Author: staff

“First of all, I have invited the Google management and important industry representatives to the chancellery for talks in order to examine the alternatives such as voluntary commitments,” said Weimer, who is a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right party. “At the same time, we are preparing a draft law.” The bill would be drafted along the lines of a similar levy already in place in Austria, Weimer said. Earlier this month, the Commission floated a similar proposal to raise the funds needed to repay its €350 billion post-Covid debt, which Germany had opposed back then. The shift appears to…

She identified four central tasks to bring about independence: Securing peace by increasing defense spending; strengthening innovation and competitiveness to stimulate growth; expanding the bloc in what she referred to as “a historic reunification”; and renewing and strengthening democracy to protect member countries from internal and external threats. “That we are now enabling funding of up to €800 billion for defense would have been impossible just a few years ago,” von der Leyen said. “We are doing this because we want to defend peace with all our might … A new international order will emerge before the end of this…

By Euronews Published on 29/05/2025 – 14:30 GMT+2More than half of Europeans – 52% – tend to trust the European Commission and EU, the highest result since 2007, according Eurostat’s most recent barometer, but the survey also recorded rising fears for the economic outlook in Europe.The survey showed 43% of EU citizens continue to have a positive image of the EU, while 38% have a neutral image and 18% have a negative image of the EU.Eurobarometer surveys are conducted regularly on the basis of face to face research across the member states, providing a snapshot of public opinion.Nearly nine in ten…

By Euronews Published on 29/05/2025 – 14:34 GMT+2The landmark visit of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Slovenia was marked by high-level discussions and a joint business forum, as the Alpine EU member state remains a key partner to the Central Asian country. Uzbekistan is Slovenia’s second-largest foreign trade partner in Central Asia, and the two plan to increase trade turnover to €500 million by further expanding the exchange of goods and services and investment opportunities.During the visit, Mirziyoyev and his Slovenian counterpart Nataša Pirc Musar participated in a business forum attended by over 100 industrial and trade enterprises from both countries.…

Blunt, a former justice minister, was arrested on suspicion of rape in October 2023 while still serving as an MP for Reigate in Surrey. At the time, Blunt said he was interviewed twice and arrested the second time: “The arrest was unnecessary as I remain ready to cooperate fully with the investigation that I am confident will end without charge.”  The-then Tory MP also said he would not comment on the matter until the police had concluded their inquiries. The Conservative whip was removed and he did not stand at the 2024 election. Surrey Police said: “An investigation was launched…

Chega’s new role as the country’s main opposition party confirms the far right’s remarkable growth in Portugal. In six years, the ultranationalist party has gone from having just one lawmaker in parliament to now controlling more than a quarter of the seats in the country’s legislative body. Portuguese voters responded enthusiastically to a far-right campaign that depicted mainstream parties as being corrupt and incapable of addressing challenges that include chronically low wages, the housing crisis and increased immigration. Expat communities in France, Luxembourg, the U.K. and Brazil overwhelmingly backed Chega, swayed by its pledge to create economic conditions that will…

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has told British firms the new steel quotas will be finalized within two to three weeks, said a senior business representative granted anonymity to speak candidly about private discussions. The Trump administration could potentially enact the measures through an executive order, they pointed out. Fully removing the tariffs will also require changes to rules of origin in the U.S., including for U.K. car exports and car parts. “We don’t have clarity on auto parts,” the senior business representative said, adding businesses have “not been told by DBT how many other areas would need…

However, this overlooks a third — and probably better — option: shrugging off Trump’s threats. Truth is, there are a whole host of flaws to both the negotiation and retaliation strategies. When it comes to negotiating, for example, the EU would need to know U.S. demands in order to ink a deal. But this a problem because no one has a clue what Trump really wants from Europe. Current hypotheses include a revamp of VAT systems, EU pledges to import more U.S. LNG or defense kit, and promises to decouple from China — though it may well be something else…

However, the role comes amid growing scrutiny of peers’ outside interests and mounting questions about where parliament should draw the line on second jobs. James Bolton-Jones of campaign group Spotlight on Corruption, which presses for more transparent and accountable institutions in the U.K., warned that Berry’s paid gig with the firm could undermine his ability to weigh in on government AI policy. “For a shadow minister covering a crucial sector like AI to be dispensing paid-for advice to a firm operating in that sector is an obvious and unacceptable conflict of interest that risks undermining robust and clear-eyed opposition scrutiny…

BRUXELLES — Ne vous attendez pas à ce que l’Europe et les Etats-Unis concluent un accord commercial de grande envergure simplement parce que le président américain Donald Trump menace d’imposer des droits de douane allant jusqu’à 50% sur les produits de l’UE d’ici le 9 juillet. L’Europe n’a aucune envie de revivre le cauchemar de sa dernière tentative : le Partenariat transatlantique de commerce et d’investissement (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, ou TTIP en anglais). Saluées en 2013 comme une tentative de créer un bloc commercial occidental contre la Chine, les négociations du TTIP ont échoué trois ans plus tard,…