MADRID | By Sean Duffy | Today is a massive day for the euro zone. The outcome of negotiations between Greek politicans and European bosses will be closely monitored by markets and euro zone partners alike. With Greek banks under pressure, a deal needs to be agreed soon.
MADRID | The Corner | Spain is to be one of the first beneficiaries of the European Commission´s Investment Plan for Europe, with €3.2Bn being allocated to the country to support the SME sector.
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | Having failed to secure sufficient funding from Member States at the last EU Summit, this could be the first real economic victory in the months since the new Commission was formed. Flexibility is the new buzzword in Brussels, with calls growing for a “smarter application of the Stability and Growth Pact, Commissioner Moscovici announced.
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | The European Commission has finally launched its promised €315bn plan to revive the continents stagnating economy. With concerns abounding about creating more debt within Members States, Brussels has turned to financial engineering to fill the investment gap with a very modest €21bn. The aim of the Juncker plan is to ultimately produce 1.3 million new jobs over the next three years.
MADRID | Álex García.
MADRID | By Ana Fuentes | Not an easy week for Jean-Claude Juncker. As the new head of the European Commission he is in charge of fighting flaws in corporate taxation in Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. And yet, he now has to explain how 340 multinationals avoided or potentially avoided millions of euros in tax thanks to signing secret sweet deals with Luxembourg during the 18 years he was the president of this country. The Luxleaks, revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) investigation, points to outrageous tax avoidance schemes… which are completely legal.
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | The financial sector has been expecting a boost to support capital markets from the incoming EC President Jean-Claude Juncker. There has been widespread speculation as to what shape such a boost might take within the monetary union. However Britain´s opposition to Juncker´s appointment means expectations have been somewhat tempered.
MADRID | The Corner | President elected of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker will officially start his mandate on November 1. He describes himself as a “champion of the social market economy” –although he says it would only work with social dialogue, insists that he is not a federalist and calls for a “re-industrialisation of Europe.” What else should we know about him.
MADRID | The Corner | He praised budget contention and austerity, and yet his first announcement as the European Commission new president has to do with investment: Jean Claude Juncker called for a 300 bn euro public-private investment reindustrialisation programme over the next three years.
MADRID | By Ana Fuentes | Despite British PM David Cameron’s intense campaign against him, Jean-Claude Juncker was chosen as European Commission new president on Friday with 26 out of 28 heads of states’ votes. Candidate of the centre right European People’s party, the largest group in the parliament, and a veteran EU deal-broker, Luxembourg’s former PM vows for increasing the power of Brussels and reducing the voice of nation states. He’ll be officially appointed on July 16 with the strong opposition of the EU’s financial centre.