Governments across the eurozone have again been left counting the human cost of the financial crisis after news that unemployment in the currency bloc reached a record high, driven by soaring youth joblessness. Eurozone unemployment rose to 12.1% for March, an all-time high, according to Eurostat, the statistics office of the European Union. In the wider EU area of 27 countries, unemployment stood at 10.9%, ...

A woman walks past a far-right UDC-VPC party poster reading "Enough !, Stop massive immigration" in Lausanne (AFP Photo)     Switzerland will restrict immigration from European countries in an effort to limit the flow of migrants to the wealthy country, which is not a European Union member. The decision has prompted harsh criticism from the EU's foreign policy chief. The placing of restrictions on ...

Exclusive: Offshore financial industry leak exposes identities of 1,000s of holders of anonymous wealth from around the world David Leigh  The GuardianThe British Virgin Islands, the world's leading offshore haven used by an array of government officials and rich families to hide their wealth. Photograph: Duncan Mcnicol/Getty Images --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...

The Netherlands, Berlin's most important ally in pushing for greater budgetary discipline in Europe, has fallen into an economic crisis itself. The once exemplary economy is suffering from huge debts and a burst real estate bubble, which has stalled growth and endangered jobs. Graphic detailing the economic downturn in the Netherlands. By Christoph Schult and Anne Seith   Michel Scheepens is familiar w ...

Unemployment across the 17 EU countries that use the euro has hit 12% for the first time since the currency was launched in 1999. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said the rate in February was unchanged and at the record high after January's figure was revised up from 11.9% to 12%. Over the month, 33,000 people in the eurozone joined the ranks of the unemployed. Spain and Greece continued to suffer fro ...

Buoyed by its meteoric domestic success, the far right party is planning to expand 'wherever there are Greeks' Rebloged from guardian.co.uk, By Helena Smith in Athens A Golden Dawn rally in Athens in February. The group's success is being linked to a rise in racially motivated attacks on immigrants in Greece. Photograph: Yorgos Karahalis/Reuters Emboldened by its meteoric rise in Greece, the far-right Golde ...

The Cypriot parliament has thrown out a controversial plan to skim €5.8bn from savers' bank accounts, in a move that risks plunging the eurozone into a fresh crisis and heightens expectations that the cash-strapped nation will seek a funding lifeline from Russia. Cyprus has just 24 hours to find a solution to its funding gap before its banks are due to reopen following the dramatic no vote on Tuesday night, ...

Many thousands of demonstrators have held marches in more than 20 cities in Portugal to protest against government-imposed austerity measures aimed at lifting the ailing country out of recession. Tens of thousands of people filled a Lisbon boulevard during Saturday's protests and headed to the finance ministry carrying placards saying "Screw the troika, we want our lives back". The troika is a reference to ...

Via Mint Partners' Bill Blain, Today’s big event was Italy's 10% auction. Buyers can’t ignore yield, and I suspect many were “encouraged” to participate. But a decent Italy auction doesn't change the brutal facts. Electoral fall-out blankets the Euro battlefield, but it was decisions made years ago that have brought us to this blasted heath. Markets are caught in... Stalemate. On one side you have the disbe ...

"Liverpool TUC condemns the use by the Greek Government of authoritarian, undemocratic methods of conscription/civil mobilisation against striking workers in the transport sector (metro and ferries) in an escalation of the attack against the fighting people in Greece. Liverpool TUC notes: The continuing attack by the Greek government, urged on by the Troika (IMF, European Bank European Commission), against ...