Free Republic

The UK’s decision to leave is already being felt in mainland Europe; the German economy has been hit by the result as well, the president of Germany’s central bank told EurActiv’s partner WirtschaftsWoche. Jens Weidmann, the president of Deutsche Bundesbank, said that he was very disappointed with the result of the 23 June referendum. “This decision is very unfortunate and is, in my view, a mistake,” Weidmann said at a speech made in Munich. However, like most high-profile figures commenting on the result, he urged the decision to be respected and dealt with. The banking chief also said that the...

Economic fears as Belgium beats European record by Yann Ollivier Sat Jan 8, 3:27 pm ET .BRUSSELS (AFP) – Belgium took the record for Europe's longest political crisis on Saturday as it hit 209 days without a government, amid mounting concern among business chiefs over the effects on its economy. As the divided country surpassed previous record-holder the Netherlands, where politicians haggled 208 days before striking a deal in 1977, Belgium's top business leaders raised alarm bells about the crisis in newspaper Le Soir. Billionaire investor Albert Frere, a leading shareholder in energy groups Total and GDF Suez, said he...

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's political tumult intensified as President Emile Lahoud said the country is in a "state of emergency" and handed security powers to the army before he left office Friday without a successor. The rival, pro-Western Cabinet rejected the declaration. Lahoud's final announcement created new confusion in an already unsettled situation, which many Lebanese fear could explode into violence between supporters of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's Western-backed government and the pro-Syria opposition led by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. The departure of Lahoud, a staunch ally of the Syrian regime during nine years in office, was a long-sought...

A political crisis in Iran sparked by the disqualification of candidates for next month's polls is intensifying. Vice-President Mohammad Sattarifar has warned that the government may resign if there is no resolution, reports say. The BBC's Jim Muir says this did not amount to a specific threat, but was a clear sign of possible consequences. Hardliners, however, are urging the unelected body which vets candidates to uphold its ban on more than 2,000 supporters of reform from standing. The conservative Council of Guardians is now considering appeals against its own vetoes on the would-be candidates. 'Tug of war' Iran's Supreme...