German Industry chief says AfD ‘is harmful to the future of our country’
The president of the Federation of German Industries says AfD is bad for business.
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
EU targets Russian diamonds with track and trace scheme
The European Council has adopted a 12th package of economic and individual restrictive measures against Russia, targeting its diamonds for the first time.
Icelandic volcano blows its top in spectacular style on Reykjanes Peninsula
After weeks of intensive seismic activity, a volcano has erupted on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwest Iceland.
Houthi attacks start shutting down Red Sea merchant shipping
Shipping in the Red Sea is grinding to a halt with oil tankers idling and container vessels rerouting around Africa as violence linked to the Israel-Hamas war threatens…
Lufthansa demands €740,000 damages from ‘Last Generation’ climate activists
Lufthansa has filed a request for compensation over three incidents: a blockade at Düsseldorf Airport and Hamburg Airport in July and one at Berlin-Brandenburg…
Eurozone most likely now in recession, data indicates
The Eurozone is now almost certainly in recession, data gathered by capital market group S&P Global appears to show.
Sweden to make aid conditional, ‘not a human right’
Sweden’s minority Government, supported by the Sweden Democrats (SD), is coupling their foreign aid programmes to the willingness of countries to readmit their…
Norwegian university chief resigns after targeting her pro-nuclear researchers
Anne Borg, Principal of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), has resigned after it came to light she publicly derided two of her researchers,…
Cameron the convert now ‘delighted’ at Brexit benefits
In what many may see as a dramatic U-turn, David Cameron, the former UK Prime Minister who bet his career on Brexit and lost, said he is now "delighted" at the benefits…
Norway banks on a ‘distracted Russia’ to mine in deep Arctic waters
Norway has secured a parliamentary majority to start commercial deep-sea mining across a swathe of the Arctic seabed - where Russia contends it also has rights…
European cities lay out blueprint for Europe’s urban future
Europe.
COP28 deal is fossil fuel ‘phase out’ in all but name, MEPs insist
More than 100 countries lobbied to have the words "phase-out" explicitly included within the agreement made on December 13 but the suggestion was shot down by a…
Finland seizes trains from joint venture with Russia
Finland's state-owned railway company VR said it had seized four trains that it co-owned through a joint venture with its Russian counterpart, Russian Railways (RZD),…
Bird-slaying French wind farm must be demolished, judges rule
A French court has ruled that a controversial seven-turbine wind farm has to be demolished.
Tusk signals co-operative stance on EU Migration Pact and climate change
The new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that his country is returning to co-operation with the rest of the European Union on issues such as migration…
The U.S. economy is Biden’s biggest liability — and Trump’s greatest strength
For months, the Biden administration and its allies in the U.S.
Russia food and agriculture exports boom
A near-record Russian harvest, augmented by grain from occupied areas of Ukraine, is making Moscow a dominant player in international food markets
Ukraine joining EU may cost bloc up to €190bn, think-tank says
Ukraine joining the European Union would set the bloc's finances back by up to €190 billion over its budgetary term, a German think-tank has claimed.
Spain’s Calviño beats EC’s Vestager to take European Investment Bank crown
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and economy minister Nadia Calviño has beaten European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager for the top job at the European Investment…
The big winners of COP28 are nuclear power and natural gas – Greens may be outraged, but that’s a good thing
There are many reasons to criticise a conference dedicated to solving the issue of climate change, especially if it hosts almost 80,000 participants, many of them…
Xi warns top EU chiefs not to regard China as a ‘rival’
The European Union has received what seems to be a warning from Chinese President Xi Jinping for the bloc not to view his country as a “rival”.
G7 leaders agree to ban imports of Russian diamonds from January next year
As part of efforts to limit Moscow's income from precious stones and to support Ukraine, the Group of Seven (G7) countries will ban imports of Russian diamonds from…
German fairy tale forest to be felled for wind turbines
A large area of Reinhardswald, an ancient German forest featured in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, is being partially cut down in favour of 241-metre tall…
Chinese media calls Moody’s ‘biased’ for negative economic outlook
Chinese state media called Moody's "biased" on December 6 for its negative rating outlook on the world's number two economy, but some analysts said the government's…
UK to rejoin EU’s Horizon science programme, irritating Brexiteers
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's post-Brexit UK is to rejoin the European Union's Horizon science programme, set to become an associate country to the scheme…
Osijek, Croatia showcases nation’s use of EU regional funds
The town of Osijek, Croatia hosted showcases of both the nation's and the region's use of European Unions funds.
Macron slams latest EU-South America trade-deal talks
Trade negotiations between the European Union and the Latin American Southern Common Market, or Mercosur, seem to be going badly, with French President Emmanuel…
European climate activists lash out at COP28 head’s fossil-fuel comments
European environmentalists have lashed out at COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber over his questioning whether stopping the use of fossil fuels would fundamentally help…
COP28: Eleven EU nations sign pledge to triple nuclear energy capacity
At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, 22 countries, including eleven European Union Member States, have pledged to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050.
Environmentalists urge Von der Leyen to drop ‘war’ against wolves
Brussels announced a review of protections for wolves after von der Leyen’s prized pony Dolly was mauled to death by one, with the EC so far seeming to lean towards…