Author: Euronews

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. Fixing the deficit issue doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing game; French citizens and policymakers should recognise that reform is more complicated than punishing the rich or vilifying the poor, Sean Bray writes. ADVERTISEMENTRecent figures reveal that President Emmanuel Macron’s deficit reduction plan is behind target, meaning France must find additional revenue or face further fiscal uncertainty. Trapped in a stalemate between raising taxes or cutting spending, France instead should consider the revenue potential of principled tax policy…

The Polish government has introduced strict limits on the amount of homework pupils must do in a bid to modernise the education system. But some parents and teachers aren’t convinced by the changes. Source link

Supply fears and soaring demand have both contributed to surging copper prices, which is also considered an indicator of overall economic health. ADVERTISEMENTCopper prices jumped to their highest in 15 months in April, touching $4.3 (€4.01) per pound, before settling at $4.2 per pound on Thursday morning. This was a weekly rise of 1.61% and a monthly increase of 9.05%.This is mainly due to worries about lower supply, as well as steadily increasing demand. Chinese smelters are the key reason why copper supply is quite drastically reduced at the moment, as several smelters cut production. Furthermore, upcoming regulation could potentially…

Lawmakers called 382-144 to reverse the decision to appoint Markus Pieper in a suspected case of political favouritism. Source link

TechIreland published their Start-up Funding Review on investments into Irish tech companies last year. Here are the findings. ADVERTISEMENTFunding into Irish startups dropped to €847 million, down from €1.6 billion in 2021 and €1.3 billion in 2022. “This is disappointing, but it largely reflects broader trends as global start-up fundraising dropped 38% last year. The drop in funding was mainly due to a decrease in later stage rounds, which rely more on foreign investors,” a TechIreland press release said.”On the positive side, a record 403 tech companies on the island were funded, a 44% increase in the number of deals –…

Hungary will use its veto power if necessary once it assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. Source link

After a multi-month record-breaking bullish run, European defence stocks saw a sharp decline following Goldman Sachs’ overvaluation warning. The downturn sparks concerns about an end to the sector’s uptrend. ADVERTISEMENTThe defence sector has emerged as one of the best performers in the past two years, spurred by the Ukraine-Russia war. Notably, the European defence and aerospace stocks have been outpacing their US peers, with Germany’s biggest arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall’s shares soaring approximately 540% since February 2022. Other defence stocks such as the biggest British aerospace manufacturer, BAE Systems, and the French defence corporation, Safran, rose 114% and 176%, during the same…

EU countries failing to implement the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, narrowly endorsed by the European Parliament on Wednesday, could face legal action, the bloc’s home affairs chief has warned. Source link

Gold prices have touched a new record high, as tensions between Iran and Israel intensify, leading to more safe haven asset purchasing. ADVERTISEMENTGold prices hit a new record at $2,338.7 (€2,179.6) per ounce on Thursday, fuelled by increasing tensions in the Middle East.This is primarily due to the increased possibility of drone or missile strikes by Iran or any of its proxy groups on government and military infrastructure targets in Israel, according to the US and its allies.If so, this would be a major escalation of the current conflict in the Middle East, started by the Israel-Hamas war. Israel suspects…

Polls offer picture of voters’ most important issues as parties position themselves for the summer’s contest. Source link