Financial Services
ECB cuts interest rates again as inflation cools
The central bank has trimmed its growth forecasts owing mainly to weak domestic demand.
France’s Le Maire bids adieu to economy ministry after record tenure
UniCredit buys Commerzbank stake from Berlin in breakthrough deal
Europe’s new normal: High energy bills, fading industry and one chance to fix it
Mario Draghi’s plan to fix a broken Europe already looks impossible
Germany’s Lindner rejects Draghi’s common borrowing proposal
Draghi demands €800B cash boost to stem Europe’s rapid decline
Michel Barnier’s new secret EU mission
Can the former chief Brexit negotiator, now France’s prime minister, grease the wheels on budget talks with Brussels?
Europe’s Draghi report unleashed: These are the 5 things to watch
A blueprint to make the EU more competitive with the rest of the world is published on Monday. It’s likely to prove controversial.
‘Everyone’s mad’: Inside crypto’s civil war over the US elections
Crypto industry players are at odds over how to influence races for the White House and Congress.
French PM Barnier promises ‘fiscal fairness’ will help keep debt under control
The new prime minister insisted he did not want to raise France’s — already considerable — debt levels.
The Enigma tic Irishman hoping to appeal to von der Leyen’s quiet side
Michael McGrath, Ireland’s pick for the European Commission, refuses to play politics. Could it be his undoing?
Harris departs from Biden on capital gains tax boost
The Democratic presidential candidate is proposing a smaller hike in the tax that mostly hits the wealthy than the one pushed by President Joe Biden.
The West’s $50B Ukraine loan risks being undermined by Kamala Harris’ brat summer
The Democratic candidate’s voter support means resolving differences between the EU and U.S. no longer seems so urgent.
Deutsche Bank chief tells Germans: Work longer and harder
CEO adds that political instability could hurt Germany’s appeal as an investment destination.
Iran pays millions in ransom to end massive cyberattack on banks, officials say
IRLeaks, a group with a history of hacking Iranian companies, was said to be responsible.
The front-runners for the best jobs in von der Leyen’s next Commission
Ursula von der Leyen has some important jobs to hand out — but not everyone can get a key portfolio.
Interminable prime minister search fuels EU’s French debt fears
France is facing tight deadlines to get its finances in order, but a caretaker government is still in power.
French finance ministry warns of worsening deficit
Fall in expected tax revenues sparks fear of worse case scenario.
EU Commission mulls delaying budget proposal until after German election
Officials also think that time would be too short to submit plan before July 2025 deadline.
Defense firms need full access to EU cash as Putin haunts Europe, Draghi says
Looming threats must spark major rethink of European defense policy, according to draft of new report seen by POLITICO.
Crypto is the new Trump family business. Ethics watchdogs have concerns.
The former president’s eldest sons are gearing up to launch a new cryptocurrency venture.
Italy nominates Raffaele Fitto to European Commission
Rome is targeting a portfolio overseeing regional funding and the bloc’s post-pandemic cash.
Interest rates are falling, but Europe’s big debtor countries still won’t get much relief
Long-dated debt and slow growth means that overall borrowing costs will stay high and debt burdens heavy.
Draghi to present EU competitiveness report to senior lawmakers next week
Ex-ECB chief will brief political groups of European Parliament before official launch in coming weeks.
Bulgaria nominates a man and a woman for EU commissioner post
Sofia puts forward Ekaterina Zaharieva and Julian Popov.
Bulgaria calls new election, closes in on EU commissioner pick
Each of the major parties have put forward a candidate, with the interim prime minister yet to decide.
ECB should cut in September and take a hard look at the US — Rehn
Beleaguered manufacturing and a trade outlook fraught with risks demand caution, Finnish central bank chief says.
Eurozone ministers’ meeting in doubt over Hungary’s approach to Putin
Eurogroup chief Paschal Donohoe will make a decision by next week, officials tell POLITICO.
The secretive €6M EU lobby group paying for lawmakers to stay in fancy hotels
With membership fees said to be about €50,000, the huge increase in Eurofi’s budget raises concerns about its power over financial policymaking.
Secretive Draghi is echoing Soviet Union restructuring
Like Gorbachev’s Perestroika, the report from the former ECB chief could herald a change of historic proportions. It’s far less innocuous than it sounds.