Press quotes

  • London sees commercial sense of alliance
    Financial Times, 12 September 2012

    "One of the interesting questions is what this means for the much-vaunted Franco-British defence relationship," said Clara Marina O’Donnell of the Centre for European Reform.

  • Spanish leader yet to agree on bailout conditions
    Marketplace, 11 September 2012

    Refusing to go along with the austerity measures could jeapordize other EU governments support for the bailout program, according to Simon Tilford of the CER. If that happened, "the ECB will not be allowed to buy the debt," Tilford said.

  • El 'eje del Norte' afloja la presión
    El Pais, 09 September 2012

    "No hay duda de que los años de crisis [economica] han tenido un impacto primera vez, Alemania está en una posición abiertamente dominante", comenta Simon Tilford, economista del Centre for European Reform.

  • European bank move could help economy
    Voice of America, 07 September 2012

    "This is an argument about money, said Simon Tilford of the CER. "Who pays for misallocated capital, profligate borrowers or irresponsible lenders? The only way of addressing this kind of problem is by both sides taking a hit. And so far the full burden of adjustment is being imposed on the debtors."

  • In launching cases, Commission shows it plays by rules
    The Wall Street Journal, 06 September 2012

     "It's commendable that the commission is prepared to stand up for little Eastern European countries at the risk of hurting relations with Russia," said Charles Grant director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank.

  • Economist Sinn rattles Merkel laboring to save euro
    Bloomberg Businessweek, 06 September 2012

    "Economists like Hans-Werner Sinn have contributed to a climate in which the German government has felt constrained in what it can agree at a eurozone level," says Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London.

  • Weidmann isolated as ECB plan approved
    Financial Times, 06 September 2012

    "One question is whether the benefits from the bond buying are going to be enough to offset the damage inflicted by the conditionality attached," said Simon Tilford of the CER think-tank, reflecting fears that swingeing spending cuts and tax rises may kill off anaemic economic growth.

  • Draghis plan vil købe tid, men ikke redde euroen
    Information, 06 September 2012

    "Det er kun en effektiv bagstopper, hvis betingelserne, der opstilles for landene, giver mening. Det er fejlen ved planen. Nøglespørgsmålet vil være, om fordelene ved opkøb af statsobligationer vil være store nok til at opveje skaderne fra de strukturelle reformprogrammer. Hvis ikke, så kan programmet vise sig at virke imod hensigten. Jeg tror ikke på, at den vil være en game changer," siger cheføkonom Simon Tilford fra tænketanken CER i London til Information.

  • German court holds eurozone fate in its hands
    Reuters, 03 September 2012

    Katinka Barysch of the Centre for European Reform said this debate "suits both the opposition and government", giving the Social Democrats an easy platform and enabling Merkel to "put off hard decisions until after the 2013 election".

  • Britain and Europe going through gradual disengagement
    EurActiv, 03 September 2012

    What is now clear, as others such as the Centre for European Reform have concluded, is that Britain is increasingly losing the support of its natural soulmates in East and Central Europe, nearly all of whom remain outside the euro and who have generally shared a more eurosceptic approach than the federalist core.