European Union

March 15 is not only the day when the FOMC is now widely expected to hike rates by another 25 bps, and when the US debt ceiling suspension expires, but just as importantly, is the date of the 2017 Dutch General Election. Here is a full preview of what to expect courtesy of RBC Capital Markets.

By way of background, the Netherlands is the euro area’s 5th-largest economy, a founding member of the EU and one of only 3 euro area countries (along with Germany and Luxembourg) to enjoy an AAA rating from the 3 main ratings agencies.

Via Mike Shedlock of MishTalk.com,

The EU demands the UK pay Brexit costs of €60 billion.

I have commented for months on the absurdity of pay such demands.

And that reality is finally hitting home. 

Collision Course

Please consider U.K. May Be on Course for Early Clash With EU Over Brexit Costs.

Via Daniel Lang of SHTFPlan.com,

There should be no doubt about the current status of the European Union. It’s crumbling before our very eyes. Between the sprawling unaccountable bureaucracy in Brussels, the unpayable debts, the unfettered immigration, and the unprecedented emergence of conservative, nationalistic groups, it’s obvious that the EU is not long for this world. No nation can survive those pressures; much less a loosely held, 24 year old political union consisting of a wide variety of languages and cultures.

For months now, Europe Union member states have been devastated by numerous terrorist attacks and acts of violent crime, many of which were perpetrated at the hands of people who sought asylum from persecution in their home countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.  Here is just a small sample of our headlines from the past couple of months:

12 Dead, 48 Injured After Pakistan-Born Refugee Rammed Truck Into Berlin Christmas Market

Machete-Wielding Man Shot At Paris Louvre After Attacking Soldier, Shouting "Allahu Akbar"

European MEPs are seeking to prosecute Eurosceptic French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen after she criticised ISIS on Twitter.  An EU parliamentary committee has voted to strip Le Pen of her diplomatic immunity in an attempt to throw her to the wolves and end her political career. Le Pen, leader of an anti-European party and favourite to win the French presidency, is under investigation for posting images that show Islamic State militants beheading American journalist James Foley in 2015.