I don’t know about Denmark but it sounds as if there is something rather rotten going on in the state of Italy according to this report in the UK Times:
ROMANS are to be offered cut-price family meals in a novel attempt by the city’s authorities to curb inflation that has plagued Italy since the introduction of euro notes and coins at the beginning of last year.
The scheme, called Shopping Sport, starts on October 1 in the city’s 140 street markets. Stallholders will be asked to offer shoppers a basket containing enough ingredients to make a meal for four people, including meat or fish, vegetables and dessert, for €12 (£8.34).
Restaurants, bars, hairdressers, garages, plumbers and supermarkets have also been asked to join the campaign. For example, restaurants will be expected to offer a starter, a pizza and a pudding for €12 — and it should be possible to get a morning cappuccino and croissant for €1.50 (£1.05). The authorities will publish a list of the businesses taking part.
Begging your pardon and all that, but doesn’t that sound an awful lot like price-fixing?
Newspapers run stories almost daily on the “real” inflation rate, which some put as high as 30%. Even everyday items such as bread and milk have risen by 16% and a bus ticket by 29% since December 2001, according to Consumer’s Contract, a group that lobbies for consumers’ rights.
Italians voted with their purses last week, staging a consumer “strike” in which as many as 40% of people were reported to have taken part in some areas. Further action is planned around Christmas. Some shops also shut for the day in a sign of solidarity with their customers.
And doesn’t that sound an awful lot like galloping inflation?
So galloping inflation and price-fixing. Isn’t that precisely the kind of Banana Republic economics that the introduction of the single currency was supposed to banish?
Oh, regardless of the early free-market leanings of the Common Market, I doubt that the current crop of EUniks has anything against wage and price controls in principle. Just the sort of thing a bunch of bureucratic micromanagers would be expected to like, in fact.
My father always blamed decimalisation for inflation in the UK since it was introduced. I was never sure quite how truthful that was but it seems there are always those willing to take advantage of a little temporary confusion to line their own pockets.
Rich
Surely the market would quickly compete-down sneaky price raising tricks – unless it wasn’t really a trick at all, and the inflation is genuine.
There was an interesting letter in the Daily Telegraph today. The writer claimed that TV3 in Ireland has recently commissioned a poll on the Irish experience of the Euro. The question, apparently, was: “Do you regret joining the Euro?” A truly astonishing 89 per cent responded “yes”.
One wonders to what extent those EU subjects who have adopted this funny money have less embraced the stuff than endured it.
Naturally, the usual suspects will be along to deny this, telling us that during their recent business trip to Belgium, people were dancing in the street, rejoicing in their good fortune, falling to their knees and rending their garments while howling praises and thanks to the wise and righteous Wim Duisenberg.
The reality, I suspect, is that there is, in Europe, a very great deal of under-reported anger.
Of course, this will not in the least deter members of the chattering classes, those with a vested interest in undermining national sovereignty or corporate types, who place profit margins above all else. Least of all will it deter Statist politicians who would slice up their own grannies and sell them as bacon for the chance to rule a bigger empire.
Wishing a mere pox on their collective houses seems miserably insufficient.
Shopping Sport is no answer. A high-protein, low fat, low-cost soy-based taste-and-cultural bias neutral paste to be distributed by EU health officials is.
Carl LaFong wrote:
Shopping Sport is no answer. A high-protein, low fat, low-cost soy-based taste-and-cultural bias neutral paste to be distributed by EU health officials is.
Sorry, but high-protein would be the Atkins diet, which has been declared wicked by the health Nazis.
You clearly want a high-carb, low taste soy-based paste. 🙂
(Stupid question, sorry.)
Can a country de-Euro itself? I’m assuming if yes, there must be very high penalties involved?
Chris
There is no mechanism for de-eurofication, as the wise elders decreed that it should be for ever.
However, short of invasion, excommunication and emotional blackmail, it is difficult to see what penalties could be imposed on a euro divorcee.
There is probably some legal crap that could be done, but the guilty government could simply ignore that.
Having seen Prodi crying for mummy after the Swedish told him where to stick his euro, I would love to see his reaction to a country leaving it.
I was shouted down once before, with the vicious imprecations euro-lovers are wont to shriek at an opposing voice, for noting that in France, prices have gone up between 20 and 30 percent across a broad range of items, including food. By government decree, there were no price hikes for the first six months, after which they began inching (you should excuse the term) prices up of things you don’t buy often enough to remember the price with exactitude. Floor polish, a bucket and mop, deodorant, a paint brush, etc. After that, it was Katy-bar-the-door. Everyday items also soared skywards. The price of bread is still government controlled, and petrol has remained the same. Everything else is up by percentages unjustifiable by anything but greed. Almost everything’s up by 20 percent and a large number of things are up by 25-30 percent. Boom! Just like that. Many of the medium-priced, locally produced wines now sell in the supermarkets for the same price as in the supermarkets in England.
I understand from a friend with family in Greece that many items are up 100% from Dec 2001, the excuse being, “To bring us into line with the rest of Europe.” Needless to say, this has beggared many old people on government pensions.
Verity – the last part sounds like a good thing. Allowing EU governments to make their insane pension commitments affordable in nominal terms takes off an awful lot of pressure…
Verity writes:
“I was shouted down once before, with the vicious imprecations euro-lovers are wont to shriek at an opposing voice…”
What was particularly revelatory about that exchange was how one person’s anecdotal evidence (based on living in a country) is admissable evidence, while another’s (based on a business trip) counts as conclusive research.
Still, looking on the bright side, one assumes they shriek so loudly because they feel the tide turning. And I really think it is, you know…
I think it is too, G Cooper. Especially heartening was that mouthwatering 89% of Irish polled who said they now regretted the adoption of the euro. As Perry would say – excellent!
I’m off to Florence in a few days so I can research the prices.I was in Portugal in may and everyone was appologising for the increase in prices especially for food and drinks.Yet everytime I here a Eurofanatic in the media they flatly deny that prices have gone up one red Eurocent.Towit Glenys Kinnock of the well known Eurotrough family and Margaret Beckett the authoratarian mental midget.Either these people are superb at fooling themselves or they are flat out lieing for their own devious purposes.All New Labour knows it learnt from Gorbels “If you repete a lie often enough it becomes the truth”.
I don’t think this is good news, just schadenfreude.
As an American, I sincerely hope we don’t have to come back and fix Europe again. Unfortunately, I don’t think our chances of ducking it are much better than they were last time.
Being a twit, I wrote:
“What was particularly revelatory about that exchange was how one person’s anecdotal evidence (based on living in a country) is admissable evidence, while another’s (based on a business trip) counts as conclusive research.”
My apologies to Verity. Of course, I meant “inadmissable evidence” as hers was roundly discounted by the Europhiles, despite it being far better quality material – not least on the grounds that she lives in the benighted country!
G Cooper – Actually, I just thought you were being nuanced.
I wait with anticipation the Europhiles comments…
I live 19 miles from Florence, and I can confirm to readers this evening that prices have absolutely rocketed here, except:-
Plasterers, who can still; be hired for around Euro 10/hour
Rail travel, which will be costing me Euro 50 for first clas return trip to Milan on Thursday – a 400 mile round trip.
Incidentally, I estimate property prices in Tuscany have risen 100% in the last 24 months. Houses are almost without exception quoted in Lire.
Italians STILL use the lire for most things (it’s tucked away in small printed bracklets at the bottom of 95% of till receipts).
Tony, Tickets on the TGV (high speed tilting train) in France can be had for similar prices because it is state-owned and heavily subsidised as a showcase for French engineering. It therefore hasn’t been impacted by the euro. It is mainly goods in shops that have skyrocketed, in my experience, although driven by the soaring prices, artisans have started putting up their rates to cope. As most of them are young or youngish men with families, they certainly can’t be blamed.
Here in Belgium prices have gone up in leaps and bounds, beer, fags and kebabs jhave become a problem and that rent which is not state controlled has risen steeply. I have also heard people in shopa talikng in Belgian Francs again which they haven’t done for a while.
No they are not happy