Valdis Dombrovskis
EU clears Bulgaria to adopt euro in 2026
Sofia gets the green light despite rule-of-law and money-laundering concerns.
Countries face losing out on billions with EU set to reject Covid recovery fund extension
EU downgrades growth estimates after US trade war
Who handles trade in the EU? The US isn’t sure.
Germany triggers EU’s emergency clause for defense spending
After EU fines, Big Tech wants Trump to swoop in
EU warms to boosting defense funding to secure eastern flank
Northern Ireland’s firms fear they’ll lose millions in Trump’s trade war
A system allowing firms to claim back EU tariffs imposed on U.S. imports is “not fit for purpose,” says Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister.
How Berlin’s fiscal flip stunned Brussels and spooked its allies
The weeklong blitz on the EU’s fiscal rules generated more blowback than Germany ever expected.
EU opens fiscal tap to secure Europe but warns against ‘defense washing’
Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis stressed the flexibility is a stop-gap until countries reframe budgets around higher defense needs.
Von der Leyen’s hold on Brussels wavers with last-minute reprieve for financial rules
The European Commission chief failed to face down her first real challenge from a member of her top team.
Trump pushes Europe into lose-lose choice between US and China
As they head to the Swiss Alps for this year’s World Economic Forum, EU leaders are anxious over Trump’s trade saber-rattling and their China-reliant economies.
EU’s challenge to Austrian far right: Make spending cuts
As coalition talks look set to return the country’s first far-right chancellor since World War II, the European Commission is warning about its finances.
EU to Germany: Your lack of investment isn’t our fault
European economy chief says Berlin’s debt rules constrain spending more than the EU’s own restrictions.
Can a German lead the digital euro through the European Parliament? The EPP seems to think not.
MEP Stefan Berger had become a vocal skeptic of the project.
Treat France as strictly as us, say Dutch
Need for Paris to cut spending is “in the interest of Europe as a whole,” says Netherlands finance minister.
Von der Leyen’s first Commission: The final verdict
Who’s at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
EU extends tentative olive branch to Trump on trade
“We should not be opening old trade disputes, and we should be avoiding new trade disputes,” Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis says.
Macron’s last-ditch attempt to stall the EU’s mega trade deal with South America
The French president heads to the G20 on a mission to delay and dilute the Mercosur pact.
Mercosur deal ‘disastrous’ for French farmers — don’t do it, Barnier says
“Under the current conditions this deal is not acceptable for France,” French PM says in Brussels.
EU, Mercosur eye early December trade deal — to France’s dismay
Even as farmers protest, France will find it hard to stop the deal with South America.
China complains to Prague about EU duties on EVs and asks for help
Beijing has made it clear that it does not accept Brussels’ decision against Chinese carmakers.
France to EU: Don’t seal South America trade deal against our will
Signing off on the Mercosur accord would be a “political mistake” that could undermine European cohesion, trade minister Sophie Primas warns.
The future EU commissioners’ promises: Everything you need to know
We pored over more than 400 pages of written answers so you don’t have to.
Leaked documents: Which EU commissioners have the most property, money and influence
POLITICO has reviewed the declarations of interest of every European Commission nominee.
China and EU seek to avoid trade war with talks on minimum EV prices
Negotiations on electric-vehicle duties run into overtime after failing to reach a resolution last week.
Meet the world’s toughest trade negotiator. It’s not Donald Trump.
Piyush Goyal’s showmanship and negotiating savvy have made him a weapon for India as it takes up its mantle as a global superpower. But is his aggressive approach at risk of backfiring?
The EU was built on red tape. Now it wants to slash it.
The Brussels Effect is becoming less effective.
The EU’s new power pyramid and migration escalation
Live from Strasbourg… and Paris… and Berlin… and London, it’s EU Confidential. In this week’s episode, we catch you up on a dizzying week of news. We …