Author: staff

However, the most obvious single step that would instantly make the euro more attractive to world investors is one that leaders have fallen out over many times before and are likely to again: large-scale joint borrowing. “If Europe is going to offer investors an alternative, it needs to increase the size of the Eurobond market dramatically,” former International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard and Ángel Ubide, economist at Citadel, wrote last month in a joint paper, which has drawn much admiring commentary, including from senior figures at the ECB. The paper revives a proposal first made in 2010 to divide…

The public outcry from the Socialists and the liberals, who accused von der Leyen of yielding to the political demands of her own European People’s Party, as well as, crucially, forces from the far right who have always hated the law, triggered a frenzy of phone calls over the weekend. Those twists and turns ultimately led to the Commission’s officially backtracking on Monday. “If microenterprises are exempted from the scope of the directive, we will not withdraw it,” Berestecki said. On Tuesday officials also let it be known that von der Leyen never wanted the law canceled in the first…

Meanwhile, the recent conflict between Israel and Iran has complicated Ukraine’s position, with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump moving to the Middle East some of the unmanned aerial defense systems it had given Ukraine to counter Russia’s air assaults. Moscow’s attack on Dnipro came only a day after it killed 9 people and wounded more than 30 in a deadly attack on the capital Kyiv.  In the Dnipro attack, Russian missiles damaged more than 40 schools and kindergartens along with a cathedral, a music hall, a sports arena, eight medical centers and hospitals and many residential buildings. A…

Zelenskyy on Tuesday insisted that his country is still looking to join the alliance. While flanked by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, he said: “This direction is not changing.” The alliance chief emphasized the organization was also working on “building that bridge” for Ukraine, while highlighting that European and Canadian members have pledged €35 billion in aid for Kyiv so far this year. The U.S. under Trump has not requested any new military aid for Ukraine. Zalenskyy also underlined that Ukraine’s accession was a “mutual opportunity” for the alliance, arguing his country now has the capacity to produce 8 million drones…

Numerous centrist and center-left lawmakers also accused von der Leyen of bowing to her center-right European People’s Party, which declared its opposition to the rule last week.  The statement prompted the Polish Council presidency, which runs the negotiations on behalf of EU countries, to pause talks over the uncertainty, saying it would “wait for clarity from the European Commission on its intentions.”  The process eroded further on Monday, when Italy officially pulled its support for the law, killing the majority supporting the deal and bringing negotiations to a complete halt.  Despite the Commission’s seemingly having prompted the collapse of the…

On Wednesday, NATO leaders are expected to formally agree to a new defense spending target of 5 percent of gross domestic product — a sharp increase from the current 2 percent benchmark and something that Trump has been demanding for months. While NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has insisted publicly that the new objective is not designed “for an audience of one,” a private, obsequious message leaked by Trump himself highlights that the gathering’s choreography is mostly designed to provide the U.S. president with a win and to keep him from abandoning the alliance. “Donald, you have driven us to a…

Once the conclave ended without a deal, the Socialists demanded that lawmakers be allowed to propose changes to the reform, including bringing the retirement age back down. But Bayrou refused, instead personally intervening in a last-ditch effort to get conclave participants to reach an agreement. Without even tacit support from the Socialists, Bayrou’s government is inching dangerously close to the point of collapse. A vote on the motion is expected within 48 hours. To succeed it would require backing from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its allies, in addition to the left. Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed, the…

This is not the first time Tesla has faced legal scrutiny over its vehicles’ autonomous capabilities. Germany’s competition watchdog sued Tesla in 2020 over its marketing claims, saying Tesla promises more in the advertisements than it can deliver. The automaker successfully appealed, however, and is still advertising its cars as self-driving in Germany. In the United States, the company has faced numerous wrongful death lawsuits over accidents involving its Autopilot feature, which allows the vehicle to steer, brake and accelerate on its own. Once a desirable brand, Tesla is now facing numerous headwinds in France thanks to Musk’s politics. Ten…

Published on 24/06/2025 – 16:21 GMT+2Telecom operators, trade unions and industry groups have called for the EU’s cyber agency ENISA to steer away from political interference and remain independent in response to a consultation on the European Commission’s review of existing cybersecurity rules.                                                                                                                                                                                 In May, the Commission began gathering feedback on a revision to the bloc’s 2019 Cybersecurity Act (CSA), which is being revamped in line with efforts to simplify existing rules. The proposal aimed to give the Athens-based ENISA a bigger mandate, including over the drafting of cybersecurity certification schemes, through which companies can demonstrate that their ICT solutions include the right level…

Although none of the opposition leaders convicted so far held office in the previous Georgian government, they were summoned to testify and prosecuted for refusing.  All four — Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Zurab Japaridze and Giorgi Vashadze — received seven to eight months in jail and two-year bans from holding public office. Kallas said Monday that the EU was considering sanctions against the judges who imposed these sentences and that it will revisit the issue in July. “We stand ready to consider further restrictive measures on those who are responsible,” Kallas said.   More opposition leaders are awaiting their sentences for…