree on the issue at stake -- be it what to do in Georgia or what to do with Russia," Clara O'Donnell, an analyst with the CER, explains. "And, secondly, it needs the member states to be willing to let the EU to speak on their behalf.
Europe's stress test ignoring default scenario
23 July 2010
Marketplace
But Simon Tilford of the Centre for European Reform says Europe's stress tests are ignoring one scenario that seems very real "the ability of the banks to cope with a sizable restructuring slash default in Greece and/or other eurozone member states". He says national defaults remains likely, but that isn't being tested.
As Germany's economy rebounds, anxiety prevails
23 July 2010
NPR
"If German wages are falling, falling by 1.5 percent, the Greeks and the Italians, etc., have to make sure that their wages fall by even more than that. Now, that spells slump or at least very, very weak growth. Very weak growth or slump is lethal for economies as indebted as these economies, because slump, deflation implies increases in the real value of debt." [Simon Tilford] warns that another giant obstacle to Germany's speedy recovery is what he calls the country's dangerous over-reliance on exports. ...
Tests of EU banks are a whitewash, some critics say
22 July 2010
Los Angeles Times
"It doesn't test the banks for what investors are fearful of," said Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London. "Stress tests are the way to go, but of course the tests have to be tough enough.... I don't think these tests are of particularly enormous value."
Opportunity for EU sway in Ukraine
21 July 2010
New York Times
"There is a massive sense of frustration in Brussels because no matter what the EU offers, it receives only empty promises by the Ukrainian authorities," said Katinka Barysch, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform in London.
Those work-shy Europeans
19 July 2010
Presseurop
In Europe, argues Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform think tank, many let others foot the bill for their time off. For example by claiming, in the name of social justice, early retirement for which they have not paid contributions. It's absurd, he says. In the long run, Tilford continues, the European model of exchanging money for leisure time is in jeopardy. ... If Europeans succeed in growing their productivity, concludes Tilford, they can continue cultivating their love of leisure.
Barack Obama's relationship with Europe 'not living up to its potential'
15 July 2010
The Telegraph
Hugo Brady, of the Centre for European Reform, said: "Obama was always overblown as a symbol because US foreign policy interests tend not to change. The US does not understand the need for everyone to be around the table at the EU, which they find as frustrating as a mini-UN where people want to talk about the good things they have done."
EU chief slates Obama's attitude to Europe
15 July 2010
Sky News
Philip Whyte from the Centre for European Reform told Sky News: "Essentially the Europeans feel as though they are being neglected...But if you look at the view from behind Obama's desk, Europe is not very high on his list of priorities. He has more pressing problems such as Iran, Afghanistan and China to deal with and, as far as he is concerned, Europe is not going to be much help in solving them so why invest time and energy in the relationship."