Jim Farmelant
On Tue, 20 Oct 1998 12:47:33 -0700 "Nathan Newman"
<nathan.newman at yale.edu> writes:
>As importantly, it appears that Italy will be ruled for the first time
>by
>a prime minister coming out of the old Italian Communist Party and
>will
>include ministers from the Italian Communists- a breakaway portion of
>COmmunist Refoundation. Establishing a 35-hour work week in Italy is
>a
>prime goal of this new government, along with getting into the Euro of
>course- the cause of the breakup of Prodi's coalition.
>
>As importantly, the reason for Stollman's leaving is that Lafontaine
>had
>absorbed European affairs into his Finance portfolio, giving
>Lafontaine
>the strongest voice on issues like the Social Chapter and how to use
>European monetary policy for fighting unemployment.
>
>--Nathan Newman
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Carl Remick <cremick at rlmnet.com>
>To: 'lbo-talk at lists.panix.com' <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>Date: Tuesday, October 20, 1998 8:44 AM
>Subject: Lafontaine rules?
>
>
>I've been surprised to see no discussion here of the news that
>entrepreneur Jost Stollmann will not become the German economics
>minister. Seems to me that this is one of the clearest indications to
>date that Schroeder (willingly or not!) will not preside over just
>another ho-hum centrist government in the Clinton/Blair mold.
>Following
>is from today's NY Times:
>Choice for Economics Post Spurns Offer by Schroeder
>FRANKFURT, Germany -- Throughout his campaign for chancellor, Gerhard
>Schroeder portrayed himself as a pragmatic "new" Social Democrat who
>would promote economic growth while strengthening Germany's generous
>social welfare system.
>But hopes for that kind of happy balance collided with reality Monday,
>when Schroeder's candidate for economics minister turned down the job
>on
>the grounds that the ministry was being eviscerated.
>The exit of Jost Stollmann, a self-made millionaire who started a
>computer company, is the strongest sign that the new government will
>be
>more left-wing than pragmatic.
>The move also suggested that much of the political power in the
>government lies with Oskar Lafontaine, the more left-leaning chairman
>of
>the Social Democratic Party who will head the Finance Ministry, which
>is
>acquiring new responsibilities from the Economics Ministry. [end of
>excerpt]
>Carl Remick
>
>
>
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