Why the West’s war on industry has become its greatest weakness
The post-war order of free trade is dying before our eyes—and perhaps that's the best thing that could happen to the West.
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
Time’s up for daylight saving time, says Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is pushing Brussels to end seasonal time change in the European Union, saying "it no longer makes sense".
Digital euro ‘seeks to solve nonexistent problem’
European banks are pushing back against plans for a digital version of the euro, warning they are being asked to cover the costs of the European Central Bank’s…
Hungary slams Poland for freeing Ukrainian accused of blowing up Nord Stream
A Polish court's decision to free a Ukrainian man wanted by Germany for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines has been criticised by Hungarian foreign minister Peter…
The euro is a ‘decaying currency’, Orbán is smart to stay out
When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that Hungary should refuse the euro—because the European Union itself is "disintegrating"—he was being anything…
European Parliament pushes for Russian energy ban
A majority in the European Parliament voted yesterday to bring forward the full ban on Russian oil to 1 January 2026 and on Russian gas to 1 January 2027.
EC accused of ‘pandering to the US’ with deforestation rules
The European Commission announced it would delay its anti-deforestation regulation for a second time.
Even with free gas, net zero policies would drive up UK energy bills, say experts
Bosses from the largest UK energy suppliers say "green" policies are so costly that bills would go up for consumers even if it were free.
Nestle says to cut 16,000 jobs worldwide over next two years
Nestle, the Swiss food giant whose brands include Nespresso coffee and Perrier water, will eliminate 16,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years, its new chief…
Belgium calculates US tariffs will cost €4 billion but Belgians may not be the ones paying
A new analysis by Belgium’s economy ministry puts a price tag on US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Belgian exports at more than €4 billion this year.
Machiavelli, Keynes, and using Russia’s frozen assets to arm Ukraine
“Men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their property,” Machiavelli wrote in his classic treatise, The Prince.
Corporate bankruptcies in Germany hit 12-year-high
The number of companies sliding into insolvency in Germany rose by 10.4 per cent in September compared to the year before, according to preliminary data.
Flotilla activists welcomed home as heroes upon return
Activists from several international flotillas aiming to deliver aid to Gaza have been arriving home after being detained by Israeli forces.
Abandon the dogma: The Green Deal makes EU colder, poorer and weak
A few days ago, Greta Thunberg sailed to Gaza with her comrades, only to end up in a taxpayer-funded rescue by the Greek government.
Fake ‘freebie’ posts lose Polish farmer 150 tonnes of potatoes
After social media posts claimed a farmer was giving away "free potatoes", locals removed around 150 tonnes of crops in just one day in the southern Polish village…
Can Merz survive the (latest) coalition from Hell?
The serial travails of the dying Macron presidency may be dominating the headlines, but the profound dysfunction of Germany’s coalition government holds its own…
‘Bankrupt’ Belgian airport kept aloft ‘to serve private jets’
Belgium's Antwerp airport has been labelled “bankrupt in all but name” and should close, according to Greenpeace Belgium.
Greed led Boeing to where it is now, while Airbus somehow stays glorious
Is there a happy harbinger in the news that sales of the largely (but not entirely) French-made Airbus 320 have overtaken those of the Boeing 737?
Suicide and ‘insider trade gain’ rock crypto scene as flash crash bankrupts thousands
The sudden drop in price of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum has shaken markets and reportedly bankrupted thousands of crypto investors.
Left-wing radicals attack Belgian company that ‘delivers to Israel’
Activists with the climate collective Code Rood (Code Red) and others have targeted a steel factory in the Belgian city of Charleroi because it delivered steel to…
Trump suggests Spain be expelled from NATO over low defense spending
President Donald Trump suggested on October 9 that Spain be expelled from NATO over its failure to match the higher defense spending requirement he has engineered.
No markets: EU steel industry with 300,000 workers stands at the brink
Robert Conquest once observed that everyone is conservative about what they know best.
Spain at urgent risk of new blackout, grid operator warns
Spain's grid operator, Red Eléctrica (REE), has issued a fresh alert to the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) about "abrupt voltage variations"…
European auditors warn of ongoing EU spending errors and rising debt
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has again raised concerns over European Union spending.
European carmakers abandoning the EV race?
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) is asking the European Union to lower its car CO₂ reduction targets when legislation is reviewed later…
‘Simpler’ EU sustainability rules spark confusion
The European Commission says it is simplifying reporting rules, but the industry says it is making them more complicated.
Brussels is turning national electrical blackouts into power grabs
Five months since the lights went out on the Iberian Peninsula, Brussels has finally rendered its judgment.
German industrial output again drops steeply, “another severe blow to the economy”
August saw the sharpest decline in German industrial production since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
EU risks ‘reigniting US trade tensions’ to save a steel industry ‘on verge of collapse’
The European Union is doubling tariffs on steel imports that exceed its new proposed lower quota.
Work until 73 to save pension system, German experts warn
According to the German Council of Economic Experts, the retirement age should be raised to 73 to keep the country's social security system from collapsing.