The Spanish upstart who wants to shock the eurozone back to life
Eurozone countries shouldn’t wait for all EU27 members before driving financial integration forward, argues Spain’s economy minister.
Economic policy
Lukashenkoโs potato racket sparks outrage from regime opponents
The Belarusian rulerโs price controls have backfired.ย
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…
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.
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.’
How to run your Cabinet: Lessons for Starmer
With tensions simmering in Keir Starmerโs top team over Labourโsย approach to the economy, this week host Patrick Baker looks at what the PM might be able to learn about managing your ministers from past Cabinets and examines Starmerโs own leadership style. David Owen, former foreign secretary under Jim Callaghan, recounts the IMF crisis in 1976 [โฆ]
Rayner proposed big tax increases in memo to Reeves
Deputy prime ministerโs ideas suggest deep divisions at top of UK government over economic policy
โA catastrophic situationโ: Belgiumโs new security chief launches crusade against Brussels drug crime
Former diplomat wants to push through political paralysis in Brussels to get police reform done.
How has Britainโs economy fared since Brexit? The five charts underpinning the UK-EU summit
Almost a decade after the referendum, there are challenges to be tackled at Mondayโs gathering hosted by Keir StarmerKeir Starmer is hosting the first UK-EU summit since Brexit on Monday as the government pushes to โresetโ the relationship with Britain…
The Guardian view on Europeโs growing wealth divide: back to the world of Balzac | Editorial
A new study highlights the dangers of a modern rentier capitalism that perpetuates inequality through the generationsIn a recent study picked up in the French press, the academic Mรฉlanie Plouviez cites one of her countryโs best-loved novelists to make …
UK asking other countries to host โreturn hubsโ for refused asylum seekers, Starmer confirms โ as it happened
PM on trip to announce increased cooperation against people smugglers alongside Albaniaโs prime minister, Edi Rama. This live blog is closedAll Commons Speakers, at least for the past 30 years, have complained about the government making major announce…
Shocked by the Farage surge? You havenโt been paying attention
Brits voted for Conservatives, they voted for Labour โ and the change they wanted didn’t happen.
Berlin gears up for Trump era as Merz picks new foreign minister
Berlinโs new foreign ministry leadership signals tougher stance toward China and Russia.
Reeves highlights importance of EU trade to Britain before US tariff talks
In Washington, UK chancellor stresses work being done to improve economic links with EuropeBusiness live โ latest updatesRachel Reeves has said the UKโs trading relationship with the EU is โarguably even more importantโ than that with the US, as she pr…
Spain and Lithuania push to oust Ireland from leading eurozone talks
Carlos Cuerpo and Rimantas ล adลพius are considering running for the Eurogroup presidency.
Amid Trumpโs tariff war, Germanyโs next leader keeps faith in free trade
Despite Donald Trumpโs lurch into protectionism and coercion, Friedrich Merz believes a transatlantic trade deal can still be done.
Why Keir Starmerโs British Steel sugar rush threatens a hangover
The British prime minister has big decisions to make after taking control of the U.K.’s last virgin steel-producing plant.
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.
Labour MPs urge ministers to focus on rebuilding trading relationship with EU
Call to prioritise reset with Europe comes after top adviser to Trump downplays prospect of US tariffs being reducedBusiness live โ latest updatesWhy did โstrongmanโ Trump back down on tariffs? โ podcastMinisters should focus on rebuilding bridges with…
How the US-China trade war will do โenormous damageโ to the world
In a dramatic twist, President Trump announced an abrupt reversal of the tariff policy that had spooked the markets and threatened to upend world trade. While many trading partners have been given a temporary reprieve, Washingtonโs tit for tat with Beijing has reached new heights. Where does it leave the credibility of the Trump administration? [โฆ]
US markets close with steep losses as Trump tariffs branded โworst self-inflicted woundโ by a successful economy โ as it happened
This live blog is now closed. You can read the latest live news here:US politics live โ latest updatesChina and the European Union have exchanged views on strengthening their economic and trade cooperation in response to US tariffs, the Chinese commerc…
Keir Starmer orders UK economic reset amid Donald Trumpโs tariff mayhem
PM ready to ditch โold assumptionsโ and is debating possible changes to fiscal rules to boost growthKeir Starmer is preparing to rethink key elements of the governmentโs economic policy in an emergency response to Donald Trumpโs tariff blitz, amid grow…
Jaguar Land Rover pauses shipments to US as Trump says impact of tariffs โwonโt be easyโ โ as it happened
Trumpโs baseline 10% tariff on all imports from many countries has begun, with higher levies on 57 trading partners to start next weekAmericaโs Brexit? Trumpโs historic gamble on tariffs has been decades in the makingIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Net…
UK politics: Starmer warns Trumpโs US tariffs not just โshort-term tactical exerciseโ โ as it happened
PM says measures mark โthe beginning of a new eraโ for trade and the global economyInternet safety campaigners have expressed alarm about reports that the Online Safety Act could be reviewed as part of the economic deal the UK is negotiating with the U…
PMQs: Starmer wins by brushing off Badenochโs tax tirade
Economics rules the roost ahead of Donald Trump’s tariffs โ but Tory leader fails to land a blow about the government’s tricky position.
EU on Trump car tariffs: Weโll punch back but letโs talk too
Germanyโs automakers will feel the brunt of the Trump administrationโs 25 percent vehicle tariff that is set to go into effect on April 2.
The Starmer and Reeves double act is about to be tested
A strong, if shallow, partnership at the top has defined Labour in office. Can it hold when the going gets tough?
Meet the Czech Millennial Whoโs Building a Utopia in the California Hayfields
Armed with tech billions, Jan Sramek has dreams of creating a new, affordable, walkable city. If, that is, California lets him.
France breathes a bit easier as Fitch affirms credit rating
Rating agency keeps negative outlook as “political deadlock and polarization” complicate the government’s effort to tackle debt.
UK drops down list of affluent nations after decade of stagnation, NIESR finds
Districts in Birmingham now ranked below poorest areas of France, Slovenia and Malta as institute urges rethink on planned welfare cutsThe UK has tumbled down the league of affluent nations after almost a decade of welfare cuts and stagnant incomes, ac…
5 awkward encounters between UK prime ministers and US presidentsย
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump will likely be all smiles during their meeting Thursday โ but a frosty encounter between the two nations’ leaders isn’t unusual.
German election shows how far green wave has receded in Europe
Result is further evidence that political conversation around the climate crisis has shiftedGerman election live โ latest updatesIn the final days of an election campaign dominated by migration, the likely new chancellor of Europeโs biggest polluter so…
Merz won the German election. Hereโs what it means for Europe.
POLITICO breaks down what the conservativesโ victory means for EU policy and cooperation โ from nuclear weapons to cannabis.
Europe is on the brink of another financial crisis, German frontrunner Merz warns
It’s “definitely coming,” he tells POLITICO ahead of the Feb. 23 election.
Brussels power couples โย 2025 edition
Love is in the air in the halls of power.
Starmerโs EU dinner date a big moment in tricky tightrope act
Domestically and on the world stage, the PM faces a series of challenges as he seeks to reset post-Brexit relationsKeir Starmer says he wants โambitious security partnershipโ with EUWhichever way you slice it, Keir Starmerโs invitation to dinner in Bru…
Rebecca Hendin on Keir Starmerโs economic dilemma โ cartoon
Continue reading…
Starmer and Badenoch clash over growth at PMQs after Reeves backs Heathrow expansion โ UK politics live
Prime minister faced MPs in Commons after chancellor backed runway expansion at HeathrowReeves says the supply side of the economy has been held back.Politicians have lacked the courage to confront the factors holding back growth.They have accepted the…
Minister dismisses Tory suggestion Home Office prioritises โpolicing manosphereโ over combating Islamist terrorism โ UK politics live
Dan Jarvis rules out expanding the definition of extremism following leak of internal Home Office documentYvette Cooper to reject calls to expand definition of extremismQ: Are doctors able to recognise depression? And can they decide if that affects so…
Europe hasnโt grasped the real economic threat from Trump
It’s not industrial policy that the bloc has to worry about, it’s the rise of national capitalism.
Navarro says Trump laying foundation for tariffs to come
The White House trade adviser also urged Canada and Mexico to address Trumpโs border concerns.
Ireland gets โscrewedโ as EU influence ebbs
Dublin “underperformedโ in its race for the bloc’s top jobs, especially those in economic policy, which it normally covets.
Olaf Scholzโs business pitch to Brussels sparks election mudslinging
German Chancellor appeals to the EU executive to slash regulation and support industry with subsidies โ only to be accused by his conservative opponents of stealing their policies.
Elon Musk told to stick to US politics after latest UK blast
Health Minister Andrew Gwynne says X owner should prioritize “issues on the other side of the Atlantic.”
Always look on the bright side of life โ why 2025 might be better
5 totally not tongue-in-cheek reasons to be optimistic about the year ahead.
Rachel Reevesโ push to improve EU ties remains boxed in by red lines
Chancellorโs visit to EU meeting looks for smoother trade to improve growth but youth mobility scheme remains sticking pointRachel Reeves is seeking a โdeeper, more mature relationshipโ between Britain and the EU: this was her central message to the bl…
Germany and France are in crisis โ is the next global financial crash brewing? | Larry Elliott
The eurozoneโs flaws and a lack of growth in the EU have combined to malign effect. โMore Europeโ is not the solutionThings are not quite going according to plan for Rachel Reeves. The economy has contracted for the past two months and inflation is pro…
Elon Musk is โright behind us,โ boasts Farage
Brexiteer says X owner was ‘very generous with his time’ in Mar-a-Lago meeting โย and floats prospect of snaring some Musk cash.
How Trump divided Trudeau and Freeland
As she quit Cabinet, the finance minister sounded the alarm about Canadaโs preparedness for Trump 2.0.
Reeves to pledge closer EU ties in pivot from post-Brexit โdivision and chaosโ
First speech by UK chancellor to eurozone finance ministers since 2020 will promise โbusiness-likeโ approach to relationsRachel Reeves plans to end the UKโs โfractiousโ post-Brexit accord with the EU, a relationship she said had been defined by โdivisi…
Elon Musk denies plotting huge donation to UKโs Nigel Farage
Westminster has been obsessed with reports of a potentially game-changing sum of money from the X owner.
The real cost of Europeโs new competitiveness agenda
In this episode, host Giada Santana chats with economics reporter Anna Brunetti about the wind of change sweeping European economic policy and its potential consequences for the Unionโs workforce.
โA shot at the bowโ: Trump puts trading partners on notice
For now, the financial markets are taking the president-electโs tariff threats seriously, if not literally.
Trumpโs tariff threat sets stage for bitter global trade war
Trade experts hail โnew era of protectionismโ with targeted countries retaliating with their own tariffsUS politics โ live updatesDonald Trumpโs threat to impose steep tariffs on goods imported into the US has set the stage for a bitter global trade wa…
Trump vows new Canada, Mexico, China tariffs that threaten global trade
Economists say that Donald Trump’s overall tariff plans, likely his most consequential economic policy, would push US import duty rates back up to 1930s-era levels.
ย Trumpโs trade team lay the groundwork for massive new tariffs
Preemptive efforts to counter expected criticism of tariffs signal an even greater shake-up on trade during Trumpโs second term.
EU leaders vow to make bloc more competitive in face of Trump threat
Budapest meeting finds consensus on need to raise growth and productivity as โAmerica firstโ protectionism loomsEU leaders meeting in Budapest have signed a declaration aimed at boosting the blocโs ailing competitiveness โ a task given added urgency by…
Speculation whirls as Trump begins vetting for top White House jobs
With Congress potentially under full Republican control, Trumpโs team is emboldened to push aspects of his America First agenda as soon as he reenters office.
Who might make up Trumpโs Cabinet
Donald Trump didnโt engage in formal conversations about a potential Cabinet in the run-up to his election. But that didnโt stop him from spitballing potential contenders during his frequent plane rides to campaign events, or when he is impressed by one of his allies on television. โHe would be great at this,โ or โShe would [โฆ]
Business leaders are worried about JD Vance and the future of the GOP
Theyโve watched the party move away from them under Donald Trump. Theyโre worried his chosen successor could accelerate the shift.
The Guardian view on Brexit and the Tory leadership: a cycle of radicalisation | Editorial
The party has gone too far down the path of Eurosceptic delusion to have a rational debate about its legacyThe Conservative leadership contest that concludes this weekend has followed a familiar pattern. What is left of a moderate centre-right Tory ten…
UK budget: 5 things you need to know as Labour hikes taxes
Big swings from the new chancellor will reshape the British state.
The silent force behind the Trump transition
Youโve probably never heard of Brooke Rollins. She wants to keep it that way.
EU next top diplomat Kallas, hawkish on China, teases new โforeign economic policyโ
โI will spare no effort in defending the EUโs values and protecting the EUโs interest vis-a-vis systemic rivals,โ Kallas said.
Talks on UK rejoining EU could start in 10 yearsโ time, says Peter Mandelson
Labour peer says in meantime it is essential to try to reduce damage of Brexit deal struck by Boris JohnsonUK politics live โ latest updatesPeter Mandelson has suggested the UK could start talks on rejoining the EU in 10 yearsโ time, much earlier than …
Once upon a time in Brussels: EU picks Tarantino for top competition job
Academic becomes the third Italian to take influential post after a previous U.S. pick was forced out.
What a Trump victory would really mean for Europe
A win for the former president would surely further galvanize the bloc’s populist parties and encourage their normalization โ much as it did in the US.
Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
POLITICO curates a lineup of the top players influencing the Conservativesโ Brexit and trade policies.
โHeโs a very, very handsome manโ: Meet the ex-pop star turning heads in the UK Treasury
Former Clean Bandit member Neil Amin-Smith is one of Chancellor Rachel Reevesโ most trusted advisers.
Czech crisis manager set to become EUโs top global dealmaker
As boss of the EUโs โฌ300 billion Global Gateway infrastructure initiative, Jozef Sรญkelaโs job will be to beat China at its own game.
Driving on empty: The German government has few options to help an ailing car industry
Economy Minister Robert Habeck will meet with carmakers โย but he has few weapons to stave off a car industry crisis.
Why Europe needs a foreign economic policy
Current EU structures discourage joined-up thinking in pursuing geostrategic goals
FS policy: 20 people to meet at Labourโs conference
Looking to influence financial services policy but unsure who to meet at Labourโs inaugural party conference in Liverpool this weekend? Politicians, advisers or policy wonks: Weโve got the ultimate list of who holds the power in and around the first Labour Party conference in 14 years โ and who to have a chinwag with on [โฆ]
Germany retains quiet grip on Europeโs finances
Von der Leyen’s loyalists hail from countries that don’t like splashing the cash. While others may have posher titles, those frugal hands still hold the power.
How Teresa Ribera became the second-most powerful person in Brussels
Spainโs climate expert is poised to become the EUโs competition chief, net-zero architect and economic transformer โ all in one.
5 takeaways on Ursula von der Leyenโs new Commission
As the dust settles after weeks of wrangling, here are the key things you need to know.
Starmer โvery interestedโ in Italyโs plan to offshore asylum applications in Albania, says Meloni โ as it happened
UK to contribute ยฃ4m to Italian project on irregular migration, PM announcesHere are some pictures from Keir Starmerโs meeting with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, at the Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome. They seem to be geting on pretty well.Rach…
Spare a thought for poor Ireland โ forced to collect โฌ13bn from Apple against its will | Jack Sheehan
For decades, US corporations have been enticed to funnel profits through the country โ will this court decision disrupt our cosy little setup?For those who may have missed it: last week, the European court of justice ruled that the Irish government wil…
Franceโs Bruno Le Maire leaves government to enter academia
French Economic and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced on Thursday (12 September) that he would not stay in post after the new government is announced next week, taking on a professorship in economic policy and geopolitics at the University of L…
Europeโs new normal: High energy bills, fading industry and one chance to fix it
German manufacturers are being strangled. The EU is feeling the pinch. Mario Draghi on Monday warned the EU may be staring at โslow agony.โ
EU โneeds โฌ800bn-a-year spending boost to avert agonising declineโ
Report by Mario Draghi calls for additional investment to regain growth and prevent social unrestBusiness live โ latest updatesThe EU should fear for its self-preservation as it faces a โslow and agonising declineโ, according to a hard-hitting report b…
The great Commission puzzle: Who we think will get each portfolio
Ursula von der Leyen is about to hand out key jobs in her team. Hereโs POLITICOโs version of the next Commission.
โNobody in Politics Is Able to Say Itโ: The Truth About Latino Voters
A top political strategist explains how the Latino vote is shifting.
How Europe should react to the US presidential elections
Regardless of the raceโs outcome, the blocโs interests donโt fully align with those of Washington, and itโs time to finally recognize this.
Harris targets small business tax break in contrast with Trumpโs corporate tax cuts
The vice president looks to beef up her economic plans ahead of next weekโs debate.
What Kamala Harris Should Learn From Richard Nixon
Try not to wreck the economy.
The German problem? Itโs an analogue country in a digital world | Larry Elliott
Germany was once an economic model to emulate but its reliance on industries past their sell-by date is costing it dearSir Keir Starmer is not the first Labour leader to hanker after a closer relationship between Britain and Germany. Jim Callaghan snu…
A warning from the No 10 garden and an EU olive branch. We are finally seeing Starmerism in action | Martin Kettle
In terms of problems at home and abroad, the PMโs aims are ambitious, social democratic and long-term. But he will need continual public assentOn Tuesday, in the Downing Street garden, Keir Starmer delivered a grim, generation-defining warning that โth…
Portugal nominates ex-Finance Minister Albuquerque for European Commission
She faces tough competition for an economics job in the new Commission.
Greece targets regional funding post in next European Commission
Nominee Apostolos Tzitzikostas wants to oversee “cohesion” policy.
Liz Truss considered charging UK cancer patients, new book claims
Britain’s shortest serving prime minister explored ending NHS cancer treatment to find savings to stave off economic turmoil.
Renewed calls for UK industrial strategy to bring in investment and fix Brexit damage
Billions risk being lost without joined-up policy on tech, robotics, renewables and training, says manufacturing bodyUK manufacturers have renewed calls on the government to urgently draft an industrial strategy that will bring in investment and fix th…
Dems defend Harrisโ economic policy but donโt go all in on price-gouging
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was alone in discussing the particulars of a policy designed to stop price gouging.
Inflation is easing. Now, Harris has an even bigger problem with the economy.
Fissures are forming in the economy just as the Fedโs long-running fight against inflation looks to be nearing its conclusion.
No more fiscal favours? Calls to tax super-rich gain traction around world
Even rightwing governments are joining in with G20-led push to make wealthy pay, with Italy doubling flat tax on foreign incomeBusiness live โ latest updatesCalls for higher taxes on the super-rich are gaining traction and even conservative governments…
Your Tim Walz policy guide: Where he stands on abortion, unions, energy and more
The Minnesota governor may bring rural appeal but his policies reflect a progressive agenda.
Austria nominates Finance Minister Brunner as EU commissioner
He will have to compete against Irish and Dutch candidates for an economics portfolio.
Yellen says $3T of fresh capital is needed annually to fight climate change
The Treasury secretary called the shift to a low-carbon global economy โthe single greatest opportunity of the 21st century.โ
Trumpโs courting of the crypto industry could spell trouble for Europe
Trumpโs about-turn on crypto-assets โ and his pick of crypto-evangelist running mate JD Vance โ resurfaces a nightmare scenario for EU policymakers.
Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.ย
EU leaders will fight back against โtoo powerfulโ von der Leyen as she assembles her team.