Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Europe · page 5 of 5
ECB president tells Jackson Hole that foreign workers supplied half of eurozone employment gains since 2022, but governments are restricting entry under far-right pressure.
ECB officials say near-total dollar dominance in fast-growing stablecoin market threatens euro's international role and could weaken central bank control over monetary conditions in the eurozone.
The European Central Bank kept its deposit rate at 2.15% in July, pausing after eight cuts in nine months while inflation sits at target and a 30% US tariff threat hangs over eurozone exports.
The deposit facility rate stays unchanged after seven consecutive cuts, with Lagarde signalling patience until the EU, US tariff picture clears. Markets still price one more move this year but the bar has risen.
Brussels readies €93 billion retaliation package and weighs unprecedented use of Anti-Coercion Instrument ahead of August 1 US tariff deadline
Leaked 'chemicals omnibus' bill would relax automatic bans on cancer-causing substances and simplify hazard labelling, drawing criticism from consumer groups and environmental lawyers.
Switzerland, Sweden and Norway joined the ECB and Bank of England in easing policy this week, citing tariff-driven export weakness and a falling dollar that is pushing inflation below target.
The EU executive says the phase-out will proceed regardless of any peace deal in Ukraine, citing Moscow's history of weaponising energy supplies. Hungary, Slovakia and Austria oppose the plan but lack a blocking minority.
Central bank governor Dimitar Radev insists the currency board's legacy will survive euro adoption, even as reserve requirements drop from 12% to 1% and mortgage lending surges 26%.
The European Commission and ECB have approved Bulgaria as the 21st euro member, but public opposition stands at 50 percent amid fears of price rises and lost sovereignty.
The foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania issued a joint statement on June 6 calling for Ukraine to become a full EU member by January 2030 and urging the NATO summit in The Hague to take political decisions on alliance membership.
Eighth reduction in current cycle comes with inflation below target but trade uncertainty threatening growth forecasts across the eurozone
The quarter-point move brings the deposit facility rate down from its 4% peak, but policymakers signal caution on further easing amid trade uncertainty and sticky core inflation.
The European Commission and ECB have confirmed Bulgaria meets convergence criteria, but domestic opposition remains fierce as the country prepares to become the 21st eurozone member.
European Commission and ECB approve 21st eurozone member after inflation falls to 2.7% and debt sits at 24.1% of GDP, but FATF gray listing and corruption concerns remain unresolved.
Flash data shows headline inflation below the 2% target for the first time since 2021, with services prices cooling sharply after an Easter distortion.
WEF founder says he met ECB president in April to plan leadership transition for early 2027, but Frankfurt insists she will serve her full term ending in October.
Three decades after the Nitrates Directive, a third of Europe's freshwater still exceeds pollution limits while the Baltic Sea hosts the world's largest dead zone. Political pressure from farmers is weakening what little enforcement exists.
The National Bank of Poland now holds 509.3 tonnes of gold, marginally more than the ECB's 506.5 tonnes, after a decade of accelerated purchases that began in earnest after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The European Commission's delayed plan bans new Russian gas contracts this year and all imports by 2027, yet Russian LNG flows rose 18% in 2024 and France increased purchases by 81%.
The newsletter
Delivered to your inbox on the days we publish. No daily digest, no push notifications, no advertising.