France’s Bayrou gets spending plan approved by EU
Endorsement in Brussels is major boost to new prime minister after 2025 budget toppled his predecessor.
spending rules
4 things to watch for as French PM Bayrou faces first big test in parliament
Bayrou will lay out how he plans to navigate the same fragmented legislature which brought down his predecessor.
EU to Germany: Your lack of investment isn’t our fault
European economy chief says Berlin’s debt rules constrain spending more than the EU’s own restrictions.
How you gonna fix Germany?
Ahead of the Feb. 23 election, German parties have wildly different plans to repair the country’s sputtering economy.
Eurozone faces no 2010 wildfire, but a slow-burn decline
The firefighters who put out the blaze a decade ago argue that fears of a eurozone implosion are overblown — but admit that that may not stop a slow and painful European economic demise.
French political crisis: Everything you need to know
The collapse of Barnier’s government could plunge the eurozone into turmoil.
Schadenfreude reigns as Berlin pays the price of its tough line on debt
“It’s karma, no?” said one European official.
The rise and fall of Macronomics
Macron was once seen a paragon of good economic management, but his opponents now accuse him of ruining France’s finances.
France plans to tax big business and the rich, while slashing public spending
Budget to tackle French debt includes a windfall tax on profits of the largest firms.
Germany’s economy goes from bad to worse
Economy Minister Robert Habeck confirms that GDP is set to contract for the second year in a row.
France pledges 2025 budget will ‘fully’ comply with EU spending rules
France’s Finance Minister Antoine Armand vowed that the 2025 budget will fully align with the European Union’s new spending rules, as the country seeks to address its “colossal” debt through spending cuts and new taxes. Armand aims to bring the public…
France plans eye-watering €40 billion in budget cuts for 2025
Prime Minister Michel Barnier said it would take until 2029 to get the country’s deficit in line with EU rules.
France will need until 2029 to comply with EU spending rules, Barnier says
Addressing France’s “colossal” debt was the first major point the new PM hit in his speech.
5 things to watch for in French PM Barnier’s first parliamentary address
What he says will affect everyone from French pensioners to European commissioners.
What the new French government means for Brussels
With both president and prime minister vying for control in the policy domain, the political picture could look somewhat different.
Germany retains quiet grip on Europe’s 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.
Pressure mounts on France’s Barnier not to raise taxes despite budget disaster
Macron’s camp threatens to drop support to new French prime minister if he raises taxes.
Michel Barnier’s new secret EU mission
Can the former chief Brexit negotiator, now France’s prime minister, grease the wheels on budget talks with Brussels?
The European Commission hopefuls with one thing on their mind
EU governments are battling for their people to get roles linked to the economy.
The killjoy’s guide to how the financial turmoil might screw up your life
What could possibly go wrong?
Macron hopes glitzy Olympics can deliver political breather
The French president wants a summer timeout from politics, but it will be back with a vengeance.
France needs to cut over €100B so it doesn’t end up like Italy
Economists say country still in “control of its own destiny” but government must act fast.
NATO sees Keir Starmer’s entrance on world stage
New U.K. prime minister will deliver a message of continuity on Ukraine and pledge support for the alliance.
German leaders reach preliminary agreement on budget
The battered three-party coalition’s fate depends on whether it can finalize a spending plan for 2025 without a major clash.
How French financial chaos could end Meloni’s market honeymoon
Meloni’s careful stewardship of the Italian economy has been rewarded by Europe’s famously fickle financial markets. But chaos across the Alps could draw unwanted attention to Italy’s huge debt pile.
France’s next government will have to tussle with EU’s spending police
Macron’s snap election looks likely to herald a fight between Paris and Brussels as the country is one of seven placed in Excessive Deficit Procedure.
The €40 billion budget gap that could kill Germany’s coalition
Following a calamitous EU election for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, the government may not survive a prolonged dispute over the budget.
Germany’s Pistorius uses US trip to push for more defense spending at home
As the defense minister sought to assure American leaders that Germany can defend Europe, his coalition government bickered over how to pay for it.
Has the EU really just found €400B it could spend on defense?
Europe’s rescue fund has nothing left to rescue. It could now become governments’ silver bullet for military investment instead.
Risk of ‘lost decade’ as EU countries face economic cliff edge
Tighter rules and a halt in EU funding will leave capitals looking for cash.
Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
Fourteen EU member states are pushing for the European Investment Bank to boost defence investment, potentially including ammunition — but bank officials have shown reluctance.
New fiscal rules need to support Europe’s industrial ambition
The European Industrial Summit in Antwerp and the subsequent Antwerp Declaration for an Industrial Deal put industrial policy back on the agenda of the EU, argue Judith Kirton-Darling, William Todts and Marco Mensink.