economy – Page 2

Germany's €50 billion defence spending, symbolized by military hardware and euro notes, underscores its strategic role in NATO's new power play.

Germany Orders €50 Billion of Weapons – NATO’s New Power Play

Germany has just signed the biggest post‑war weapons order in its history – a €50 billion, 30‑project package that will reshape the Bundeswehr and, by extension, Europe’s defence market. Approved by…

Mathieu Roussel December 19, 2025

Vin Diesel, known for his role in the Fast & Furious franchise, is pictured at a promotional event.

Business

Diesel Tax Shock: Germany’s CO₂ Surcharge Sends Fuel Prices Spiralling Across the EU

Germany’s €60 / t CO₂ diesel surcharge, set to bite from 2026, will be felt at every pump and will reverberate through the continent’s freight corridors.The Cost‑Allocation Act, dated 16 December 2025, fixes the reference…

Louise Carter December 19, 2025

Airbnb faces new regulatory challenges as EU-wide rules force hosts to register and pay VAT.

Business

Airbnb Crackdown: New EU Rules Force Hosts to Register and Pay VAT

The EU’s first continent‑wide short‑term‑rental law has landed, and it is already rattling the Airbnb‑laden streets of Barcelona, Lisbon and Rome. From 20 May 2026 every holiday let must display a single,…

Ana Beltrán December 18, 2025

The Euro symbol statue represents the European Central Bank's monetary policy decisions impacting mortgage rates across the eurozone.

Business

ECB Holds Rates Steady – What It Means for Your Mortgage Across Europe

The European Central Bank has left its key rates untouched at 2 % – the deposit‑facility at 2.00 %, the main‑refinancing rate at 2.15 % and the marginal‑lending facility at 2.40 % – for…

Camille Durand December 18, 2025

Farmers protest against the EU-Mercosur trade deal, highlighting the political and economic clash in French agriculture.

Politics

France Tries to Block Mercosur Deal – Farmers Take to the Streets

The streets of the Loire Valley are a sea of orange vests and tractors, a rolling protest that has turned the EU‑Mercosur deal from a distant trade paper into a…

Ana Beltrán December 16, 2025

Berlin's skyline at dusk, a symbol of the city grappling with soaring rents and housing affordability in Germany's most expensive metro area.

Politics

Rent‑Price Tsunami: How German Cities Are Losing the Affordability Battle

Rents are roaring through Berlin, Munich and Hamburg like a tidal wave, and the data that should be charting its height simply isn’t there. The Deutsche Bundesbank’s latest quarterly report, dated…

Tom O’Rourke December 16, 2025

Berlin's iconic landmarks under a sunny sky, symbolizing the city's resilience amid economic concerns.

Business

Germany’s Economic Decline Fear: A Warning for the Eurozone

Germany’s growth engine is sputtering on the brink of a flat‑line, with the country’s own forecasters now pencilling in a paltry 0.1 % rise in 2025 and barely 0.8 % in 2026 –…

Louise Carter December 16, 2025

France's re-industrialisation efforts are set against the backdrop of enduring heavy industry, as evidenced by this active industrial complex.

Analysis

France’s Re‑Industrialisation Push: Wind‑Resistant but Not Stalled

France is firing a salvo at the continent’s heavy‑industry decline, but the battle is already being judged on the size of the subsidies on the table – and on a…

Louise Carter December 15, 2025

French lawmakers convene in the grand chamber of the Parliament as key debates over the 2026 budget unfold, reflecting the high stakes of fiscal policy in Europe.

Politics

Budget 2026: Inside the French Parliament’s High‑Stakes Fight

France’s 2026 budget has turned into a parliamentary showdown that could reshape Europe’s fiscal playbook. The National Assembly squeaked the Social‑Security Financing Bill through on 9 December with a 247‑to‑234 majority…

Camille Durand December 15, 2025

Paris unveils its first cable car, boosting tourism and regional connectivity in the heart of the French capital.

Travel

Sky‑High Tourism: Paris Rolls Out Its First Cable Car

Paris’s suburbs have just taken to the skies. On 13 December 2025 the Île‑de‑France region unveiled the Câble C1 – a 4.5‑kilometre urban ropeway that shuttles passengers between Créteil‑Pointe‑du‑Lac (Metro 8) and Villeneuve‑Saint‑Georges, promising…

Mathieu Roussel December 15, 2025