Author: staff

Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron took a gamble on a snap election in an effort to crush the far-right National Rally (RN), but instead delivered a hung parliament that is unable to agree on virtually anything. Recent polls suggest the RN’s Jordan Bardella would have a good shot at winning the French presidency in 2027.  “The whole of Europe looked to Berlin today in the hope that Germany would reassert itself as an anchor of stability and a pro-European powerhouse. That hope has been dashed. With consequences way beyond our borders,” said Jana Puglierin, head of the Berlin office…

Italian MEP Nicola Procaccini, a confidant of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, echoed that sentiment. “Germany was once considered a pillar of stability,” he told ANSA. “That is no longer the case.” Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker in Merz’s CDU, argued that Germany must make real military commitments in order to gain the confidence of many of its allies. Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker in Merz’s CDU, argued that Germany must make real military commitments in order to gain the confidence of many of its allies. | Pirjo Tuominen/EFE via EPA “What’s needed now is a credible German contribution to Europe’s deterrence posture…

As for the leader in closest proximity to the Vatican, Italian PM Meloni ordered her MPs to stay silent. Nonetheless, media outlets close to her coalition have been pushing cardinals who might share her views, and attacking unpalatable candidates.  Bugging the conclave In days gone by, foreign powers have often tried to influence conclaves, particularly during the Cold War when the CIA was suspected of bugging it. Indeed, until the early 20th century, France, Spain and Austria-Hungary could even veto which pope was elected.  Now, at a time of waning Western moral authority and influence in multilateral institutions, the election…

European governments are grappling with budget constraints. Weak growth, trade shocks, and ageing populations continue to hit state coffers — while countries are also scrambling to boost defence spending.Against this backdrop, European nations are competing to attract and retain the wealthy, hungry for the investment and tax revenue they may bring.Euronews Business explores the tax perks on offer, along with the pushbacks against them.An earlier version of this article can be found here.ItalyItaly is a popular destination with expats not only for its culture and climate, but also because of its tax perks.On the face of it, the country has…

Jetzt beginnt die Arbeit für den neuen Regierungschef, aber auch für die Ministerinnen und Minister und Staatssekretäre. Rasmus Buchsteiner gibt den Überblick, welche Rädchen jetzt ineinander greifen und wie der ein oder andere ganz froh ist, dass Merz’ erster Arbeitstag vollgepackt ist mit Reisen.  Im 200-Sekunden-Interview ist Armin Laschet zu Gast. Gordon Repinski spricht mit ihm über das gestrige Debakel für Merz im 1. Wahlgang im Bundestag und über die außenpolitischen Herausforderungen, vor denen der neue Kanzler steht.  Hans von der Burchard ordnet die wichtigsten Themen ein, die Merz heute in Paris und Warschau zu besprechen hat und wie gut…

The plan puts countries like Hungary and Slovakia directly in the EU’s crosshairs. Both have unabashedly kept pumping Russian fuel throughout the war, helped block further energy sanctions in Brussels, and pushed back against support for Ukraine. On Tuesday, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen stressed that unlike sanctions, the upcoming proposals would not require unanimous support to pass — meaning EU countries could overrule Hungarian and Slovak objections. “I hope that everybody will move forward, obviously, but if they don’t, that is also OK,” he told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “That is also part of the EU,…

BRUSSELS — The European Commission is looking at hitting nearly €100 billion worth of U.S. exports in retaliation for Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs if negotiations with Washington fail, four EU diplomats and a national official told POLITICO.  In the latest salvo in the ratcheting transatlantic trade war, the list of goods represents an objective put forward by the EU executive during a restricted meeting of the EU’s ambassadors last week, with the Commission expecting to hit “just below” €100 billion of U.S. goods, two diplomats said. Another diplomat quoted a figure of €95 billion, highlighting that the package is still in…

It has been a roller-coaster of a day. Dramatic scenes from the Bundestag after Christian Democratic (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz failed to win enough votes to be elected chancellor.This was the first time in post-world war history that such an event has happened.He managed it by the second vote, but we take a look through the top 10 photos of the day:Friedrich Merz casts his ballot for the first chancellor vote on Tuesday morning.Friedrich Merz reacts after he loses the voteColleagues gather round following the news that Merz did not manage to win the voteGerman lawmakers prepare to vote a…

Some victims of the violence in Molenbeek on Sunday night also criticized the police for taking too long to intervene. One person, who was beaten while trying to protect his 73-year-old father when hooligans invaded their family-run DIY store, told Belgian broadcaster RTBF that law enforcement did not show up for 20 minutes. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said last month he was finalizing a long-awaited plan to merge the capital’s six police zones into a single, organized command in a bid to better coordinate responses — and would present it this summer. The Belgian Pro League said it was…

Friedrich Merz ist Bundeskanzler – aber mit Makel: Im ersten Wahlgang durchgefallen. Das Update analysiert den dramatischen Tag im Bundestag, die fehlenden Stimmen aus den eigenen Reihen und das politische Beben, das Merz’ Start überschattet. Gordon Repinski und Rasmus Buchsteiner berichten: Wie kam es zur Verzögerung? Wer hat Merz die Stimme verweigert? Und warum stand plötzlich Julia Klöckner im Saal der Linksfraktion? Ein Tag voller Unsicherheiten, Gerüchte – und am Ende: Erleichterung. Jetzt beginnt die Amtszeit von Friedrich Merz. Doch der erste Eindruck bleibt: Der Weg ins Kanzleramt war holprig. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5…