Month: August 2025

French stocks plunged for the second day in a row on Tuesday after Prime Minister François Bayrou unexpectedly called a confidence vote, heightening fears that persistent political instability is hurting the EU’s second-largest economy. The CAC 40, France’s benchmark stock market index, was down 1.46% as of 1.15 pm CEST – far below the 0.60% […]

Legal loopholes and new technologies are used to aggressively market beer brands, despite explicit bans. Authorities rarely intervene, says a new report. Alcohol advertising in Poland is subject to stringent regulations which limit how alcoholic beverages can be promoted. While there is some allowance for advertising beer, these promotions must adhere to very strict conditions […]

The European Parliament could reject Brussels’ bid to lower levies on US exports, a senior EU lawmaker has warned, jeopardising the bloc’s effort to ease Donald Trump’s punishing car tariffs. Bernd Lange, chair of the Parliament’s international trade committee, told Euractiv that he is “not sure” whether lawmakers will back a forthcoming European Commission proposal […]

“We’re not saying no to recognising Palestine as a state,” she told reporters. “We’re in favour of it. We have been for a long time. It’s what we want. But of course we have to be sure that it will be a democratic state,” she added. On Sunday, more than 10,000 people marched in a […]

France is bracing for a fresh bout of political turmoil as Prime Minister François Bayrou faces near-certain defeat in a confidence vote on 8 September, raising once again the spectre of an early dissolution of the National Assembly. With the Socialists confirming on Tuesday that they will vote against Bayrou’s government – joining other left-wing parties […]

French farmers are protesting against eradication measures for lumpy skin disease (LSD), which require the mass slaughter of all animals in affected herds. The government says its response is proportionate. On 29 June, France confirmed its first outbreak of LSD in cattle in Savoie. The virus has since spread and now affects 77 herds in […]

Ruginiene, who was social security minister in the old government, has vowed to continue supporting Ukraine and invest in the country’s defence while seeking to reduce inequalities. But several thousand people staged a demonstration against the new government, with organisers accusing it of including politicians who oppose sanctions against Russia and Belarus, as well as […]

Germany and Canada announced on Tuesday that they would step up cooperation on extracting critical raw materials to reduce Berlin’s dependence on Beijing’s supply chains. The move is Germany’s latest step to diversify away from China, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken a tough public line on Beijing and supports Brussels’ ‘de-risking’ strategy, while avoiding […]

Fuelled by Norway’s vast energy revenues, the fund is the world’s biggest, with a value of nearly €1.72 trillion and investments in more than 8,600 companies across the globe. The fund had held a 1.2% stake in Caterpillar, valued at 24.4 billion krone (€2.07 billion), as of the end of last year. The Norwegian central bank, […]

Good morning, and welcome to The Capitals. Brussels is still dozing through the final days of summer, with the real rentrée yet to arrive. For now, the political action is playing out a little further south. This is Eddy Wax, joined by Nicoletta Ionta. Have a tip or story idea? Reach us by email – […]