German ‘car capital’ in dire straits as automotive sector crisis intensifies
The city of Stuttgart in southwestern Germany might be facing insolvency.
Finance
Latest reporting and analysis on finance.
Greece repays €5.29 billion early under first bailout loan
Greece completed an early repayment of €5.
Spain fines Airbnb €64 million for posting banned properties
Spain's leftist government said Monday it had fined Airbnb more than 64 million euros, notably for posting listings for banned rental properties, at a time the country…
EU Finance Ministers seal deal on €3 duty on cheap Chinese parcels.
European Union Finance Ministers today struck an agreement to impose a flat €3 customs duty on small e-commerce parcels valued under €150 entering the bloc,…
Polish doctor’s late abortion case dropped, right-wing MEP on trial instead
Poland’s prosecution service has dropped a criminal investigation of a doctor who carried out an abortion on a woman who was in the ninth month of pregnancy.
Russia sues European banks over billions in frozen assets
Russia’s central bank and several Russian billionaires have launched legal actions to recover their frozen assets in Europe.
ECB says EU has ‘adapted faster’ than expected to US tariffs
The European Union has “adapted quicker” than expected to the US tariffs shock, according to European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Isabel Schnabel.
Ryanair to cut 1m passengers from Belgium over doubling of aviation tax
Irish airline Ryanair will cut more than one in five flights in Belgium in response to the Belgian Government's decision to double aviation tax to €10 per passenger…
IMF issues warning over EU’s push to tap frozen Russian assets
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged European leaders to respect national and international law regarding their plans for using Russian assets.
Belgian PM: ‘We’ll not saddle Belgium with billions of debt over Russia’
Belgium says the European Union pushed ahead with the plan to use frozen Russian assets without properly addressing the country's financial and legal risks.
Belgium says No: Confiscating Russian frozen assets could bankrupt Belgium
Today the European Commission finally revealed its proposed legal texts on how to finance a new round of at least €90 billion of support for Ukraine.
One giant leap for mankind? European Space Agency secures record funding
The European Space Agency (ESA) has secured a record budget of €22.1 billion to fund its programmes for the next three years.
The European paradox on sanctions: Preaching morality, doing business
When eminent historians like Niall Ferguson speak, the Western elite listens.
French Socialists want to force ‘rich’ to lend interest-free to the State
Three French Socialist senators have tabled an amendment to the 2026 Finance Bill that would compel high-income households to provide interest-free loans to the…
Lack of housing set to end Spain’s economic ‘supercycle’
Spain's so-called supercycle of economic growth is predicted to slow next year as a much-needed housing boom remains elusive, a new study shows.
Dutch bank ABN Amro to cut 5,200 jobs by 2028 in AI-driven overhaul
ABN Amro, the State-backed Dutch lender, has unveiled plans to slash 5,200 full-time positions – nearly a quarter of its workforce – by 2028.
EU mulls joint borrowing instead of seizing Russian assets amid growing risks
The European Union is weighing joint borrowing mechanisms to bolster financial support for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027 amid mounting obstacles to its preferred but…
Belgian Government agrees on budget after months-long battle
The Belgian Government, which was on the brink over difficult budget talks, has after months of infighting found an agreement on raising almost €10 billion in…
State-owned bank Belfius pulls plug on Brussels region
Belgian State-owned bank Belfius has said it no longer wants to work with the Brussels Capital Region, citing the region's budget problems.
Euronext takes control of Athens Stock Exchange
Pan-European exchange operator Euronext has clinched a majority stake in the Hellenic Exchanges – Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX), the operator of Greece's historic…
Brussels budget minister warns total shutdown a real threat
The Brussels region's new budget minister Dirk De Smedt has warned that a full shutdown of public services is a real threat as the region is struggling to find money.
The British establishment says Brexit is failing but they only offer zombie statistics
“Be wary or there’ll be woe Know your friend from your foe.”
French budget boosted by early debt repayment by Greeks
French budgetary woes have received some unexpected relief from an unlikely benefactor: Greece, once seen as the black sheep of the eurozone.
Von der Leyen’s (Anti-)Democracy Shield is an attempt at silencing dissent
It’s the European Commission’s latest dystopian invention—the so-called European Democracy Shield.
X fined 5 million euros in Spain over cryptocurrency ads
Spain's securities regulator said today it has fined social media platform X five million euros for failing to comply with rules governing the advertising of financial…
Italy, France and Belgium carry most worrying debts in EU, top bank says
Italy, France and Belgium have the most concerning debt-sustainability outlooks in the EU, according to the latest study published by the National Bank of Belgium.
Ryanair CEO calls Austrian Chancellor ‘lazy’ in aviation tax row
Michael O’Leary, CEO of Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, has lashed out at the Austrian government.
MEPS and industry divided on ‘centralised’ tax on multinationals
Members of the European Parliament and representatives of industry are still divided on a European Union law proposal aimed at making major international companies…
EC sends experts to reassure Belgium over use of frozen Russian assets
Belgium, home to Euroclear — an international central securities depository that holds most of the frozen Russian assets — is demanding firm guarantees before…
‘Follow our laws, not European elites’: US attorneys urge Big Tech to defy EU sustainability rules
A coalition of 16 US State Attorneys General has warned some of the country’s biggest companies, including Microsoft, Google and Meta, not to comply with the European…