The last-minute agreement saves the European Commission’s proposed reform of the framework, which aims to slash debt ratios and deficits while maintaining investment in “strategic areas such as digital, green, social or defense,” the Council said. Under the terms of the agreement member countries will still be required to submit national medium-term fiscal structural plans … Read more
“Incredibly disappointing,” “very surprised” and “complete surprise,” were their reactions on X. “What you see is that everyone is busy with the blame game: trying to point at Omtzigt as the guilty party and feigning surprise,” even though there had long been palpable tension, Rachid Azrout, a political analyst at the University of Amsterdam, told POLITICO. … Read more
The 2024 budget was delayed after Germany’s constitutional court in November blew a €60 billion hole into the country’s finances, forcing the ruling coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens to cut spending, triggering infighting among parties. The debt brake, combined with the court’s ruling in November — which restricted use of … Read more
HELSINKI — After seven years in the political wilderness, Alexander Stubb is closing in on a remarkable comeback and new top job: president of Finland. Ahead of a first round of voting this Sunday, Stubb has a 3-percentage-point lead in opinion polls over his nearest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the leftist Green League, who is in turn 6 points ahead of seven other candidates. In a likely runoff, surveys give Stubb of the … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. FRANKFURT — On the global stage, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde still exudes the air of an international rockstar of finance, but back home her records just won’t sell. Most participants in a trade union survey of ECB staff, seen by POLITICO, said … Read more
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell on Friday openly accused Israel of having financed the Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Hamas was financed by the Israeli government in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority,” Borrell was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper El País. Borrell was speaking at Spain’s University of Valladolid, where the Spanish … Read more
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he plans to sign a bilateral security agreement with Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine next month. Macron said France would “continue to help Ukraine to hold the front line and protect its skies,” and that the two countries “were finalizing a deal.” Speaking at a Paris press … Read more
BERLIN — Germany’s three-party ruling coalition on Thursday partly backed down from a proposal to cut tax privileges for farmers after facing emotional protests. The government said in a statement that it would gradually phase out tax breaks on diesel fuel for farmers over multiple years rather than cut the benefit abruptly as coalition leaders … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. LONDON — It might be a new year, but England’s cherished public health service is facing the same old problems. And its legions of striking junior doctors are just getting started. From January 3, junior doctors working for the National Health Service in England will … Read more
BERLIN — The rulers of Germany’s fractious three-party coalition government can breathe a small sigh of relief. In an internal party referendum, some 52 percent of members of the fiscally conservative Free Democratic Party (FDP) supported remaining in the ruling coalition, relieving some of the pressure on the FDP’s leadership to withdraw from the alliance … Read more
