Soon, Europe is about to subsidise energy again. Sounds supportive. But the reality is far more paradoxical
Governments will step in as energy prices surge. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: 👉 Many of these same governments helped create the crisis 👉 By weakening their own energy security 💸 Now comes the real problem: Most European countries are already running structural deficits. They don’t have the fiscal room to absorb another shock. So what happens next? ➡️ Subsidies go up ➡️ Deficits widen ➡️ Policymakers panic And then the “solution” kicks in: 👉 Higher taxes 🧠 Think about the loop: • Governments subsidise households • Then raise taxes to fund it ➡️ Households end up paying for their own “relief” (with a bit of redistribution in between) 🔁 And this doesn’t stop here. The same cycle is playing out across: • Healthcare costs • Welfare expansion • Defence spending ⏳ Until the next crisis hits. And when it does, you’ll hear the same line again: “We must stabilise the economy.” 💥 Which really means: • Deficits explode • Debt issuance surges • Central banks step in 👉 Printing money 👉 Buying bonds 👉 Repeating the cycle 📌 Once you see the system, you can’t unsee it: It’s a loop of: Crisis → Spending → Debt → Money printing → Repeat ⚠️ Now here’s the part most people ignore: If your wealth is tied to assets that: • Don’t generate real returns • Can’t be moved easily • Are fully exposed to domestic policy 👉 You are far more vulnerable than you think (Yes, that includes a lot of real estate) 🧠 The uncomfortable conclusion: This isn’t about one crisis. It’s about a system. And if your portfolio isn’t positioned for it… 👉 It’s probably mispriced for reality Source: Financial Times
The euro has sold off aggressively in the wake of the Iran war.
We briefly bounced at the range lows, but the move has been weak and lacks follow-through. Now sitting well below the 200-day moving average, with the 21-day crossing lower, a bearish shift in trend dynamics. Last time this setup played out, the euro didn’t stabilize, it continued the move lower. Source: The Market Ear, LSEG
Everyone has heard about the German carmakers' crisis.
Take a look at what's going on in its key chemical sector: production is at levels seen during the GFC, and this during good times, even before the current energy crisis. Source: Bloomberg, Michel A.Arouet
Long-term inflation expectations in Germany have barely moved despite the recent escalation in the Middle East.
The 10y breakeven inflation rate, a common market measure of expected inflation over the next decade, only nudged to 1.91%; still below the 2% threshold and well under the roughly 3% levels seen after Russia invaded Ukraine. This suggests that markets do not currently expect the conflict to have lasting inflationary effects. Source: Bloomberg, HolgerZ
Europe is the energy sucker.
Chart shows SX5E vs oil (inverted). This does not mean SX5E must crash to close the gap, but it shows you clearly just how vulnerable Europe is. Source: The Market Ear
Christine Lagarde is expected to leave the ECB before her term ends in 2027, aiming to give Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz the opportunity to choose her successor.
With the French presidential election approaching, Lagarde may step down early to let Macron and Merz influence her ECB successor. Key stakes: filling the power vacuum, deciding among top contenders like Hernández de Cos, Knot, Schnabel, and Nagel, and shaping the ECB’s post-crisis legacy.
In Germany, the value of the country’s gold reserves has climbed to €496bn.
Germany holds 3,352 tonnes of gold through the Bundesbank. More than 1,200 tonnes are stored in New York, with the rest held in Frankfurt and London. Source: HolgerZ, Bloomberg
ECB President Christine Lagarde: "Europe is going to do a big SWOT analysis and decide what do we need to do to be strong by ourselves."
Source chart : FT Source image: Reuters
