Bjarke Smith-Meyer
The cold fish deal: How EU spending talks went to Brazil and back ― just in time for Christmas
BRUSSELS / PARIS ― When the VIP vending machine broke down in the early hours of the morning near th...
8 months ago
Macron’s EU capital markets dream lies in tatters
BRUSSELS ― French President Emmanuel Macron's finance minister says he's "fed up with discussions" and "empty statements."On Friday, as leaders of every eurozone country gather in Brussels for a summit about nothing very much at all, that's exactly what h...
6 months ago
The Markus Ferber affair: When lawmaking meets business
BRUSSELS — Is it kosher to aim to make more than €1 million from a consulting scheme in which a powerful German politician advises banks on financial rules he helped write into EU law? That was exactly the plan of Michael Heijmeijer, a Dutch businessman,...
6 months ago
France pitches radical joint EU borrowing plan to pay for defense
BRUSSELS ― The French government is pushing for the European Union to issue joint debt to pay for increased military spending and is pitching the radical idea to its European counterparts, according to a confidential letter seen by POLITICO.In the diploma...
6 months ago
EU cuts forecasts for eurozone growth ― for the third time
BRUSSELS ― The European Commission today slashed its forecasts for economic growth and played down hopes of an immediate recovery despite the EU narrowly avoiding a recession.It is the third time the Commission has revised its growth estimates down since...
6 months ago
‘Russia must not prevail,’ EU tells the world
The EU will ramp up its rhetoric against Moscow when finance ministers travel to Washington for international meetings next week, according to draft statements seen by POLITICO.“Russia must not prevail” in Ukraine, a nine-page document prepared for the th...
6 months ago
Parliament quietly rejects calls to probe Markus Ferber
The European Parliament will not investigate German conservative MEP Markus Ferber following a POLITICO investigation into his relationship with Dutch businessman Michael Heijmeijer.The decision was made effective last week during Parliament’s Conference...
5 months ago