The coming days: The week ahead

by Biodun Iginla and Tamara Kachelmeier, BBC News and the Economist. Research by Moira Tamayo.

Feb 8th 2009
From Economist.com

• ISRAELIS cast votes in a parliamentary election on Tuesday February 10th. Binyamin NetanyahuBinyamin Netanyahu’s Likud is, according to opinion polls, the front-runner, but it is likely to win fewer than 30 of the Knesset's 120 seats. Post-election horse-trading is thus inevitable. Kadima under Tzipi LivniTzipi Livni and Labour, led by Ehud BarakEhud Barak, are also contenders. A fourth group, Yisrael Beitenu, once a minor right-wing party, is making a surprisingly strong push, too.

For background, see article

• AMERICA'S embattled bank bosses will face a grilling from the House financial services committee on Wednesday February 11th. The eight big banks that dipped into the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Programme to plug holes in their balance sheets will be expected to give an account of what they have done with huge dollops of taxpayers’ cash. Rather than lending money again banks have instead given the impression that the cash has been earmarked for bonuses, executive jets, “conferences” in Las Vegas and the like.

For background, see article

• GERMAN GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2008, set for release on Friday February 13th, and figures for the euro-area economy, released later the same day may make for grim reading. Fears that Europe's largest economy is contracting sharply are likely to prove correct and this will drag the euro-area down to lower depths. Awful news will lend further credence to those who say that Europe is in for a long and deep recession.

For background, seearticle

• ZIMBABWE may, at last, get a power-sharing government on Friday February 13th. The opposition leader, Morgan TsvangiraiMorgan Tsvangirai, under pressure from governments of neighbouring countries, has apparently agreed to join a government with the ruling ZANU-PF party. However several important issues remain unresolved, for example over who controls the police. Britain and America will maintain targeted sanctions against President Robert MugabePresident Robert Mugabe and his fellow leaders, until evidence is shown of his relinquishing some authority to Mr Tsvangirai.

For background, see article

• HUGO CHÁVEZ, Venezuela’s president, is at least trying to put a legal veneer on his efforts to stay in office indefinitely. On Sunday February 15th Venezuelans will vote in a referendum on whether to change the constitution to allow Mr Chávez, who has held office for a decade, to stay in power for as long as he wins elections. For the moment the constitution imposes a limit of two six-year terms. Venezuelans blocked a similar attempt to change the law in 2007 and may do so again.

For background, see article

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