Financial policy

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Greece will regain fiscal self-determination
For the first time since the debt crisis, Greece will no longer be subject to increased monitoring by the EU Commission as of August 20. This was announced by Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras in Athens on Wednesday. The release from curatorship has now been approved not only by the finance ministers of the euro […] continue reading →
Debt rules: Lindner in favor of more leeway for investments
Europe.Table was able to view the German government's position on reforming debt rules. The document outlines that while the government coalition is holding on to the Maastricht criteria, they also want to push for more investment flexibility in Brussels. continue reading →
Germany’s start-up strategy and Europe’s contribution
When the German government adopted its start-up strategy last week, the goals were ambitious. With the self-proclaimed "Progress Coalition", Germany is to finally see the emergence of more unicorns – and improve the conditions for them. The European component also has a key role in this. continue reading →
Lindner wants to make debt reduction binding in the EU
German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner wants the EU to return to strict budgetary rules after the massive debt incurred during the Covid crisis. What is needed is a more reliable and ambitious path to debt reduction, the FDP politician told the German newspaper Handelsblatt. The German proposal for the reform of the EU Stability […] continue reading →
Burkhard Ober – curious about the European patchwork
Burkhard Ober recalls that he was met with astonished looks when he decided to move to Brussels in 2006. At that time, he was Head of European Affairs at Allianz. Today, he uses his many years of experience as a freelance consultant at Hume Brophy. Burkhard Ober starts out as a bond trader in Paris. […] continue reading →
REPowerEU: Court of Auditors sees problems with funding
Europe’s Energy Independence Plan (REPowerEU) may not be sufficient to achieve the plan’s goals, according to the European Court of Auditors. This was revealed in an opinion issued by the auditors on Tuesday. The main problem is funding to advance energy diversification, environmental transformation and gas independence from Russia. This is because the majority of […] continue reading →
Constitutional court deals with EU’s COVID Recovery Fund
On the second day of hearings on the EU’s COVID Recovery Fund, the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe dealt intensively with the control of the fund. Clemens Ladenburger of the EU Commission’s Legal Service was asked about this. Federal Constitutional Court Judge Peter Müller wanted to know how it could be controlled that no further […] continue reading →
Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz declares default on payments
Ukrainian state-owned gas company Naftogaz has declared default on servicing several Eurobonds. The company has not received permission from the Cabinet of Ministers to repay the debts, Naftogaz said in a statement Tuesday. However, the company said it had enough money in its accounts. More specifically, it concerns the repayment of Eurobonds (and their interest) […] continue reading →
ECB report warns about climate risks for the financial sector
The European Central Bank (ECB) has warned of the dangers of climate shocks for the stability of the financial system. Sudden price corrections on stock markets resulting from a reassessment of climate risks could hit investment funds and insurers, put companies in distress and lead to credit losses at banks, according to a survey published […] continue reading →
Commission allows Germany to aid rail companies
According to a decision by the EU Commission, Germany is allowed to once again support rail companies with millions of euros. This time the amount is €313 million to help rail companies overcome the consequences of COVID, as the Brussels-based authority announced on Monday. The measure reportedly follows a regulation on billion-euro aid that expired […] continue reading →
German Constitutional Court examines EU recovery fund
The German Constitutional Court is taking a close look at the EU’s hundreds of billions of the COVID-19 recovery fund. The judges in Karlsruhe will hear two lawsuits on Tuesday and Wednesday concerning Germany’s participation. The aid agreed in the summer of 2020 is intended to help the 27 EU countries get back on their […] continue reading →
A new fiscal strategy for Germany
In order for Germany to overcome global crises and challenges such as demographic change, it needs a new fiscal strategy, according to Economics Professor Lars P. Feld and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP). Their three pillars consist of targeted emergency measures, supply policy and compliance with the debt brake. continue reading →
Croatia’s finance minister Maric resigns
About half a year before the introduction of the euro in Croatia, Finance Minister Zdravko Maric has submitted his resignation. The reasons for this were not initially clear, as media in Zagreb reported on Wednesday night. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic intends to appoint economist Marko Primorac as his successor, sources in the government said. Economist […] continue reading →
Ukraine: Where will the billions needed for reconstruction come from?
Ukraine needs at least €720 billion to rebuild the country, head of government Denys Shmyhal said Monday at an international conference in Lugano. The EU agreed to cover much of the cost as well as coordinate international aid. Funding, however, remained unclear. continue reading →
No agreement on new head of the ESM crisis fund
The finance ministers of the eurozone have not yet been able to agree on a new head for the European bailout fund ESM. The ESM said on Thursday that the board of directors had discussed the issue in Luxembourg and would continue to do so in the coming weeks. The board is made up of […] continue reading →
ECB to accelerate fight against sell-off of government bonds
The ECB is stepping up its fight against a sell-off of government bonds issued by southern euro countries. The recent turmoil on bond markets had raised concerns about a renewed euro debt crisis. Yields on debt securities issued by eurozone countries had recently risen sharply, but those of the southern countries had risen particularly sharply. […] continue reading →
EU needs to share the costs of energy independence
Two of the probably most pressing and important goals currently pursued by the EU are closely linked: To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the EU needs to massively promote the expansion of renewable energies. At the same time, this also factors into achieving complete independence from Russian energy supplies. However, both goals can only be reached if the EU pursues a plan for joint financing and does not leave the countries to fend for themselves. continue reading →
Taxonomy: expert group takes position on CDA
At a joint hearing in the EU Parliament’s Environment and Economic Affairs Committees on Monday, a panel of experts expressed mostly critical views on the Complementary Climate Delegated Act (CDA) on EU taxonomy. The CDA provides for financial activities related to natural gas and nuclear energy to be labeled as “green,” which has caused considerable […] continue reading →