Outdated software running Germany Inc goes for easy protection not innovation
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader and likely future chancellor Friedrich Merz is sidling cautiously up to the debt brake issue that just demolished the traffic…
Industrial policy
Latest reporting and analysis on industrial policy.
Ford to slash 14% of European workforce, citing EV transition and intensifying competition
Ford said on November 20 it would cut around 14 per cent of its European workforce, blaming significant losses in recent years compounded by weak demand for electric…
German deindustrialisation: Unions propose wage-rise delay to save VW plants
Workers unions in Germany have proposed that Volkswagen delay wage increases to save manufacturing plants in Germany.
Crisis-hit EV battery champion Northvolt struggles to hit production targets
Embattled green tech player Northvolt has missed some in-house targets and has curtailed production at its battery cells plant in northern Sweden, according to…
EU deindustrialisation continues, drives down economic outlook
The European Union has had its economic outlook downgraded for 2025 as problems related to the continent's deindustrialisation continue.
Italy plans to restrict nascent ‘cannabis light’ industry
Italy's "cannabis light" industry risks being uprooted this year by Giorgia Meloni's coalition.
Economic liberal Lindner provokes coalition partners with free market talk
After four unhappy years shackled to a coalition of misery, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner has filed for divorce.
Europe’s small arms companies struggle for cash despite military spending boom
Europe's small and medium-sized defence companies are struggling to access finance needed to drive innovation and grow production lines even as demand soars due…
Lagarde: US dollar world-order here to stay as overregulation holds back EU
The US dollar world-order is not going anywhere anytime soon, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has claimed.
US tobacco giant Philip Morris to close German plants as Europeans smoke less
US multinational tobacco giant Philip Morris has said it planned to close two German factories due to falling demand across Europe.
EU deindustrialisation: Audi to shut Brussels factory in February 2025
German vehicle manufacturer Audi has said it would shut its factory outside Brussels by the end of February next year, media outlets in Belgium have reported.
German car industry chief warns one-in-four jobs at risk in next decade
Volkswagen's recent shock announcement to cut tens of thousands of jobs, in concert with wage restrictions, was not an isolated event but part of a much bigger crisis,…
Volkswagen crisis: Tens of thousands of German jobs at risk with factory closures
German multinational car giant Volkswagen has announced dramatic austerity measures as the company struggles with declining sales and revenue.
Sweden’s EV battery Northvolt lays off 840 workers as financial pressures bite
Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, which specialises in lithium-ion technology for electric vehicles, has announced it will lay off 840 people as it continues…
Head of German employers’ association warns ‘300,000 industrial jobs at risk’
Stefan Wolf, the head of the German employers’ association Gesamtmetall, has said hundreds of thousands of jobs in the metals and electricals industry are at risk.
Airbus to cut up to 2,500 jobs in defence and space, sources say
Airbus plans to cut up to 2,500 posts in its Defence & Space division after spiralling losses on satellite projects, two people familiar with the matter said on…
Car wreck? European auto giant Stellantis cleans house at top amid crisis
Multinational vehicle maker Stellantis has replaced several top managers, including CEO Carlos Tavares, after posting dismal results amid the growing economic crisis…
Eurozone factory activity sees fastest-ever decline in September
Manufacturing activity across the Eurozone declined at its fastest pace this year in September as demand waned sharply despite factories cutting their prices, a…
Chemistry giant BASF considers closures at main plant in Germany
German chemistry giant BASF has said it was contemplating the closure of one in seven facilities at its main plant in Ludwigshafen.
German manufacturing sentiment at ‘lowest level since June 2020’
Pessimism within the German manufacturing sector has hit its lowest level since June 2020, a report from a major economic research institution has found.
Shutting down UK blast furnaces means outsourcing carbon emissions to China
Consider the misguided environmental policies that the British government is currently pursuing.
Dresden bridge collapse highlights Germany’s crumbling infrastructure
The collapse of a major bridge in Germany has shone a spotlight on the dismal state of the country’s public infrastructure.
Draghi’s plan says ‘Europe First’ and load it with debt: who thinks it will work?
Having famously saved the rickety euro from the international bond markets over a decade ago, Super Mario Draghi has now moved on to an even grander project: rescuing…
European car industry ‘risks being crushed by EU fines’, Renault chief warns
Luca de Meo, head of the Renault group, has said he fears European car manufacturers will suffer under stricter emissions rules for new cars imposed by the European…
Retrofit of Germany’s eco-friendly battle vehicles ‘will cost billions’, government says
Fixing the problems with Germany's eco-friendly Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) will cost billions of euros, the country's government has admitted.
Italy’s president says need to bring down public debt is “inescapable”
Italy's president said there was an "inescapable need" to bring down the country's mammoth public debt, but warned on Friday that markets' perception was a "questionable"…
Volkswagen warns of German plant closures
Volkswagen said on Monday it can no longer rule out plant closures in Germany as it pursues ways to save several billion euros in a cost-cutting drive at its namesake…
Cash-strapped German Government ‘throwing money at unimpressive video games’
German economy minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is under pressure after announcing new subsidies for the digital gaming sector, despite the country's budget problems…
France to experience ‘worst wheat harvest in 40 years’
Authorities estimate that this year's harvest could be between 10 and 16 per cent lower than in 2023, representing a loss of 10 million tonnes of wheat.
More German companies mull relocation due to high energy prices, survey finds
High energy prices and a lack of reliable energy supplies are hindering German companies' production and investments, with a growing trend of industrial firms considering…