"Each country adopted the euro with a national view. It was considered a tool rather than a permanent liaison. Germany understood this and prepared to compete. The others did not and bet on continuity. There was a lack of shared vision for the future and how each country would fit in."
By Andarina on Largest economies must fix the eurozone

"Although shale is supposed to be getting harder to extract, it seems there is much more of it around. So forcing Russia to develop technology and rely less on oil exports could possibly be an asset in the long-run for the development of the country's industrial infrastructures and treatment of its own resources."
By stonebird on Russian oil: Between a rock and a hard place