Author: staff
During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Lecornu asked his ministers “to bend over backward” to make sure a budget gets passed, according to government spokesperson Maud Bregeon. The Socialist Party, which was instrumental in passing the social security budget, could again play a kingmaker role. After warning that they could vote against the current text, they are now reportedly mulling an abstention in exchange for €10 billion of extra spending, which would be financed by tax hikes. But lawmakers from various political persuasions directly involved in budget talks are little optimistic of the chances of success. Far-left MP Eric Coquerel,…
If defense is the shield, then energy is the bloodstream. The PFR’s strategy is clear: the competitiveness of the Polish economy depends directly on access to cheap and clean energy. Without accelerating the transformation, Polish companies, instead of increasing their share in foreign markets, may lose their position. This is why the fund wants to enter the game as an investor where the risks are high, but the stakes are even higher — into an investment gap that the commercial market alone will not fill. The concept of local content, in other words the participation of domestic companies in the…
“I proposed two different options for this upcoming European Council, one based on assets and one based on EU borrowing. And we will have to decide which way we want to take,” she said during a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday morning. The key to such a plan would be carving Hungary and Slovakia — which both oppose giving further aid to Ukraine — out of the joint debt scheme, four EU diplomats told POLITICO. A deal could still be agreed at the Council among the 27 EU countries, but the ultimate arrangement would stipulate that…
“Now Europe must decide: Does it want to put the German economy back on the path to growth and thus support and grow the largest net contributor to the European coffers?” he said. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking in the German Bundestag ahead of an EU summit, exhibited frustration over persisting disagreements that are holding up the Mercosur trade agreement. The agreement, in the works for over 25 years, is within sight of the finish line, but France and Italy are calling for a delay to finalize additional safeguards to protect European farmers from heightened South American competition. Only if they come…
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Moscow has faced sweeping Western sanctions and diplomatic isolation. “Russia has demonstrated its steadiness in the economy, finance, in the internal political situation of the society … and in the sphere of defense capacity,” Putin said. Putin also said that Russia is ready for dialogue with Europe, but that won’t be possible with the current crop of European politicians. Despite periodic statements about openness to negotiations, the Kremlin has continued military operations and has rejected peace proposals that would require a withdrawal from occupied Ukrainian territory, with Kyiv…
Update: Merz’ Regierungserklärung vor dem EU-Gipfel – zwischen Wirtschaft und Wehrhaftigkeit – POLITICO Skip to main content
“The government needs to pick the right opponents and the right fights where we know we can win,” said Labour MP Graeme Downie. “That allows progress to be made but also shows the public the values we hold, the issues that matter the most to us and the priorities we have to improve the country.” Wading into political fights is one of the prongs to the new media approach No.10 communications boss and former tabloid editor David Dinsmore set out during a Starmer Cabinet meeting this week. Three people with knowledge of the strategy, not authorized to speak publicly, said…
“Il ne faut pas prendre au sérieux les propos de sources anonymes qui n’ont pas assisté à ces discussions”, a rétorqué Anna Kelly, porte-parole adjointe de la Maison-Blanche. “Le seul objectif des Etats-Unis est de ramener la paix dans ce conflit […]. Les Ukrainiens et les Russes ont tous deux clairement exprimé leurs positions concernant les avoirs gelés, et notre seule tâche est de faciliter des échanges qui peuvent in fine déboucher sur un accord.” Mardi, alors que les négociations battaient de l’aile, les responsables et les dirigeants de l’UE ont de plus en plus évoqué l’arme de destruction massive…
With respect to the Ukraine war, the northerners deny they oppose the use of eurobonds over concerns about the solvency of other EU countries, but argue they prefer the assets because they would provide a greater long-term cash infusion to Ukraine. “This is not about frugals versus spenders. It’s about being pro-Ukraine or not,” said a second EU diplomat, adding that northern and eastern European countries have taken the lead in bankrolling Ukraine’s war needs over the past four years. Backing the Belgians Despite weeks of painstaking negotiations over the assets, efforts to bring Belgium around are backfiring. The country adamantly opposes…
Around 10,000 people gathered outside Lithuania’s parliament to protest fast-tracked changes to the law governing the public broadcaster. Demonstrators said the amendments threaten free speech and weaken the independence of Lithuanian National Radio and Television during a tense political crisis. The ruling coalition wants to lower the threshold for dismissing the LRT director general. Under the proposal, the governing board could vote by secret ballot and remove the head with fewer votes and broader grounds. Critics say the move targets the current director.