Huge public debts, lacklustre political leadership, teetering on the edge of an abyss... For Italy in 2011, read Italy in 1992, or Italy in the mid 1970s. The country has failed to learn the lesson of past crises and will have to make some unpopular decisions if it is to break this cycle.
World
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The sorry and familiar story of Italy's debt crisis
September 1, 2011Asian exchanges up the pace of progress
September 1, 2011Magnus Bocker, CEO of the Singapore Exchange, looks at why the Asian market is so vibrant right now.
Japan still integral to Asian and global economic progression
September 1, 2011Moves to establish economic communities in Asia are gathering pace. Atsushi Saito, president and CEO of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Group, explains why Japan will be a leader in any such regionalisation.
China's banking success story spreads across the country
September 1, 2011The growth of China's banking sector continues unabated, with banks the length and breadth of the country, small and large, turning in impressive performances in The Banker's Top 100 Chinese Banks ranking.
Retail market move pays off for UK housing association
September 1, 2011The retail market can seem a daunting place for some issuers, but Places for People, a UK-based, for-profit housing association, has found success on the London Stock Exchange’s retail platform, with its debut issue nearly trebling in size in the two months from its launch to close. The key to its success was a strong business model, an experienced retail firm and an intensive marketing strategy.
Improving creditors’ rights in Russia
August 1, 2011Russian legislation contains mechanisms allowing the recovery of debts, but experience suggests that the reality can be very different from the theory.
Mozambique looks to boost fledgling capital markets
August 1, 2011Mozambique’s capital and financial markets remain small and undeveloped, a situation that will have to change if the country is to sustain its rapid growth and diversify its economy.
Morgan Stanley digs deep to pass Glencore challenge
August 1, 2011The listing of Swiss commodity trading and mining group Glencore caused a few headaches for joint global coordinator Morgan Stanley. However, the impressive list of investors it helped secure shows that there is a big global appetite for commodities.
Romania's hard road to fiscal adjustment
August 1, 2011Hit hard during the financial crisis, the Romanian government was the first in the EU to successfully complete an International Monetary Fund loan programme, without even needing to draw the whole loan. Secretary of state for finance Bogdan Dragoi explains his government’s strategy.
Top three Caricom banks cement their lead
August 1, 2011Caribbean economies are still feeling the shockwaves from the global financial crisis and last year's earthquake in Haiti, but the region has shown its resilience, with plenty of bright spots in this year's ranking of the region's top 20 banks.