European stocks drop as US recession worries spark global selloff
European shares fell to near six-month lows amid a global selloff in equities on fears of a slowdown in US economic growth, with only a handful of stocks trading…
Finance
Latest reporting and analysis on finance.
Europe’s largest wind-power plant stacks up hundreds of millions in losses
Sweden's Markbygden Ett, Europe's largest wind-power plant, has lost more than €322 million since its start-up and between 2017 and 2023, the loss margin was minus…
Hungary borrowed 1 bln euros from Chinese banks in April
Hungary borrowed €1 billion from Chinese banks in April to finance infrastructure and energy projects, government debt agency AKK said on Thursday.
US headed for a recession in 2025, Europe be warned
Professor Steve H. Hanke, one of America’s leading economists, has some crisp words about America's economic future, and Europe had better listen.
Spain to use EU cash to fight media ‘disinformation’
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez will disburse €100 million from European Funds to fight media “disinformation”, he announced this week.
Singapore approves 16 insects for human consumption as EU concerns linger
In the EU, six applications for insects intended to be marketed in different forms have been authorised: Alphitobius diaperinus larvae products, dried mealworms,…
Russia sanctions ‘barely affecting’ Kremlin war effort: researchers
Sanctions targeting Russia are "barely affecting" the country's ability to wage war in Ukraine, according to research funded by the German Government.
Six EU nations ‘not yet ready for euro’
Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden are not ready to join the euro currency, despite legal commitments to do so, according to the European Commission's latest…
EC launches Excessive Deficit Procedure against seven Member States
Seven European Union Member States are under special scrutiny for accumulating increased public debt and deficits.
Austrian coalition government survives EU nature law crisis
The country's climate minister, Leonore Gewessler, voted in favour of the new green rules in Brussels despite Austria's government ordering her to abstain.
Seven European NATO members still fall short of 2 per cent defence spending target
Seven European NATO member countries are still not fulfilling their 2 per cent of GDP defence-investment commitment, according to the latest NATO figures.
‘It’s over’ – German economic policy a ‘sheer catastrophe’, stock exchange chief claims
Germany's economic policy is a "sheer catastrophe" as a result of political "fundamentalists" running the country, a senior business leader has warned.
ECB cuts rates even as inflation fight goes on
The European Central Bank went ahead with its first interest rate cut since 2019 on Thursday, citing progress in tackling inflation even as it acknowledged the fight…
German army to boost Rheinmetall artillery shell order by 200,000, document shows
The German army intends to order 200,000 more artillery shells from arms maker Rheinmetall than it had planned, a letter seen by Reuters on June 4 from the Defence…
IMF: French public debt to be ‘significantly higher than government forecasts’
The International Monetary Fund has challenged the French Government's projections on future public debt, estimating that the country will end up running a significantly…
Georgia’s foreign agent law in fact looks very American
Imagine, for a moment, there was a secretive Russian-backed news media organization designed to weaken the European establishment by highlighting its mistakes.
AfD politician hospitalised after alleged attack in pub
An Alternative for Germany (AfD) party member with the regional state Parliament in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania was hospitalised after what is alleged to be…
UK economic growth tops Eurozone’s
The UK economy has done better than the Eurozone’s, according to newly published economic data from the European Commission.
‘Choose France’ investment push bags record €15 billion in pledges
France won a record €15 billion in foreign investment pledges on Monday, allowing President Emmanuel Macron to bask in the limelight with global CEOs and forget…
Why private equity danger is strangely reminiscent of 2008
If you remember the horrors of collateralised debt obligations (CDO) during the 2007-8 financial crisis, you are either a banker or one of the journalists who pounded…
Heavy regulatory burden weighing on EU productivity: S&P
The European Central Bank has been congratulating itself too soon on a soft landing over the Eurozone inflation crisis, according to US financial analysis major…
Consumer spending, investment boosts French first quarter growth
The French economy gained momentum in the first quarter, growing slightly faster than expected thanks to a pick-up in consumer spending and business investment,…
Belgium spends €1 billion to buy 23 buildings from the EC
The Belgian Government has acquired 23 office buildings from the European Commission for nearly €1 billion through its sovereign wealth fund SFPIM.
European Council adopts fiscal reform with new rules for budgets and debts
The European Council has adopted three pieces of legislation designed to reform the European Union’s economic and fiscal governance framework.
Head of EU’s EIB lending arm calls for spending cap to be scrapped
The head of the European Union's EIB lending arm has called on the bloc's member states to scrap a spending cap currently imposed on the development bank.
Europe’s debt is rising again as politics erodes budget resolve
Some of Europe’s most indebted governments are heading for a painful reckoning this year as their ambitions to cut down on borrowing collide with political reality.
EP’s crackdown on dirty money in football ‘doomed to fail’
The European Parliament is set to vote to add the football industry to its money-laundering directive, an attempt to stop corrupt oligarchs and criminals from laundering…
Forint wobbles boost euro’s appeal among German investors in Hungary
The volatility of the forint EURHUF has boosted support for introducing the euro among German investors in Hungary to its highest level in 13 years, a survey by…
EU capital markets proposal is an EU power grab, member states say
A French proposal to further integrate the European Union's capital markets drew opposition from a majority of member states, who attacked it as a Brussels power…
‘Russian economy to outgrow all advanced nations in 2024,’ IMF forecasts
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted the Russian economy will this year grow faster than those of the Western countries trying to isolate it.