World

Partly Sunny with Showers 3° London Hi 4°C / Lo -2°C

Merkel tips Brown's grand plan into crisis

Germany's Chancellor receives French backing as she uses a London meeting to warn against proposals to pump billions more into the global economy

By Jane Merrick and Brian Brady

Warning words: Angela Merkel cautions Gordon Brown at their Downing Street press conference yesterday

GETTY IMAGES

Warning words: Angela Merkel cautions Gordon Brown at their Downing Street press conference yesterday

Gordon Brown's grand plan to save the global economy was in crisis last night when the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, refused to commit to a new global fiscal stimulus package to steer the world out of recession.

In a pointed warning to the Prime Minister, the German leader said it was too early to measure the effects of the first multibillion-dollar stimulus to give the go-ahead for any more state aid.

Mrs Merkel was backed up by Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, who said nations needed to assess the impact of earlier measures before making any further tax and spend decisions

Mrs Merkel's remarks, made in a press conference alongside Mr Brown after talks in Downing Street, cast a shadow over yesterday's G20 meeting of finance ministers in Horsham, West Sussex, and Britain's attempts to secure a lasting rescue plan in the wake of the world's worst economic crisis since the 1930s.

France and Germany, two of Europe's largest economies, are reluctant to back the moves, instead calling for tougher financial regulation.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 group of rich and emerging nations, hosted by the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, tried to steer clear of the rift by agreeing a package of measures, including pumping more cash into the International Monetary Fund to rescue struggling countries. They also pledged to boost bank lending and to support developing nations. But there was no agreement on who would provide the money to the IMF.

In a blueprint for a meeting of G20 leaders, which is due to take place in London on 2 April, the finance ministers vowed to make a "sustained effort" to revive the global economy.

At the Downing Street press conference, Mrs Merkel said that Germany had already committed 4.2 per cent of GDP to a fiscal stimulus, putting her country at the "vanguard" of the global rescue effort.

Asked whether additional money was necessary, she said: "Nothing has actually taken effect on the ground yet. If we want to make real impact you really must implement the package first before you talk about the next step."

The German Chancellor said it was for individual countries to decide on further tax and spend decisions, adding: "We will talk to our parliamentarians about that."

Germans did not suffer the same problems with home loan and credit card debt that Americans had, she said, adding: "We must return to a solid, sustainable fiscal policy after the crisis. So we have got to signal to markets that on the one hand we are

tackling the crisis decisively and that, on the other, we will permanently avoid excessive global imbalances."

Speaking in Horsham, Mr Lagarde said that nations needed "to evaluate the remedies already put in place".

The tensions undermined Mr Brown's attempts to present a united front with Germany ahead of the London summit. The Prime Minister said: "I think you will find that countries will be agreeing together about what we are going to do in future, both in fiscal and monetary policy and in the regulatory system. I believe that we are setting a path with the G20 where, one by one, we are reaching agreement on the big issues for the future."

Mr Brown and Mrs Merkel agreed on the need for tougher regulation of hedge funds, and were confident they would secure American backing. But the rift was seized on by the Conservatives, who are seeking to make political capital out of David Cameron's apology on Friday for not anticipating the recession.

The Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, said: "Hopefully this weekend Gordon Brown has learnt his lesson that he should stop trying to use the international stage to fight his domestic political battles, and instead focus on getting international agreement on banking reform and trade that really would have a stimulating effect."

The US Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, praised the "broad-based consensus globally on the need to act aggressively to restore growth".

Post a Comment

View all comments that have been posted about this article.

Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP logged and may be used to prevent further submission. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by the Independent Minds Terms of Service.

Comments

Page 1 of 2
<<[1] [2] >>
Browm
[info]repton4 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 12:56 am (UTC)
Brown is a second class muppet other world leaders dont want to be seen near him, the only way this country will ever recover is when he has gone
Re: Browm
[info]robertclondon wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:52 am (UTC)
While Cameron is a first class muppet, or should that be upper class? I am not a Labour supporter, but precisely what recovery plans do the Conservatives have?
Re: Browm - [info]urbitrix - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:59 am (UTC) Expand
Re: Browm - [info]sobatai - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:01 pm (UTC) Expand
Re: Conservatives: part of the problem, not the solution - [info]billbo9 - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:40 pm (UTC) Expand
Re: Browm - [info]harmonyfuture - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 07:41 pm (UTC) Expand
Merkel tips Brown's grand plan into crisis
[info]scavius wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 12:56 am (UTC)
d'OH!
Merkel Warning
[info]goldie500 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:07 am (UTC)
Excellent. This just shows what a twit Brown really is.
well done
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:41 am (UTC)
Merkel, the planet needs you. Now, where's our Cromwell?
An embarrassment, not a grand plan
[info]2barrows wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:23 am (UTC)
The Germans and French are absolutely correct. Brown is just chucking money around (our money, debt to be paid off by taxpayers for years to come) without pausing to see if there has been any useful impact before the next lot is chucked about. It really is totally reckless.
ECONOMICS FOR DUMMIES
[info]nuzenight wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:31 am (UTC)
Step 1: Create a National Bank which would prioritise loans to small business and improve their cash liquidity. Step 2: Bail out viable big business using monies that would have been paid in the form of state benefits to workers being laid off or terminated. Step 3: Print money. This would take the form of massive pay increases in the private sector which would lead to a CONSUMER LEAD recovery in the open market. Quantitative easing will not work, there is no guarantee where the money will go; creating artificial demand in the economy or financing public works will not bring long term rewards. The downside of printing money on this scale is the potenial for hyper-inflation but with strict fiscal controls this should not happen. Once the economy has been kick started the Chancellor can look to recovering his losses and maybe keeping his job.
ECONOMICS FOR DUMMIES (CORRECTION)
[info]nuzenight wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:44 am (UTC)
LINE FOUR SHOULD READ 'massive pay increases in the PUBLIC sector' My typist has just joined the dole queue!
Re: ECONOMICS FOR DUMMIES (CORRECTION)
[info]berserkerboy wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 08:00 am (UTC)
What?! They get more than private sector workers already. We're not all fat cats you know!

What the present situation is really down to is that this world has limited resources. We all need to get used to a lower standard of living. Growth cannot carry on forever. The sooner we all realise this the better. Chucking billions at the economy will do next to nothing. We will get progressively worse recessions after small recovery periods.

The bottom line is that we humans are inundating our host and killing it. We need to reduce population rather than incentivise its growth.
Re: ECONOMICS FOR DUMMIES (CORRECTION) - [info]nuzenight - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 05:26 pm (UTC) Expand
Merkel
[info]residentalien2 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:26 am (UTC)
So with an export based economy the Germans just plan to leech off the stimulus plans in the rest of the world
Re: Merkel
[info]ulvesang wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 12:19 pm (UTC)
Is it worse than a country which hardly exports anything, outsources and imports everything, and then tries to make more money to pay for it?
Correction - [info]cronyblatcher - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:33 pm (UTC) Expand
Merkel
[info]mykleboon wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 03:04 am (UTC)
If everybody always paid their debts when they fell due, then there would have been no credit crunch - and there never will be one. It is debtors who default that are the problem - yet we blame the lenders for being foolish! Yes the bankers were foolish, but bad borrowers are the real problem. When the moralists come to consider countries, then they take a different line. Instead of blaming the lenders, they blame the borrowers - i.e. the countries that run balance of payments deficits. Let us at least have some consistency. Surplus countries are like bankers. Neither "live off" others. The "others" are perfectly happy with the deal until the lenders want their money back! It might be in Germany's interest to maintain the flow of credit to the deficit countries in order to keep the workers in their export industries in jobs. Even some form of lend-lease might be appropriate. However that is a matter for Germany. It would be lovely for us if they gave us all those BMWs free. But, I fear that they are unlikely to do so! We have the same problem internally. Far too many people think that they should be enabled to live off others. Sometimes they get away with it for a while, but the end is always the same - economic problems.
Re: Merkel
[info]guler28 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 08:05 am (UTC)
How ridiculous to label any leader who meets with the jewish community, as jewish. Dont you realise the importance and contribution made by the worlds jewish community. In science, medicine, finance they have always led the way.
Good on ya ma'am
[info]thisanthat wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 06:30 am (UTC)
With a record like NuLabour has with regard to feckless boasts and even greater feckless spending. For example 'No More Boom & Bust', 'It was nothing to do with me, even though I have been Chancellor, for more years than I can remember and I and my colleagues at The Treasury have saved the World even though theres no money in the bank Fank.

I looks as if someone is up to Gordy's skullduggery and knows he speaks with a forked tongue!
Good on ya ma'am!!!!
The Battle of Waterloo
[info]johnnynorfolk wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 07:59 am (UTC)
At last the Germans have arrived at the last moement to save the day.
The Germans have a far more basic approach to money having learned the hard way.

They konw you do not get out of debt by even more debt for your children and grand children.

This is the Brown way that was the cause in the first place.
James Gordon Brown
[info]neil639 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 08:58 am (UTC)
There is no doubt whatever that Brown is a total failure. He was never fit for the job as Prime Minister. Blair knew it, and the rest of us knew it. The Labour Party failed to oust him in 2009. The electorate will, of course oust him in style in 2010, but we will only get the nasty Tories back. It is a great shame we only have an Electoral System in the UK and not Democracy.
Re: James Gordon Brown
[info]johnnynorfolk wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:18 am (UTC)
There has been nothing more nasty than this Labour Government. Do you think this would have happened under John Major.I would prefere nasty and competent rather than what we have now nasty and incompetent.
Brown
[info]krekelin wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:23 am (UTC)
Why should a hard working sensible frugal German, any more than a hard working sensible Englishman be expected to bale out the idle, the reckless and the spend thrifts to save the face of Gordon Mugabe and Gideon Gono Darling
'Ere!
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:38 pm (UTC)
I doubt that the cronies of Mandy et that guy recently sacked from the FSA will relish being labelled "the idle"
The usual culprits
[info]breiz wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:33 am (UTC)


Maybe one bright day we will all be aware of who controls the strings of the puppet politicians, and why
Blair was received into the arms of J.P. Morgan, who no doubt will be arranging a well padded
mahogany seat on the board of one of it's scores of subsiduary business's for G Brown.
Meanwhile this is as good a guide to the fraud perpetrated by the Federal Reserve and Central banks as any

http://www.themoneymasters.com/faqs.htm#q1




Re: The usual culprits
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:53 pm (UTC)
Blair's contributions to his personal pension plan included the 100 billion subversion of British technical education and high tech industry that is new Trident, but, while nodding in the direction the famous Yamamah Thatcher arms deal, and that crone's donation of approx 33 trillion worth of N Sea assets to cronies for peanuts, let's not forget that Major is a globe trotting 'consultant'of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group

'Ere! I used to mention thirties of trillions worth of N. Sea assets as a blockbuster fact that quelled opposition argument, but just realised it's no longer so effective 'cause of the hundreds of trillions recently socialised by stooges of organised economic crime as "toxic assets". Shucks
Merkel's rebuff
[info]alan_honiton wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 09:48 am (UTC)
Doesn't the photograph say it all? You can just feel the pineapple being inserted up Brown's nether region, and for a moment I though she was holding two fingers aloft. Must go to Specsavers.
Browns been caught out
[info]mike_spain wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:02 am (UTC)
Germany & France have got it spot on compared to that idiot at No 10. Quite apart from the fact that Browns approach is flawed and hasn't achieved anything, he's trying on that old political trick of muck spreading. Firstly he's desperate to get Germany & France on board his train wreck to try and save his political career but more to the point, when it goes wrong as surely it will, he'll have scape goats to blame. Merkel and her French counterpart are wise to tread softly and not be tainted by this tax and spend moron who has brought Britain to its knees. You're on you own Gordo, the three main leaders of the free world in America, Germany & France won't back an unelected known failure who lied his way to this juncture and you'd better accept it.
Brown
[info]shirley6 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:26 am (UTC)
Gordon Brown has just engineered the catastrophe of Lloyds TSB taking over the ten million debt of HBOS which has resulted in this once solvent bank having to be bailed out by the taxpayers. It has subsequently been kept out of the limelight by the constant spinning of Fred the Shred's undeserved pension. Nice one Gordy!
correction
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:44 am (UTC)
trillion
Brown
[info]shirley6 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:28 am (UTC)
Gordon Brown has just engineered the catastrophe of Lloyds TSB taking over the ten billion debt of HBOS which has resulted in this once solvent bank having to be bailed out by the taxpayers. It has subsequently been kept out of the limelight by the constant spinning of Fred the Shred's undeserved pension. Nice one Gordy!
correction
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 11:18 am (UTC)
trillion
no surprises
[info]bowesy wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 10:29 am (UTC)
Brown made a very big mistake in running around telling everyone how clever he was with his bank recap plan.

If the newspapers are to be believed it was not even his plan - it was developed at Standard Chartered - and in any case it failed to deliver what Brown promised. How often have we seen that?

Everyone knows that Brown is trying to buy his job at whatever cost in some vain hope that he can be seen as a great leader etc, sadly he could not live long enough for that too happen, and it never would. Brown is a nerdy academic who would never be good enough for this job, and the only surprises in the last few months is how quick he took to the international stage to show the world how bad he was.

It takes some believing when the french can look down their noses at you and be right as well.

I can only hope that this circus turns into an acute personal embarassment for Brown and that it will be very public.

Mandy put out some rubbish that Brown was seen as a sort of moses figure by the world, surely more like the captain of the titantic with an old queen as first steward welcoming all on board, taking their money and sinking their dreams.
HMG Opposition
[info]an1957 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 11:02 am (UTC)
would now apparently be German.
Why isn't the boy Cameron shouting this from the rooftops every hour of the day?
The Global Economy
[info]anniecrystal wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 11:05 am (UTC)
It seems that the very people who were the root cause of the global meltdown are now the ones trying to repair the damage. What they don't tell us is how are they going to globalise the whole system so that it doesn't fail like a pack of dominoes in the future. What they don't tell is is what NEW measures they are taking to ensure that they don't just clone the old system. Perhaps two things they should factor into their equations is PEOPLE rather than PROFIT; EMPATHY rathy than EXPANSION. Nearly ecery way of life within our society has been grabbed over the years by the bean counters who take profit over jobs and use words such as RATIONALISATION as a euphimism for making somebody redundant without a thought as to what effect that will have on their lives. Its time to factor the HUMAN BEING back into the economic equation again otherwise we will return back to the system of greed for the few at the expense of the many.
Global economy
[info]anniecrystal wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 11:06 am (UTC)
It seems that the very people who were the root cause of the global meltdown are now the ones trying to repair the damage. What they don't tell us is how are they going to globalise the whole system so that it doesn't fail like a pack of dominoes in the future. What they don't tell is is what NEW measures they are taking to ensure that they don't just clone the old system. Perhaps two things they should factor into their equations is PEOPLE rather than PROFIT; EMPATHY rathy than EXPANSION. Nearly ecery way of life within our society has been grabbed over the years by the bean counters who take profit over jobs and use words such as RATIONALISATION as a euphimism for making somebody redundant without a thought as to what effect that will have on their lives. Its time to factor the HUMAN BEING back into the economic equation again otherwise we will return back to the system of greed for the few at the expense of the many.
gender adrift ?
[info]hertsman wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 12:18 pm (UTC)
Mr Lagarde ?

I can't give an opinion on quantitive easin, but I know a man from a woman ( 9 out of 10 anyway !)
Brown's plan
[info]capetownpeter wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:19 pm (UTC)
We didn't have a pay-as-you-go economy, that's all. The politicians encouraged debt to dope growth, part of the election growth. And the fish rots from the head.

The plan is simplicity itself.
1/ From the 90s, banks built up assets on their balance sheets from lending to governments, corporates and us. The risks of default became increasingly clear. Dotcom and sub-prime being big triggers.
2/ So the plan is for governments to buy the assets - toxic and all - first by borrowing and new low interest rates, then by printing money, as necessary. 3/ Governments reduce and pay off the debt using a) our money of course, but b) they also have the hope that the assets will reflate in value once the economy takes off again so privatising them back them will raise cash.
3/ Why will the economy reflate? Banks will start lending because what else can they do with the liquidity flooding the economy from the government buying (nationalising) their assets.
4/ Side effects are, unfortunately, inflation greater than interest rates and currency devaluation. Currency devaluation is inflationary, but means the giovernment can pay off old debt in new devalued currency.
5/ After the depression, we will awake to find we have swapped positions with the Chinese - we will be at the back of the global supply chain (we have given them our knowledge, our jobs and our capital), working for 16 hours a day (to pay off the debt via greatly increased taxes) and living in countries without infrastructures anymore (too expen to maintain).
Ahhh! But do you know - [info]cronyblatcher - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:40 pm (UTC) Expand
I'll just straighten that out a bit ...
[info]capetownpeter wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 01:35 pm (UTC)
We didn't have a pay-as-you-go economy, that's all. The politicians encouraged debt to dope growth, part of the election strategy. And the fish rots from the head down. Blame the banks and the jews if you want, but if the fox eats up all the chickens is it he who is to blame, or the farmer for leaving the chicken coop door open?

The plan is simplicity itself.
1/ PRIVATE SECTOR DEBY BUILDS UP. From the 90s, banks built up assets on their balance sheets from lending to governments, corporates and us. The risks of default became increasingly clear. Dotcom and sub-prime being big triggers. BAnks have to find a way to reduce that risk....
2/ TRANSFER DEBT TO PUBLIC SECTOR. So the plan is for governments to buy the assets - toxic and all - first by borrowing and new low interest rates, then by printing money, as necessary.
3/ GOVT TO REDUCE & PAY OFF DEBT. Governments reduce and pay off the debt using a) our money of course, but b) they also have the hope that the assets will reflate in value once the economy takes off again so privatising them back them will raise cash. Devaluation helps ... see below.
4/ REFLATE ECONOMY. Why will the economy reflate? Banks will start lending because what else can they do with the liquidity flooding the economy from the government buying (nationalising) their assets.
5/ ALAS...Side effects are, unfortunately, inflation greater than interest rates and currency devaluation. Currency devaluation is inflationary, but means the giovernment can pay off old debt in new devalued currency.
6/ POST DEPRESSION. After the depression, we will awake to find a) we have swapped positions with the Chinese - we will be at the back of the global supply chain (we have given them our knowledge, our jobs and our capital), working for 16 hours a day (to pay off the debt via greatly increased taxes) and living in countries without infrastructures anymore (too expen to maintain). And b) a new centre of world power will have emerged - maybe Iran/Pakistan/Russia. Unless c) The much bigger threat is that the planet and other life forms survive, but we alas do not as planetary warming etc is a much bigger threat and we have up to 4 years to catch that humpty dumpty.
My Merc!
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:11 pm (UTC)
German birds are fab. Merkel's a bit of alright. Brown's a raving looney. Barvarian babes are the best.
Re: My Merc!
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:58 pm (UTC)
I disagree, in dull towns like Gutersloh they're the coolest.

Aside : homage to Mohnhaupt. I hope you are well and recovering from you long ordeal
Mohnhaupt - [info]cronyblatcher - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 03:30 pm (UTC) Expand
Re: Mohnhaupt - [info]cronyblatcher - Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 03:54 pm (UTC) Expand
MANY/MOST OF THE WORLDS LEADERS ARE JEWS.
[info]holycost wrote:
Sunday, 15 March 2009 at 02:20 pm (UTC)
Yes, to understand what happens in the world, you need to know that

Bush, Blair, Obama, Putin, Merkel, Sarkozy, Harper, Howard, Rudd and most other leaders are (covert) Jews.

See for yourself (PHOTOS):

http://linux.50webs.org/jews/JewLeaders.htm

And while you are looking,... try this 2.2 MB mega-photo of Rabbis and politicians:

http://linux.50webs.org/jews/images/small/index.html

Although not included in the photos,... Obama is also a Jew.

Here is a picture of Obama's Jew Momma:

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/uploads/2008/12/obamasjewmomma.jpg

Here is a picture of Obama's wife's (first) cousin. The rabbi Capers C. Funnye:

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/uploads/2008/12/obamaswifescousinisrabbi.jpg

And here is a photo of Obama himself wearing a skullcap.

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/uploads/2009/01/obamajew.jpg

Even Germany and Austria have Jew presidents/Prime Ministers:

It is hardly necessary to hide away ones Jew roots at all.

For example, the Austrian President didn't even bother to change his Jewish name, Heinz-Fischer:

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/uploads/2008/12/austrianpresidentthejewheinzfischer.jpg

At least the German Prime Minister changed her Jewish name, Angela Kasner, to Angela Merkel (via a short marriage).

Kasner, Kastner, Kasztner, Kostiner, Costner, are well-known Jew names.

It is usual for Jews to own every horse in the electoral race, i.e., every candidate is a (covert) Jew.

Examples, are the 2000, 2004, 2008 American elections.
Page 1 of 2
<<[1] [2] >>

Most popular in Europe

Article Archive

Day In a Page

Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat

Select date