The FM Report

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Economic

The history and future of Ireland in Europe

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Before 1916, nationalists in Ireland had sought to craft a better future for themselves within the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland, as it was then). After 1916, independence was the goal. And, after independence was secured a century ago, Ireland consistently availed of every opportunity to further loosen its bonds with Britain. The 1937 constitution ended the … [Read more...] about The history and future of Ireland in Europe

Global outlook: Recovery versus Stagnation

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2020 brought untold misery in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated responses, with over 81 million cases and nearly two million deaths worldwide according to Johns Hopkins University. The economic impact was also profound, with growth outlooks collapsing as demand fell and consumer activity was curtailed during lockdowns. According to Bloomberg, economists had … [Read more...] about Global outlook: Recovery versus Stagnation

A not so straightforward US election

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Amid all the drama in the US presidential race, it is easy to forget that elections for the Senate and House of Representatives (frequently referred to as the House) are also taking place concurrently. Nevertheless, these lesser-discussed elections will prove important in understanding any US post-election scenarios. A clean-sweep for either the Democrats or Republicans would … [Read more...] about A not so straightforward US election

Fed repression could turn to Fed regret

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The risk of asset bubbles means that zero rates could come back to haunt the Federal Reserve. At its latest policy meeting the US Federal Reserve (Fed) signalled that interest rates would be close to zero for the next three years as it aimed to hit its new objective of a 2% average inflation target and maximum employment. The central bank’s economic projections show that … [Read more...] about Fed repression could turn to Fed regret

A review of Budget 2021

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On October 13, Ireland unveiled its latest Budget, which was historic in more ways than one. Up until very recently, it would have been hard to imagine two ministers from the two biggest political rivals in the history of the State, standing up together to deliver a unified Budget. On top of that, the package delivered of almost €18bn was the biggest in the country’s history, … [Read more...] about A review of Budget 2021