Europe

EU integration greatly influences policy-making at the national level, and the EU itself is a major actor on the world economic stage. Most of the conditions governing the economic and business environment for European companies and consumers - especially in respect of the financial markets - are decided at the European level. For this reason, Deutsche Bank Research analyses and appraises the latest developments in the EU and EMU. European banks and financial markets are a major focus in this regard.

March 25, 2019

Digital structural change and the welfare state in the 21st century

Region:

Europe

EU Monitor

Topic:

Digital, Economic and european policy

Analyst:

Sebastian Becker

While digitalisation does promise significant additional prosperity, it also threatens to lead to higher inequality. A major automation wave or increasingly capital-intensive production would reduce the overall wage share and raise corporate and capital income. According to our scenario analysis, the EU countries would, on average, have to deal with a huge annual fiscal deficit if automation dramatically reduced employment. It is uncertain how digitalisation will affect the demand for labour and the public finances. Nevertheless, governments should try and prepare their countries for the future, for example by paying more attention to education policy and adapting the international tax system to the realities of the 21st century, for example in the field of corporate taxation. [more]

February 28, 2019

EU elections countdown #2: Tough race to the top of the European Commission

Region:

Europe

EU Monitor

Topic:

Economic and european policy

Analyst:

Kevin Koerner

The outcome of the EU elections and the composition of the new Parliament will significantly influence the nomination and election of the next President of the European Commission (EC). Parliament will vote for the Council's proposed candidate in a secret ballot with a majority of component MEPs required. The election of the Commission President will be particularly challenging this year. Given the projected new balance of power after the elections both within the EP and within the Council as well as between the EP and the EU Council, an institutional stalemate cannot be ruled out. [more]

February 28, 2019

European bank profits rise to post-crisis peak despite lower revenues in 2018 - capital ratios down for the first time

Region:

Europe

Talking Point

Topic:

Banking and financial markets

Analyst:

Jan Schildbach

In 2018, net income at the major European banks climbed to its highest level since the financial crisis. Lower administrative expenses and a further fall in loan loss provisions to multi-year lows more than made up for a decline in revenues. Whereas net interest income stabilised, fee and commission income as well as trading income declined. Banks took a bit more risk, and risk-weighted assets edged up. Total capital remained flat despite higher profits as banks increased returns to shareholders and implemented the new IFRS 9 accounting standard. Consequently, capital ratios declined for the first time since 2008. The gap between European banks and their US peers remained huge as the latter benefited from higher interest rates and lower corporate taxes. [more]

February 13, 2019

EU elections countdown #1: Brexit delay and the next European Parliament

Region:

Europe

EU Monitor

Topic:

Brexit, Economic and european policy

Analyst:

Kevin Koerner

Ahead of the May 23–26 European Parliament elections, the EU is surrounded by internal and external challenges, its leaders increasingly divided, and its integrity and credibility challenged by Eurosceptic and anti-European groups across the continent. An extension of Article 50 could push the Brexit date close to or even beyond the European elections. Under EU treaties the UK would then be required to participate in the vote. The implications for the next EP – both if the UK agreed and refused to hold elections – could bear risks for the unanimity required in the European Council for an extension of Article 50 beyond the election date. [more]

January 15, 2019

European banks: Operating struggles and some external headwinds

Region:

Europe

Talking Point

Topic:

Banking and financial markets

Analyst:

Jan Schildbach

Banks in Europe face a more difficult business environment in 2019 than last year. While the macro environment is still decent, momentum is cooling markedly. In addition, prominent political risks loom dangerously. On the operating side, banks are treading water. Their limited cost savings are being fully absorbed by declining revenues, and balance sheets continue to shrink despite a moderate pickup in lending. Profitability and capital levels are both stagnating. Only in a benign economic and political scenario will banks be able to return to growth this year. [more]

November 15, 2018

Contagion: Italy and the role of fiscal similarity

Region:

Europe

Thematic Research

Analyst:

Clemente Delucia, Kuhumita Bhattacharya, Mark Wall

Tensions in financial markets have increased significantly since the populist/Eurosceptic Five Star/League in Italy took power in May and presented a budget in violation of EU rules. In an unprecedented move, the European Commission sent Rome back to the drawing board. Italy has now provided the Commission with its latest fiscal plan – which is not much different from the old plan. [more]

October 31, 2018

Cyclical vs structural: observing the unobservable

Region:

Europe

Thematic Research

Analyst:

Kuhumita Bhattacharya, Marc de-Muizon

The workhorse framework of macroeconomics and monetary policy relies on the build-up of inflationary pressures across the cycle as the economy tightens, and firms have no choice but to raise wages, which ultimately lifts consumer prices. Within that narrative, the estimation of slack in the economy – the output gap – is crucial to monetary policy authorities. A positive output gap means that the economy is away from its long-term steady-state equilibrium, and unsustainable cost pressures are building up. Currently, the OECD / IMF / European Commission estimate of the output gap in the euro-area is slightly positive and reaching close to 1% by the end of next year. [more]

October 24, 2018

European Parliament elections 2019: The next “battle for Europe”?

Region:

Europe

EU Monitor

Topic:

Economic and european policy

Analyst:

Barbara Boettcher, Kevin Koerner

Accelerated by the consequences of the financial/economic and migration crisis, the influence of anti-European, anti-migration movements with a populist playbook in the EU is growing. For the EU, the next crucial stocktaking of voters’ sentiment will be the 2019 elections for the European Parliament on 23-26 May. The European political landscape and with it the composition of national parliaments in the EU member states has changed over the last five years and in some countries substantially so. These shifts can be expected to be reflected in the next European Parliament as well, and – as already the case in the Council – impact European policymaking. [more]

October 23, 2018

European banks: Shrinkage abounds

Region:

Europe

Talking Point

Topic:

Banking and financial markets

Analyst:

Jan Schildbach

The European banking industry remains in restructuring mode. Most institutions are focused on increasing profitability and returns to shareholders. In contrast to previous periods of rising net income, the key this time is exiting less attractive parts of their business rather than expanding across the board. Hence, most P&L and balance sheet components have declined year-over-year, with one major exception: profits. Capital levels have suffered from new, more conservative accounting rules on loan loss provisions. [more]

October 12, 2018

Digital infrastructure: Bottlenecks hamper Europe's progress

Region:

Europe

EU Monitor

Topic:

Digital, Sectors and resources

Analyst:

Eric Heymann, Kevin Koerner

During the last few years, the expansion of digital infrastructure in the EU has been carried out more slowly and less comprehensively than politically intended. The EU’s objective of ensuring fast broadband coverage of more than 30 megabits per second for all Europeans by 2020 seems out of reach. There are economic and regulatory reasons for the insufficient progress with digital infrastructure improvements. However, inadequate digital infrastructure puts companies at a disadvantage versus US competitors, but increasingly also versus Chinese players. The European Commission estimates that more than EUR 500 bn will need to be invested by 2025 to achieve the goal of a “gigabit society”. [more]

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