Since I wrote this article Mario Draghi has become the new PM of Italy. When he was the head of the ECB he said he would do whatever it takes to save the euro. It will be interesting to see how he can now save the failed state of Italy that the euro contributed to the destruction of AND not damage the euro in doing so because the two things simply cannot be done while the euro remains Italy’s currency.

Good article, I doubt anyone or anything can save Italy. It is a failed state and the next government under Draghi will be the 67th since WW2. I doubt it will last long and I cannot see how the euro can be saved for much longer either. I have written a lengthy article on that talkmarkets.com/.../the-euro-is-in-crash-territory

I agree but those are integrated with, and additional to, EU/euro problems, they are not separate ones. Germany - the EU's de facto leader - is a madhouse of bureaucracies and has many internal financial imbalances. One example being the two southern states, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, paying 75% of Germany’s internal financial transfers some that paying for the EU. 12 German states are recipient states, some in near poverty mode. Infrastructure and schools have had nothing done to upgrade or even repair them since around 1980.

Italy is a failed country soon to have its 67th government since WW2.

Germany’s top economic professors published a paper several years ago that showed the euro is too weak for Germany and too strong for Italy by a factor of 50%. That has got worse since.

I wrote more about the EU in this article a couple of years ago; seekingalpha.com/.../4263834-recession-regression-through-suppression. Things have got worse since.

If you invest in currencies my advice is to stay away from the euro. My home country has the safest one - the Swiss franc - and we have some good companies to invest in as well. James

Thank you, Anne. It is a bit long but hopefully will prove of use to some. The section on Empires is based on living on 4 continents and having observed from outside the one I was born in - the British - decline yet its leaders are incapable of adjusting to being a mid sized power that continues to decline because of that.

The EU’s life has been shorter but its leaders also refuse to accept the self inflicted, negative consequences of their actions taking place under their noses. This is dangerous as they withdraw themselves into a shielded cocoon to protect themselves at the expense the people.

I hope the US does not go the same way. Tiny Switzerland’s well proven model would fix things but the last thing those “leaders” elsewhere will accept is the people being the sovereign and the highest political authority, as they are here. Bye. James

A pleasure. Best wishes for 2021

Hello, ABB sold off the microgrid part that I liked so I have kept away from them. Insolight is doing very well but remains private. I still like both Schneider and Air Liquide and featured the latter in this article recently; seekingalpha.com/.../4385204-make-money-cleaning-polluted-planet

Best wishes for 2021. James

Susan, I am an optimist and a one time fervent believer in the EU’s predecessor forms before it became politicised and thus dysfunctional. Covid has worsened things for many and I see no way out for them - they are trapped in permanent poverty. James

Instead of rudeness why do you not add something of value of your own to the discussion. For the sake of the many driven into poverty I would like to be proven wrong.

My thoughts on the euro are here; seekingalpha.com/.../4392374-assuming-euro-will-recover-is-suicidal

Longer term the euro has nowhere to go but down. James seekingalpha.com/.../4392374-assuming-euro-will-recover-is-suicidal