Bild reports Greek Finance Minister considering resigning
Bild reports, via Greek news site Kontra,that Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is getting ready to resign, citing an unnamed Greek government insider as saying, “It is only a matter of time until Varoufakis resigns. It is a done deal.” The Greek government has denied the report.
Meanwhile, Greek officials are preparing the list of reforms which they must submit to the Eurogroup on Monday. A Greek government spokesman said that the reforms will not include measures which “affect Greeks’ incomes”. However, Kathimerini reports that fiscal measures will need to be included. Despite work on the list running for a week now no document has been produced and there is little agreement with the officials of the EU/IMF/ECB on fiscal measures. A Eurogroup meeting could be held as early as Tuesday next week to discuss the list, though European officials are reported to be cautious about such a rapid timeline.
Separately, data from the Central Bank of Greece released yesterday showed bank deposits fell by €7.6bn in February and have reached their lowest level for a decade.
A new Politbarometer poll for ZDF shows that 49% of Germans want Greece to stay in the Eurozone while 45% prefer them to leave – this compares to 40% in and 52% out from a poll two weeks ago. The poll also reveals that 78% of Germans are opposed to reparation payments to Greece while 15% are in favour.
Sources: Bild, Kontra news, Kathimerini, The Wall Street Journal, Kathimerini 2, Reuters, ZDF
Cameron won TV debate by small margin according to polls
Following last night’s TV election debate, a survey by YouGov put David Cameron ahead of Ed Miliband by 51% to 49%, while an ICM poll suggested that the Prime Minister was ahead by a margin of 54% to 46%.
On the subject of the EU, Cameron said that if it were not in Britain’s interests, he would not recommend staying in during a referendum. He added, “I think the problem with the EU at the moment is that it’s got some good aspects, but too many things that drive people mad. People see that it’s trying to become too much of a state rather than an organisation, it’s trying to take too much power.” Meanwhile, Miliband said, “I think leaving the EU would be a disaster for our country. Because I think we rely on its jobs and the trade we get from being in the EU. I think strategically for Britain, whether you want to tackle terrorism or climate change or a whole range of issues, you’ve got to be an outward-looking country.”
Sources: The Times, The Daily Telegraph
New poll shows UK staying in an EU with less powers is the most popular option among British voters
According to the new ‘British Social Attitudes’ survey carried out by NatCen Social Research, 57% of Britons want the UK to remain in the EU and 35% want to leave – the highest level of support for EU withdrawal since 1985 in this survey. However, when presented with a more nuanced question, the highest share of respondents (38%) said they want to stay in the EU but reduce its powers, while 24% want to leave, 18% are in favour of the status quo and 10% want to stay in the EU and increase its powers. The survey also shows that even 43% of respondents who ‘feel European’ want EU powers to be reduced.
Source: British Social Attitudes survey
EU legal advisor says governments can deny benefits to migrant jobseekers
EU member states can deny certain benefits to EU migrants unless they have previously worked in their host country, according to a legal advisor to the European Court of Justice. Even actively seeking work is not enough of a justification to claim benefits at the same time, ECJ Advocate General Melchior Wathelet said. His view reinforces the precedent set by a November ruling that said EU migrants can be denied benefits if they move to a country with no intention of finding a job.
Sources: ECJ press release, Reuters, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt
New report: EU-US free trade deal could deliver up to 10,000 jobs in Ireland
New research by Copenhagen Economics, commissioned by Irish Employment Minister Richard Bruton, shows that TTIP – the EU-US free trade deal currently under negotiation – could deliver as many as 10,000 new Irish jobs in the export sector and a permanent 1.1% boost to Ireland’s GDP. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström told the Irish Times that in some EU countries “there’s really organised opposition [to TTIP]…This is mainly in Germany and Austria I would say…but we are 28 member states. It’s important to remember that.”
Sources: The Irish Times, The Irish Times: Malmström
Bertelsmann study: Germany needs 500,000 immigrants each year
According to a new Bertelsmann study, Germany needs 500,000 immigrants each year in order to stabilise its labour force and social welfare system until 2050. The study claims that immigration from EU countries to Germany will significantly reduce until 2050 due to economic recovery and changing demographics in Europe and therefore Germany will have to attract more migrants from third countries.
Source: Die Welt
MEPs divided over German minimum wage regulation
In a debate in the European Parliament yesterday, MEPs were divided over the issue as to whether minimum wage regulations in an EU member state should also apply to foreign truck drivers passing through that country. The European Commission is currently investigating Germany’s enforcement of the new minimum wage law, including for foreign truck drivers in transit, but has not reached a conclusion yet, said Transportation Commissioner Violeta Bulc.
Source: EurActiv
Concerns over default plague Ukraine’s corporate sector
The Wall Street Journal reports that concerns over Ukrainian default are spreading beyond the government to the corporate sector with many expecting a significant number of defaults from Ukrainian firms this year. Separately, the German Bundestag yesterday voted with a large majority to approve the EU’s Association Agreement with Ukraine.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
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