The western world, for so long the dominant force in Global Politics and economics, is confused and uncertain. In the past week, elections in the uk and france have pointed to fractures in europe. Donald trumps world view and Angela Merkels are poles apart. The Western Consensus on liberal economics and globalisation is no more. My guest is stephen king, influential economist, writer, and former Chief Economist to hsbc bank. Is Globalisation Stuck in reverse gear . Stephen king, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you very much. I think given the dramatic nature of recent political events in the uk, we have to start with britain, and then move our perspective to the world as a whole. But uk we have just seen an election that has brought about a Hung Parliament and a sense that nobody knows really what the government theresa may forms will actually do about brexit and a whole host of other challenges. Do you feel a deep sense of incoherence and uncertainty in britain . There is. Because the vote
The former communist east. The current chancellor, angela merkel, has led the tributes, describing him as a great german and a Great European. The bbcs paul adams looks back at his life. As the cold war ended, helmut kohl seemed to tower, quite literally, over everyone and everything around him. As a child, he witnessed the destruction of his country. World war ii inspiring his lifelong desire to unify germany and europe. He rose through the ranks of the christian democratic union, becoming chancellor in 1982. His provincial manners were frequently mocked but he was tough and he knew how to wield power, and when history came calling, he was ready. The fall of the berlin wall, a moment of euphoria and, for helmut kohl, a chance to put his fractured country back together. But unity did not stop there. With frances president francois mitterrand, he pursued his other big idea the new European Union and its own currency, the euro. He didnt always agree with his political protege and his car