Romancing the Romanian: EUโs liberals and conservatives compete to woo Nicuศor Danย
The country’s new independent president is playing hard to get as he weighs which European political family he will join.ย
deficit
Brussels backs Romaniaโs drastic fiscal recovery plan
Bucharest avoids the nightmare scenario of losing EU financial support.
15 EU countries allowed to violate deficit limit for defence spending
The European Commission is hoping measures it rolled out in March could see โฌ800 billion invested into defence before the end of the decade.
Trump sends tariff letters to Japan, South Korea, extending deadline
The 25 percent duty threatened in the letters effectively matches the initial reciprocal tariffs Trump briefly imposed on the two countries in April.
Military spending splurge โrisk factorโ for EU economy, says Denmark
Stephanie Lose told Euractiv that Europeโs defence build-up must be combined with โwise decisionsโ to lower debt and deficit levels.
Fitto fights von der Leyen plan to bypass regions in new EU budget
Brussels wants to overhaul a mechanism that gives EU money directly to the bloc’s poorer areas.
PMQs: Starmer torn apart on welfare as Reeves in tears
Watered down social security reforms dominated grilling of the PM โ as he wouldn’t clarify if Rachel Reeves’ position as chancellor was secure.
French PM Bayrou survives no-confidence vote (again) but finds himself at Le Penโs mercy
The center-left Socialist Party brought forth the measure after retirement reform talks fell apart last week.
Trump doesnโt rule out deporting Musk
The presidentโs comments come amid a renewed feud with the worldโs richest man.
Trump threatens Muskโs subsidies and contracts in latest social media spat
Former political allies Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been bickering late at night again.
Romania risks public blowback over push to slash EUโs highest deficit
The country faces having to cut 20 percent of civil service jobs while ramping up VAT and increasing excise duties. The government is in for a rough ride.
Pope Leo looks to MAGA megadonors to shore up Church finances
Wealthy American conservatives hint they’re ready to cough up again to rescue the scandal-ridden Church from going broke.
France to cut extra โฌ4.7B in spending this year as debt hits new record
Government says new spending cuts are required to keep budget deficit down.
Friedrich Merz wants a US trade deal within days. The EU fears it will be a bad one.
The German leader is piling the pressure on Brussels to strike a deal soon with Trump so Europe doesnโt end up with the scraps.
French PM Bayrou gets temporary lifeline from far right
The National Rally is still threatening to get rid of the prime minister during fall budget talks.
Germany backs major NATO defense spending boost โ but not to please Trump
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government will boost defense spending to โฌ153 billion in 2029, up from โฌ86 billion this year.
German finance minister says heโs โconfidentโ fiscal expansion wonโt run afoul of EU rules
“We can find a common path,” Lars Klingbeil said of upcoming negotiations with the European Commission.
French PM under fire as pensions โconclaveโ concludes without agreement
Socialists could soon turn on Franรงois Bayrou if no progress is made on retirement reform.
Bolojanโs โausterityโ government approved by Romanian Parliament
Romaniaโs new PM Ilie Bolojan pledges harsh reforms to slash the deficit, after parliament approves his austerity-driven cabinet backed by a four-party coalition.
French pension โconclaveโ faces make-or-break moment
The prime minister’s effort to find common ground on retirement reform has a Monday deadline.
National Limits, European Claims: The Ultra Vires Conflict in EU Constitutional Law (part 2)
Dr Benedikt Riedl,
Mjur (Oxford), postdoctoral researcher
and academic assistant at the Chair of Public Law and Legal Philosophy (Prof Dr
Peter M. Huber, former Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court and former
Minister of the Interior…
Romanian liberal leader nominated to lead pro-EU coalition
Talks have stalled for months over ministry posts and Commission-required fiscal reforms to curb the deficit.
Ilie Bolojan nominated to be Romanian PM atop new pro-European coalition
The center-right politician will serve as prime minister until 2027, when he surrenders the post to a social democrat.
Deadlock in coalition talks among pro-European parties in Romania
With coalition talks stalled, Romania has yet to settle on a PM or deficit plan, risking billions in EU funds ahead of a key deadline.
ECBโs Lagarde gently urges China to change its ways
Central bank president used a speech in Beijing to stress China and the U.S. must share the burden of closing the massive trade gap threatening the global economy.
Donโt be fooled: The Musk-Trump blowup is really about immigration
The tech right and MAGA populists were always going to have a blowup thanks to their disagreement on whether immigration or the federal debt was central to Trumpโs political movement.
Trump, White House aides signal a possible dรฉtente with Musk
The two men have been embroiled in a feud over legislation that encompasses the presidentโs agenda.
Musk goes scorched earth: Trump will cause recession, implies he should be impeached
โThe Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year,โ Musk wrote on X.
Romanian President wants to involve intelligence services in fight against tax evasion
Romaniaโs new president wants the intelligence service to help catch tax evaders, calling the countryโs soaring deficit a national security threat.
Brussels reprimands Austria for breaking EU budget rules
The European Commission also announced that it would urge member states to acknowledge Romaniaโs โnon-effective actionโ to address its deficit, which could lead to financial penalties as early as this autumn.
Brussels rebukes Romania and Austria for breaching EU spending rules
Austria’s appearance on the list was more of a surprise than Romania’s, and follows months of political deadlock in Vienna.
โDisgusting abominationโ: Musk goes nuclear on Trumpโs โbig beautiful billโ
โShame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,โ he wrote.
Tariff court battles wonโt undermine White Houseโs leverage in trade talks, says US commerce secretary
โRest assured, tariffs are not going away,โ he said.
US imports plunge in early sign of Trump tariff impact
The numbers suggest that Trumpโs policies are chipping away at the global trade deficit, which the president views as a key problem for the US economy.
The Supreme Court may not step in and save Trumpโs tariffs
The path forward for Trump will not get easier after a defeat at the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Rachel Reeves has been prudent. Now she needs a purpose
With a government-wide spending review looming, Britain’s top finance minister is being urged to give voters a compelling reason for her ‘tough decisions.’
Almost 2.5mn people in England estimated to have ADHD
Only third of those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are thought to have been diagnosed, data shows
Musk says heโs โdisappointedโ with Trump-backed megabill
The billionaireโs criticism could influence the megabillโs prospects in the Senate.
France risks running out of cash for social spending, auditors say
Court of Auditors warned that a “liquidity crisis” could impact benefits payments as soon as 2027.
Nicuศor Dan starts nightmare new job as president of Romaniaย
Mondayโs inauguration comes at a critical time for the Eastern European nation of 19 million amid the threat of credit rating downgrades, a budget deficit crisis and a loss of faith in democracy.ย
โIโm not looking for a dealโ: Trump revives global trade war
The president vowed to hit the European Union and phone manufacturers with new tariffs.
Ireland is Trumpโs Trojan horse
If Brussels is serious about maintaining the integrity of its tech rules, it needs to focus on shifting regulation away from Dublin.
Macron and Merz call for abolition of EU law on ethical supply chains
Leaders of Europe’s two most powerful countries ramp up EU’s pro-business, anti-green push by calling for repeal of due diligence rule.
Macron announces โฌ20B of fresh foreign investment amid economic turmoil
The French president is gathering CEOs from all over the world in Versailles.
Romanian election exit polls: Centrist Bucharest mayor Nicuศor Dan on track to win
The 55 year old appears to have fended off hard-right candidate George Simion.
In Transylvania, fear haunts Romaniaโs troubled democracyย
The birthplace of modern Romania is losing faith in politics, 36 years after Communism fell, amid threats of reprisals at Sundayโs election.
Trump says US will set new tariff rates for countries, skirting negotiations
โItโs not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,โ the president said.
Moodyโs downgrades US credit, citing rising debt
The firm said it expects federal deficits to widen, mostly due to increased interest payments on debt, rising entitlement spending and relatively low revenue generation.
Investors brace for turbulence in Romanian markets as election looms
Traders fear political uncertainty will make tackling huge budget deficit more difficult
Romaniaโs Simion wants a broad coalition. Good luck with that.
Hard-right presidential candidate George Simion is extending a warm hand to other parties, but getting the cold shoulder.
Romaniaโs finances quake before historic vote
Economic malaise is helping nationalist presidential candidate George Simion.
Romanian wild card George Simion sets Brusselsโ nerves on edge
The presidential front-runnerโs hostility to Ukraine is creating a rift with fellow European conservatives.
US gets back to EU on trade war โ hinting at Trumpโs willingness to find a deal
Letter is first positive concrete engagement from Washington since the two sides paused retaliatory tariffs.
EU gets a win as US revokes AI chips caps
As one of its final acts in office, the Biden administration planned to limit some EU countries’ access to AI chips from this month.
Bayrouโs government is one step away from collapse
Unresolved grievances continue to threaten the survival of France’s minority government.
How Trumpโs trade war could end by June
The challengers say the president is violating the Constitution and hope the Court of International Trade will grant their request for a preliminary injunction before the end of the month.
Trumpโs tariff deals send Europe to the back of the line
Trump calls the European Union โnastierโ than China. The EU is taking a deep breath.
From hawk to offender: Berlinโs spending โoffensiveโ saps EU fiscal rule book
Germany leads efforts to loosen EU debt and deficit caps as it gears up to deploy โฌ1tn
French PM to testify under oath on snowballing child abuse scandal
Centrist Prime Minister Franรงois Bayrou is facing a week from hell.
How Britain got to the front of Donald Trumpโs trade queue
From last-minute pork demands to parties in the embassy, this is how Britain charmed the unpredictable president โ and why it could all still unravel.
Almost half of Englandโs higher education providers braced for deficit
Financial pressures are rising as international student recruitment falls due to migration curbs, says regulator
Can France’s prime minister call a referendum on the budget?
The potential move follows the passing of France’s tumultuous 2025 budget in February, which aims to reduce the public deficit to 5.4% of GDP this year.
Merz supports easing EU fiscal rules to boost defense spending
EU members are bound by spending rules obliging them to keep the public deficit below 3% of economic output and debt at 60% of GDP. But the EU can suspend the rules in exceptional circumstances and crises, as it did during the coronavirus pandemic when…
Centrist Nicuศor Dan faces uphill battle to beat Simion in Romanian presidential runoff
Centrist mayor of Bucharest has to bridge a daunting deficit with hard-right leader.
Trump still would like to add Canada and Greenland but says attack on Canada โhighly unlikelyโ
โI donโt see it with Canada. I just donโt see it, I have to be honest with you,โ Trump told NBCโs Kristen Welker.
Europe has risky reliance on China for low-tech chips, auditors warn
Brussels is far from meeting its targets to reshore microchips manufacturing.
New tax reignites tensions within Ficoโs fragile coalition
The Financial Transaction Tax introduced in April, charges 0.4% on certain financial transactions and 0.8% on cash withdrawals to help reduce the public finance deficit.
Italy harbors doubts about hitting 2 percent NATO target
Rome outwardly says it can easily reach politically unpopular defense spending targets without cutting vital services.
Europeโs debt set to surge again in new era of uncertainty, IMF warns
But the Fund gives its implicit backing to Chancellor Rachel Reevesโ plans to stabilize U.K. public finances.
Can France and Germanyโs new love-fest survive their lingering differences?
Paris and Berlin have been at loggerheads for years, but things are at last looking up.
Industries hit a wall on relief from Trumpโs tariffs
The administration hasnโt set up a formal process for carve-outs from tariffs, keeping businesses uncertain about whether they may be able to secure relief.
Belgium warns defense spending boost will hurt welfare state
“Defense definitely requires our full attention, but so does also the sustainability of our welfare state,” says Budget Minister Vincent Van Peteghem.
‘La Remontada’ Is this a comeback too far for Madrid?
Real Madrid players say they are convinced they can overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Arsenal, but is this a comeback too far for the European champions?
French PM Bayrou warns Trumpโs โhurricaneโ has made France vulnerable
French Prime Minister Franรงois Bayrou took an unusually stern tone against the United States and its leader on Tuesday, accusing Donald Trump of having unleashed a โhurricaneโ on the world by turning on traditional allies and by triggering a trade war…
Spring drought threatens Europeโs farms and rivers
Central and Eastern European countries are missing April showers, creating possible trouble for supply chains and farmers.
โTrust is going downโ: Why Trump should fear the bond market
โThe market now believes that trade policy can change from minute to minute,โ said Chip Hughey, a managing director of fixed income securities at Truist.
Diplomats see โmessโ in Trumpโs trade strategy
A POLITICO survey of more than 15 countries, including five key Asian trading partners, suggested confusion about the administrationโs approach.
Shootings, debt and political paralysis show Brussels is falling apart
Losing โฌ4 million a day and without a government, Belgium’s capital is in desperate need of leadership.
Can the EU really ramp up imports of US energy as Trump demands? – Analysis
Amid the chaotic lunges, feints and ripostes of his incipient trade war, Donald Trump has refloated the idea that Europe could close its trade deficit with the US by dramatically increasing imports of US energy.
Germany hides โBlack Zeroโ statue as era of spending begins
Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz has loosened deficit rules in a country deeply averse to public debt
EU slaps tariffs on US trucks, cigarettes and ice cream to target Trumpโs red states
European trade officials sure know how to have fun.
Franceโs Fifth Republic is on the ropes
The eligibility ban on presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen and the market-wrecking tariffs of U.S. President Trump are just the latest challenges roiling Emmanuel Macron’s second term.
โWe are all waiting for a reply.โ Countries say White House hasnโt responded on tariff talks.
The lack of engagement is one signal the White House is still far from reaching substantive trade deals ahead of the midnight deadline for stepped-up global tariffs to kick in.
Meloni-Trump relationship to face first post-tariff test at April 17 meeting
As the transatlantic trade war heats up, Europe’s Trump whisperer gets the chance to use her voice.
Israel vows to ax trade deficit in bid to lift US tariffs
President Donald Trump was noncommittal in an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump says EU must buy $350B of US energy to get tariff relief
Brussels’ zero-for-zero tariff offer not enough, U.S. president says, but indicates he’s open to a deal if the bloc commits to closing the trade deficit in goods.
EU in early talks with US but preparing โrobustโ tariff countermeasures, says trade chief โ as it happened
EU trade commissioner Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ says bloc in a โtough spotโ with 70% of exports being subjected to tariffs Outgoing German economy minister Robert Habeck is not mincing his words this morning in response to a question on US tariffs and how they we…
Brussels could hit Big Tech in trade spat. But how?
Digital services could be Washington’s Achilles heel but European officials are conflicted over how to strike it.
US officials: Trump has been flooded with requests for trade talks
Brooke Rollins said countries are โburningโ up the phone lines to talk trade.
France suggests targeting Big Techโs data use in response to US tariffs
France is also considering taxing digital services, French Economy and Finance Minister Eric Lombard tells Le Journal Du Dimanche.
Trumpโs tariffs could face more than one legal challenge
At issue is a nearly-50-year-old law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, that Trump is citing to impose tariffs.
How Trump cost America the world
Friend and foe alike will start piecing together a different global trade order that the U.S. might like a lot less than the one it trashed.
World trade war looms as China strikes all US imports with 34 percent tariff
Beijing’s counterattack against Donald Trump comes after Wednesday’s wide-ranging measures.
France risks missing deficit target because of Trumpโs trade war, economy minister says
PARIS โThe trade war with the United States might prevent France from bringing down its sky-high budget deficit, French Economy and Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Friday. โTax revenues would probably fall, and then GDP would fall compared to forecasts, which would worsen the deficit,โ Lombard said in an interview with BFMTV/RMC on Friday. [โฆ]
Penguins, seals and colonies: 5 mind-boggling tariffs in Trumpโs โliberationโ plan
Why let penguins have all the fun?
Spain unveils โฌ14B aid plan to counteract Trump tariffs
The country’s economy stands to suffer losses of up to โฌ4.3 billion as a result of the levies this year.
Trumpโs tariff math is crazy, says โWisdom of Crowdsโ author
James Surowiecki challenges the White Houseโs rationale for punishing Europe, China, India and Japan with reciprocal tariffs.
Trump tells inner circle that Musk will leave soon
The president is pleased with Musk but the decision comes as the tech mogul increasingly looks like a political liability.
Security in Europe will mean sacrifices for citizens
Europeans must decide whether theyโre willing to bear the costs of shaping their future, or risk having it shaped for them.
Europe thought it had a way past Trumpโs tariffs. He didnโt care.
EU officials had hoped to catch Trump’s interest with offers to buy more American gas. They hit a wall of bureaucracy and disinterest.