Dutch giant Heineken to cut up to 6,000 jobs on falling demand, despite solid profits
Dutch brewing giant Heineken has announced plans to eliminate between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs globally over the next two years.
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
Macron says Spanish blackout was due to over-reliance on renewable energy
French President Emmanuel Macron has attributed the major blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula in April 2025 to Spain's heavy dependence on renewable energy sources,…
German town turns down €2.5 billion data centre project by US investor
Politicians in the German town of Great-Gerau near Frankfurt have refused plans by a US company to build one of Europe’s biggest data centres.
First time: German court allows prosecution of ‘climate activists’ as criminal group
A German court has allowed an indictment of a group of people who committed crimes in the supposed interest of the global climate as a criminal organisation.
Begrudging critics need to admit Trump is delivering a US boom
European incomprehension of President Trump has now been stretched to reluctant acknowledgement of the success of his economic policies with dire warnings of the…
Most Germans think welfare state is unfinanceable as reform attempts fizzle out
A large majority of Germans think their country’s welfare state cannot be upheld financially in its current form.
Europe’s dependency on US LNG increases
European countries are increasingly dependent on US gas following sanctions on Russia, cold weather and structural changes in power generation, according to reports…
Greenpeace turns to Dutch courts in bid to overturn €292.6m US fine
Environmental network Greenpeace is turning to the Dutch courts in an attempt to have a multimillion-dollar fine imposed in a US lawsuit set aside.
VW and Stellantis urge help to keep carmaking in Europe
Europe's largest carmakers Volkswagen and Stellantis have called for subsidies to keep carmaking in the EU as they struggle with challenges from US tariffs to Chinese…
German nuclear phase-out a ‘historic mistake’, says head of IEA
The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called Germany’s decision to abandon its nuclear power plants a “historic mistake”.
Paying for a selfie: Rome starts charging tourists to visit Trevi Fountain
Italy's Trevi Fountain has launched a new ticketing system, making the famous Rome landmark the latest tourist site to charge entry in a bid to raise funds and battle…
President of German automobile association who called for fuel price hike steps down after mass exodus of members
The president of Germany’s largest automobile association ADAC has resigned from his post after he backed raising the price of diesel and petrol.
Ban on road salt puts Berliners on a slippery slope
For days on end pedestrians in Berlin have had a difficult time moving around the German capital.
Green energy policies are destroying Europe: Belgian PM De Wever
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has come out against European "green" policies, accusing them of causing de-industrialisation.
EU’s top court rejects Poland’s appeal against €68.5m fine over coal mine
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that the European Commission was justified in deducting €68.
Forget EU Greens: Chinese tech and Polish coal could power Europe’s industry
When Emmanuel Macron called in Davos for greater inflows of Chinese foreign direct investment into Europe, including technology transfer and tangible contributions…
History tells us: Ukraine into the EU will be Europe’s self-destruction
In her seminal work, The March of Folly, American historian Barbara Tuchman provided four historical examples, from the Trojan War to the Vietnam War, of absurd…
Why do EU farmers prefer trade deal with India over Mercosur?
The European Union and India signed a free trade agreement and, unlike the bloc’s deal with South America's Mercosur, it has not trigger protests or backlash from…
Global wine crisis hits Europe hard, especially France
The global wine crisis of falling demand is hitting hard in Europe, particularly France, where the government has launched a pay-out scheme to encourage wine makers…
EU only whispers it, but ‘uncapped mobility’ for Indians is key in trade deal
While the European Union hails its freshly inked Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India as a "historic milestone" for economic prosperity and resilience, Indian officials…
Powerful India now ‘indispensable’ to fading Europe
The images from New Delhi this week offer a master class in geopolitical theatre.
Business wing of German CDU demands end to EU’s net zero commitments
An influential pro-business group within Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is pushing for an overhaul of the country's climate policy, which…
Volkswagen CEO may pull plans for new US plant unless tariffs cut
The chief executive of German automotive behemoth Volkswagen Group says his companies will have to scrap plans for a new production plant in the US unless tariffs…
Canada drops free trade deal with China after US tariffs threat
Canada’s centre-left Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country will not pursue a trade deal with China following a threat of huge retaliatory tariffs from…
Polish finance minister says Poland ‘will not adopt euro’
Poland's finance minister said the country's economic boom that has seen Warsaw perform better than most Eurozone economies means there is no good reason for it…
Trump in Davos: Inflammatory rhetoric, strategic policy signals
When President Donald Trump took the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20th, he delivered a speech that was characteristically bombastic, tangential,…
Zelensky’s former top aide charged on multi-million euro ‘green’ embezzlement allegations
Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities have charged a former senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky with embezzlement and money laundering in a scheme tied to…
German steel output plunges to 2009-crisis lows
Germany’s steel sector has recorded its bleakest performance in more than 15 years, with crude steel production in 2025 falling to just 34.1 million tonnes.
No European winter electricity without nuclear, says Austrian grid manager
A senior figure in Austria's power sector has highlighted Europe's ongoing dependence on nuclear power to maintain electricity supplies during winter months.
Germany can no longer afford purity: Berlin reroutes to Russia
When Friedrich Merz speaks twice of reconciliation with Russia shortly after a strategically important visit to India, it is not a slip of the tongue. It is a signal.