Author: Euronews

German income expectations have soared to a more-than two-year high, but French consumers remain worried about their standard of living. ADVERTISEMENTGerman consumer sentiment could potentially be on the road to recovery, despite the country recently being battered by soaring prices and lacklustre economic prospects. The German GfK Consumer Climate Indicator for March, released by the GfK Group, came out on Tuesday, clocking in at -29.0, in line with market expectations. This was a notch above the 11-month low of -29.6, seen back in February.This was mostly due to income expectations touching a more than two-year high, at -4.8, up from -20.0…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. EU money shouldn’t simply continue to flow, for its own sake or on the force of its own inertia, without the ability to guarantee that that money is making a positive difference intended and indeed required, MEP David Lega writes. ADVERTISEMENT€700 million — roughly the value of 10 new Swedish Gripen fighter jets — is a lot of money.That’s the amount the EU spent from 2014 to 2020 on reforms in the Western Balkans, with little to show…

Nadia Calviño, the freshly-elected president of the European Investment Bank, shows an appetite for a riskier strategy. ADVERTISEMENTThe financial branch of the European Union, the EIB, may be willing to bet on less secure investments under its new leadership.In an interview with the Financial Times, president and former Spanish economy minister Nadia Calviño Santamaría signalled that she hopes to increase investment in defence and nuclear projects.The shift is a departure from the risk-averse approach taken by her German predecessor Werner Hoyer, who she replaced last month.To align itself with its climate goals, the EIB is no longer supporting traditional fossil fuel…

The meeting of allies in Paris was held just two days after Ukraine marked two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not “ruled out” in the future after the issue was debated at a gathering of European leaders in Paris, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into a third year.The French leader said that “we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war” after the meeting of over 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials.“There’s no consensus…

The financier was chairman of one of the largest investment trusts on the London Stock Exchange until 2019. ADVERTISEMENTFinancier and philanthropist Jacob Rothschild, of the renowned Rothschild banking dynasty, has died at 87.Rothschild began his career in the family bank, NM Rothschild & Sons, in 1963, before breaking away to start businesses and charitable organisations. His family paid tribute to him in a statement on Monday.“Our father Jacob was a towering presence in many people’s lives, a superbly accomplished financier, a champion of the arts and culture, a devoted public servant, a passionate supporter of charitable causes in Israel and…

Romania also has the highest rate of rate young people not working or in training. ADVERTISEMENTA quarter of Romanian youth (25.4%) is suffering from severe material and social deprivation, according to Eurostat.This is the highest rate in the European Union and more than four times the average of 6% for the whole 27-country bloc.Severe material and social deprivation is described as an enforced lack of necessary and desirable items to lead an adequate life. Young people aged 15-29 are seen as suffering from it if they are unable to meet seven out of 13 criteria including a capacity to face unexpected…

European investment in China is under threat as the country’s shadow banks face crisis. ADVERTISEMENTChinese trusts and wealth management companies have been struggling under the weight of tightening regulations and China’s persistent property crisis – two phenomena that have hit the country’s ‘shadow banking’ industry particularly hard and could have knock-on effects for Europe. Shadow banks, such as Sichuan Trust and Zhongzhi, are non-bank financial institutions, such as credit guarantee companies, hedge funds and asset management companies, that provide some of the key services of banks despite not being traditional lenders.It’s a significant sector: according to the International Monetary Fund…

Farmers from all over Europe marched into Brussels on Monday morning to protest against a varied range of issues, including low prices for their products, environmental regulation and free-trade deals. ADVERTISEMENTBelgian, Dutch, French and Italian producers were among those who took part in the demonstration, which saw an estimated 1,000 tractors take over Rue de la Loi, the street in Brussels that hosts the main European Union institutions, and its surroundings.The protest was deliberately timed to coincide with a closely watched meeting of the bloc’s agriculture ministers, where they discussed targeted changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the reduction of bureaucratic…

Hungary’s delay in ratifying Sweden’s membership to the military alliance had seen is accused of trying to secure EU concessions. ADVERTISEMENTHungary’s parliament is on Monday expected to ratify Sweden’s membership to the NATO military alliance, giving its stamp of approval 18 months after the Scandinavian country first made a bid to join. Hungary is the last of NATO’s 31 members to approve Sweden’s membership after Turkey backed the move last month.It comes after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson travelled to Budapest last week for a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during which a defence industry agreement was struck.Under…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. The narrative of those who refuse to imagine a future in which cryptocurrencies will be integral to the financial system now seems forced, self-serving, and even fanatical, Silvina Moschini writes. ADVERTISEMENTNothing has been more damaging to the adoption of cryptocurrencies than the “no-coiners” — deniers who refuse to buy into the system and prophesied that the industry is doomed to failure.Fortunately, these “sceptics” appear to be a dying breed and the doubters are becoming less doubtful.Two years ago, an…