About: budget deficit
Italy on collision course with EU over budget deficit
Party leaders in the Italian coalition government signalled they will seek leeway from the EU to increase next year's budget deficit, heading on a collision course with the European Commission and investors who want it cut.
Turkish instability threatens Europe from the Italian flank
Market pressure, financial exposure and a potential review of a key migration deal with Ankara has made Italy the most vulnerable country to the recent financial turmoil in Turkey.
Spain pledges to ‘square the circle’ on public finances in Eurogroup debut
Spain's new Socialist government said on Thursday (21 June) it had “no reasons” to believe that it would miss its deficit target, despite a planned increase to pensioners’ benefits being questioned by the EU institutions.
Russia’s economy: Still dependent on oil
After two years of recession caused by lower oil prices and western sanctions, Russia’s recovery benefits Vladimir Putin who is seeking a new term of office. However this improvement won’t last long without a structural reform. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Macron praised as French economy powers ahead
The good news keeps coming for the French economy: data published yesterday (15 February) showed unemployment at its lowest level since 2009 while the head of the IMF praised recent reforms by President Emmanuel Macron.
Romanian government backtracks from plan to tax companies’ turnover
Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said yesterday (17 July) his leftist-led government had scrapped a plan to tax companies' turnover.
PM says time to end France’s addiction to spending
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said on Tuesday (4 July) it was time to end France's addiction to easy public spending, promising to cut expenditures over the next five years and rein in debts he said were at an unacceptable level.
France pledges to meet EU deficit target, despite strong headwinds
France will meet the EU deficit limit of 3.0% of GDP in 2017, the prime minister insisted Thursday (29 June), after the public accounts watchdog said it would miss the mark unless it took urgent action.
Italy’s central bank warns against euro exit as election nears
Italy's central bank warned today (31 May) that leaving the eurozone would not solve the country's economic problems, as two major parties campaign to drop the common currency before an election that may come as soon as this autumn.
Juncker warns Macron French spend too much money
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday (8 May) called on France's incoming president Emmanuel Macron to cut public spending, saying its current policies involved too much money going to wrong things.
Future of the French deficit hangs on election result
Emmanuel Macron has promised to respect the EU’s budget rules, while Marine Le Pen has hardly mentioned the issue in her campaign. But Brussels is preparing for tough talks on the French deficit once the new president is elected. EURACTIV France reports.
Austria misses EU’s structural deficit target
Austria's structural deficit last year was slightly larger than the government had forecast, overstepping the limit of roughly 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) sought under European Union rules.
Commission worried Romania will miss 2017 deficit target
The European Commission is still concerned that Romania will go from registering the highest growth in the EU to racking up the biggest budget deficit. But Bucharest insists there is no cause for concern. EURACTIV Romania reports.
EU says Germany should do more to help economy
Europe's top economy Germany should help its EU partners out, the European Commission said on Wednesday (22 February), after the Trump administration attacked Berlin for using the bloc to boost exports unfairly.
Mixed bag of results for member state budgets from Commission
The European Commission said today (17 January) that Spain's budget for this year is "broadly" in line with EU targets and Portugal claimed that it met its 2016 goals. However, there were less positive signs from Italy and Lithuania.
Moscovici: Progress on deficit reduction must not be reversed
Pierre Moscovici spoke to EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France about France's left-wing primary, the impact of Donald Trump's election, the 3% deficit rule, the Commission's March white paper and the importance of the euro.
Germany’s Gabriel says EU breakup no longer unthinkable
Germany's insistence on austerity in the euro zone has left Europe more divided than ever and a break-up of the European Union is no longer inconceivable, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Der Spiegel magazine.
Romania’s parliament approves tax relief for pensioners
Romania's lower house of parliament yesterday (5 January) approved tax breaks for pensioners, making good on a government promise to loosen fiscal policy as the economy picks up pace.
Italy row with Brussels escalates, Renzi lashes out at EU ‘diktats’
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lashed out yesterday (8 November) over Brussels' "diktats" in the latest attack on the European Commission ahead of a referendum that could decide his political future.
Stop attacking Commission on fiscal policy, Juncker tells Renzi
Italy should stop attacking the European Commission over its fiscal policy, the EU executive's president said on Monday (7 November), as Rome and Brussels quarrel over an expansionary budget proposed by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Spanish crisis gives way to new political battles
When conservative political survivor Mariano Rajoy takes control of Spain once again this week he will be faced with unprecedented opposition as he grapples with painful economic reforms and resurgent Catalan separatism.
EU questions budgets of seven eurozone countries
The European Commission yesterday (25 October) demanded "clarifications" from seven eurozone countries over their draft budgets, expressing particular concern that Italy, Cyprus and Finland are not meeting EU targets.
Renzi threatens EU budget veto over migrants
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi yesterday (25 October) threatened to veto the EU's budget over a lack of solidarity from the rest of Europe as the bloc struggles to manage the refugee crisis.