EU lawmakers want to tax Big Tech to fund budget
EU lawmakers on Thursday demanded a European Union-wide tax on the world's biggest tech companies and online gambling sites to help fund the 27-country bloc's next…
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Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
Official Dutch food advice: Eat less meat – for the planet
The Dutch official nutrition authority has unveiled a major update to its long-standing dietary guidelines.
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.
Italy PM suggests suspending EU spending rules over Iran war
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said today the European Union should consider temporarily suspending its strict spending rules if the Iran war and the resulting…
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.
Fuel crisis: Governments and private sector profit while workers pay price
The European Union is witnessing growing fuel chaos as a temporary ceasefire in the Iran conflict, and the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz briefly eased…
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.
Jet fuel recovery to take months even after Hormuz reopens, warns IATA
The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has cautioned that global jet fuel supplies are unlikely to return to normal for several months, even…
Polish President Nawrocki demands PM Tusk sues EU over Mercosur
The opposition Conservatives (PiS)-allied President Karol Nawrocki wrote to Prime Minister Donald Tusk demanding the immediate filing of a complaint against the…
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.
Europe’s leaders and their failures over Iran: They are playing with fire
What is it about a campaign to remove the Islamic Republic’s chokehold on Europe’s energy supplies that appals Europe?
Updated: German army spent €2 billion on non-functional radio system, says internal report
Germany has spent more than €2 billion on a new digital radio system for its army, the Bundeswehr – while also failing to get the system to work.
Against nuclear power: The most successful brainwashing campaign in modern history
I usually do not write about my home country, Austria, but today I want to make an exception.
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…
Truth is out: Operators immediately linked mega blackout to renewables, Spanish Senate hears
Operators knew from the start that the 2025 Iberian blackout was due to renewable energy, according to audio recordings Spain's legislature has obtained.
EU digital chief warns of ‘weaponised’ reliance on foreign tech
Europe's reliance on foreign tech firms could be "weaponised against us", the EU's digital chief Henna Virkkunen warned today, urging more use of homegrown services…
Poland’s intervention in the fuel market meets with EC disapproval
The European Commission has attacked a Polish move to lower VAT on motor fuels to protect consumers from surging prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Europe’s pre-revolutionary conditions are taking shape
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to address members of the European Parliament.
Dozens of UK Labour MPs urge PM Starmer to water-down Net Zero commitments
Dozens of UK Labour MPs have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior Cabinet ministers calling for a review of key Net Zero policies, amid concerns over…
French debt reaches phenomenal €3,460 billion at end of 2025
France’s public debt has reached a new record high of €3,460.
Middle East war: global economic fallout
Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war:
Volkswagen recalls 100,000 electric vehicles as battery defect may pose fire hazard
German carmaker Volkswagen (VW) has to recall almost 100,000 electric vehicles worldwide due to faulty batteries.
Illicit cigarette trade starting to resemble drug trade, with weapons and turf wars
Europe’s booming illicit tobacco trade, with nearly half of all cigarettes sold in several countries now coming from illegal sources, is deeply intertwined with…
German economy minister warns of fuel shortage from end of April
Germany’s Federal Minister for the Economy, Katherina Reiche, has warned of an impending fuel shortage if the Iran war drags on for much longer.
Belgian industry asks for closed nuclear plants to be reopened
Belgium’s energy-intensive industries are calling for an urgent study into extending the operation of several recently closed or idled nuclear reactors.
PM Tusk’s left-wing allies in Polish Government propose digital tax
Poland’s Left party, which is part of the centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is proposing legislation to make Big Tech firms pay a new tax…
South Korea gets US permission to import oil from Russia to ease fuel crisis
South Korea will likely turn to Russia for oil imports after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut the east Asian country off from its main suppliers in the…
VW may convert car factory into Israeli Iron Dome production site
German automotive group Volkswagen (VW) is reportedly in talks with Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems over plans to convert a struggling German…