A month after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called the election, some signs of a French economy stalling have arguably appeared. At least this is what Bank of France Governor François Villeroy mentioned recently. In practice, this is fully debatable. Although previous episodes of political uncertainty in other countries have triggered downward growth revisions (eg, Greece...

It may seem odd to stick an ‘extension without disruption’ label on an economic and financial scenario beset by political uncertainties of varying intensity, which will be removed either sooner (legislative elections in France) or later (US presidential election). Whereas the second event is likely to significantly structure/alter a scenario’s major plot points, the first is less likely to wipe out the...

The British will be heading out on 4 July to vote in early general elections. Polls predict a victor for Labour that could see the party take a large majority in the House of Commons. Labour has adopted a new philosophy centred on security (aka "securenomics"). On the domestic front, it is planning far-reaching supply-side reforms with a particular focus on private investment. 

The disinflationary process is well underway and expectations of monetary loosening are well anchored, so attention is now shifting to the outlook for growth in the Eurozone economy in an environment that should be 'normalised' by the end of our forecast horizon. 

It is thanks to the resilience of the labour market and a weaker than usual pass-through from the rise in key rates onto credit conditions...

The UK experienced almost zero growth in 2023, posting a slight recession in the second half as tight monetary policy weighed on demand. Inflation fell more sharply than expected, from 11.1% year-on-year in October 2022 to 4% in December 2023, pulled down by energy prices and moderating inflation in industrial goods. 

Inflation is expected to drop below target in Q2 2024 due to another decline in gas and...

The Italian economy proved resilient in 2023, growing 0.9% despite an unfavourable international environment, persistently high inflation and difficult financing conditions owing to rising interest rates. But challenges remain and the outlook for 2024 is still mixed, with growth expected at 0.8%. Italy's growth prospects are undermined by global economic uncertainties, with the slowdown in the world's...

Economic activity slowed significantly in France in 2023 on persistently high inflation and emphatic monetary tightening. The French economy grew 0.9% over the year (seasonal and working-day adjusted), after 2.5% in 2022, but avoided a recession. 

The economy is expected to recover in 2024, with annual growth stable at 0.9% but with higher quarterly growth than in 2023. Annual growth is expected to be...

The Spanish economy is going through the final phase of the inflationary cycle that began in 2021 when global supply chains were disrupted owing to the end of the pandemic and gas prices came under pressure due to the war in Ukraine. After growth of 2.5% in 2023, we expect the Spanish economy to grow more moderately in 2024 owing to rising interest rates and the slowdown in the tourism sector, which is...

“Normalisation” is on the horizon, but bumps in the road are likely. Interest rates have not bitten quite as hard as expected, while the labour markets have generally held up well, and inflation is subsiding. However, in the US, inflation may settle above the Fed’s target. In the Eurozone, prices themselves may be an issue and could ultimately hobble growth.

Public opinion has always been one of the battlefields in power struggles. Now, though, thanks to a combination of geopolitical uncertainty and the "infobesity" (information overload) of what Joseph Nye called the Information Age, the role of public opinion is strategically more important. Who gets to decide who the enemy is? Governments or public opinion? The Global North or the Global South? Who will...