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And harking back to days gone by, Abe has called for new budgetary stimulus too, including extra public works spending. But could an Abe-led government really snap Japan out of its seemingly interminable economic malaise?Of course, campaigning and governing are two very different things.And, given the perilous state of Japan’s public finances, the next government will have precious little room for maneuver to boost public investment.Dangerous waters: Behind the islands disputeIndeed, it will have countless unpalatable budgetary decisions to make, not least making the social security system affordable given Japan’s rapidly aging population. So, in practice, fiscal policy is unlikely [...]

Trichet said bond-buying program is “justified” to counter dysfunctional marketsBundesbank President Jens Weidmann opposes bond purchasesTrichet says ECB can’t substitute for government economic policiesTrichet believes the euro currency has remained “remarkably stable”London — A bond-buying program to rescue debt-ridden European nations could be “justified” to counter dysfunctional markets, Jean-Claude Trichet, former European Central Bank president, has told CNN.Trichet’s comments came as investors brace themselves amid speculation that current European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will hint at sovereign bond purchases of fiscally-frail countries such as Spain in an attempt to ease the euro crisis.Trichet said: “I don’t want, myself, to [...]