EU and UK explore British role in €90 billion Ukraine loan
The European Union has held talks with Britain about London joining its €90 billion loan to Ukraine, a move officials said would deepen defence industrial ties…
Finance
Latest reporting and analysis on finance.
UK ‘must pay €1.6bn per year’ to access Single Market, says EU
The European Union has told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the UK must make annual payments of approximately £1 billion (€1.
French economy records zero growth in first quarter
France's economy recorded zero growth in the first quarter of this year due to "sluggish" domestic demand and a "strongly" negative contribution from foreign trade,…
‘Total failure’: Leading economists tear into German federal budget
Several high-ranking German economists have expressed scorn and criticism of Germany’s federal budget plan for 2026 to 2030.
European Parliament demands €2.2 trillion EU budget as it outbids EC proposal
The European Parliament has dramatically escalated its demands for the European Union’s next long-term budget, calling for a €2.
Germany slashes welfare state to fund rearmament
Merz has stated that the state pension will be reformed into what he described as “basic cover” for old age and will no longer be sufficient to maintain living…
Spain’s housing market shifts from single-home ownership to wealth accumulation
Spanish society is slowly splitting into two groups: Those who own everything and those who own nothing.
EU auditors warn budget reform does not guarantee better spending
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has warned that the European Commission's proposed overhaul of the EU's next long-term budget does not, on its own, guarantee…
Going Greek style? A brief note on Poland’s shocking budget deficit
Poland is around the EU average in terms of public debt-to-GDP.
City of Hamburg spent almost €600 million to house asylum seekers in hotels
The city administration of Hamburg has spent €593 million between 2022 and 2025 to pay for hotel rooms for asylum seekers.
Italy’s Dep PM Salvini urges EU fiscal flexibility amid rising energy costs and inflation
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has renewed his call for the European Union to ease fiscal constraints, arguing that current budget rules limit governments’…
Poland’s budget deficit continues to rocket, now second-highest in EU
Poland has recorded the European Union’s second-largest budget deficit when compared with the size of its economy, raising fresh concerns over the country’s…
German Government denies it misspent 95 per cent of record investment package
Germany’s finance ministry has countered claims by leading economists who accused the government of having misspent most of a debt-financed “special fund”…
Investments in nuclear weapons production surge: study
Financial institutions are increasing their investments in atomic weapons production, anti-nuclear campaigners said Friday, warning the trend risked fuelling already…
Russian billionaires see wealth grow by 11 per cent despite war and sanctions
Russian billionaires saw their collective wealth rise by 11 per cent to a record $696.5 billion (€595.31 billion) over the past year, according to Forbes Russia.
German growth forecast cut in half by Iran war woes
The German economics ministry has significantly lowered its growth outlook for Europe’s largest economy, halving its forecast for 2026 and also revising up inflation…
Romania nears OECD membership but its deficit is unwelcome in a club built on borrowed money
Romania has completed 24 of the 25 committee reviews required to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). One hurdle remains.
Lufthansa cancels 20,000 flights over fuel price hikes and strikes
Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa is set to cut 20,000 flights in the coming months to save on jet fuel and deal with additional costs from airline staff strikes.
‘Will not suffice to maintain standard of living’: Germany’s Merz urges pension reform
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) has spoken out in favour of far-reaching reforms of the country’s creaking public pension system.
German airlines demand government step in to avert looming kerosene crisis
Germany’s airlines and airports are sounding the alarm as dwindling jet fuel stocks threaten to cause a collapse in air travel in the coming months.
UK approves German takeover of Telegraph newspaper
The UK government today gave the green light for German media group Axel Springer to buy British newspaper The Telegraph, ending a drawn-out pursuit of the 170-year-old…
France withdraws entire gold reserve from US
France has quietly finished moving the last of its gold out of the US and turned the operation into a very profitable deal.
Germany rakes in €500 million extra from fuel tax in March – but still no tax cuts
The rocketing prices for petrol and diesel are proving a boon for Germany's finance minister.
Opposition leader says personal income tax in Spain can drop if government would steal less
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s main opposition People’s Party (PP), has promised to cut personal income tax from the first year of a future PP government.
Polish Government accuses opposition over crypto currency market turmoil
Crypto currency exchange platform Zondacrypto is under pressure after reports of a 99-per cent drop in its Bitcoin reserves.
Former German finance minister claims nuclear phase-out ‘has not harmed the country’
Peter Altmaier, a former German finance minister, former economy minister and a chief architect of Angela Merkel’s energy policy, claimed Germany’s decision…
Brussels court rules Poland must pay for unclaimed Covid vaccines
A Belgian court ordered Poland to pay €1.3 billion for an undelivered shipment of Covid-19 vaccines in a lawsuit filed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Workers at French energy giant threaten strike, as energy costs swallow their pay
Employees of Argedis, a network of petrol garages owned by French energy giant TotalEnergies, are threatening a walkout, saying the product they help distribute…
Europe’s pre-revolutionary conditions are taking shape
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to address members of the European Parliament.
French debt reaches phenomenal €3,460 billion at end of 2025
France’s public debt has reached a new record high of €3,460.