Western Europe: Not a Boring Week
Just like in the United States, last week was quite interesting for the Europeans. All major stock markets crashed, especially the Dutch AEX index, which hit rock bottom yesterday. Whereas the index stood at 700 points in 2000, it dropped below 200 points Friday.
Not only did the Dutch stock market collapse, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende also told the nation the current crisis would turn out to be the worst in 80 years. These remarks came only a few months after he and his Minister of Finances Wouter Bos said this country would not suffer from the crisis at all. Instead of looking at his own role, Balkenende and his fellow coalition members are busy trying to find scapegoats.
Dutch princess Máxima (wife of crown prince Willem Alexander) has found some: she blames banks for the crisis. They behaved irresponsibly, she says, and blames their "overzealous marketing" for creating the circumstances in which all Dutch will carry the financial burden of the banks' greed. It was a remarkable comment considering the Dutch Royal Family doesn't, normally at least, comment on politics. It functions as a symbol, not as a political powerhouse nor as a representative of public opinion.
Meanwhile, the Brits were angered by the way Prime Minister Gordon Brown was received in the White House earlier this week. Obama, British journalists complained, gave the distinct impression he wasn't interested in Brown nor in what he had to say. The present British press corps, meanwhile, was told to wait outside in the freezing cold while the two men talked about nothing at all. When the meeting had ended these journalists were tired, cold and hungry while Obama quickly moved on to do other things.
To make matters even worse, the Brits complained, Michelle and Barack Obama insulted Brown, his wife, their children and their entire nation by giving them useless, irrelevant and thoughtless presents. Brown received a 25-DVD box (with, among other movies, ET and Star Wars in it) while his two sons received models of Marine 1, the president's helicopter. Heads of state normally exchange thoughtful, valuable presents, so the Browns had truly tried their best to give Obama and his two daughters something they'd appreciate.
At the same time that the Brits were fighting with the White House about the reception Brown received in Washington, the Germans were fighting among each other about how to commemorate the Berlin wall. Some believe it to be an important part of German history which should be remembered by the nation, others complain their "wounds take more time to heal."
Whatever the Germans will decide, one thing is clear: last week wasn't exactly boring here in Europe. If politicians weren't fighting with each other, they attacked CEOs of banks; if citizens weren't complaining their governments weren't doing enough to end the economic crisis they declared war on each other over a wall that was destroyed 20 years ago; and if Brits didn't throw custard in the face of their own politicians, they dreamt about doing so to President Barack Obama.
