Financial quotes of the month

“Our real GDP for the year 2011, according to national estimates, exceeded 5 percent in light of the significant improvement of activity following a freeze in the first months of the year.” Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati on GDP growth in 2011 “Supply from the Middle East has been reliable despite perceived disturbances in the region… there is no shortage of oil.” Mohammad Saleh al-Sada, Qatar’s Energy Minister “We want a price around $100, that’s what we want.” Ali al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister “We made a revolution only to go now from one dictatorship to another.” Naguib Sawiris, Egyptian telecom tycoon “Europe is watching us, austerity can no longer be the only option.” Francois Hollande, France’s new president “German chancellor Angela Merkel has to know that the politics of austerity have suffered a humiliating defeat.” Alexis Tsipras, head of Greek political party Syriza, a coalition of radical left