Business

Business · 9 October 2026

Finland’s grin strains against a debt mountain as the happy nation braces for another fiscal tremor

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Finland, famed for its happiness rankings, faces a growing debt burden worsened by the war in Ukraine, prompting jokes about whether its contentment can survive another economic shock.

Business · 7 October 2026

EU Delegations Arrive in Beijing as China’s Self‑Reliance Push Tightens Trade Imbalance

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

China’s drive to produce more at home has widened its trade gap with Europe, prompting EU officials to consider tougher measures as they prepare to meet Chinese officials in Beijing.

Business · 6 October 2026

Macron and Merz urge von der Leyen to unleash a trade‑war hammer on unfair rivals

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

French and German leaders have penned a joint missive to the European Commission, calling for stricter anti‑unfair‑trade tools, with a side‑note that even croissants could be subject to duties.

Business · 3 October 2026

World Bank Launches ‘AI for Equality’ Pilot, Promises Robots Will Finally Pay the Rent

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

The World Bank unveils a tongue‑in‑cheek AI pilot aimed at narrowing the inequality gap, sparking debate over whether algorithms can really balance the books or just shuffle the numbers.

Business · 2 October 2026

EU convenes emergency diesel summit after ex‑president hints at US reserve release

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

A former US president’s suggestion to tap American diesel reserves triggered a Brussels‑led emergency summit, sending euro‑area diesel prices to record levels and prompting a flurry of market‑ready communiqués.

Business · 30 September 2026

Europe’s Diesel Deluge Turns Trucks into Tortoises, Farmers into Fuel‑Starved Sentries

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Soaring diesel costs from refinery hiccups and a looming US export ban are grinding European logistics, agriculture and industry to a halt, prompting a tongue‑in‑cheek forecast of a ‘diesel winter’.

Business · 29 September 2026

French civil servants’ strike turns euro‑zone into a pay‑freeze playground for bewildered businesses

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

A wave of strikes across France’s public sector over a proposed pay‑freeze is sending shock‑waves through transport operators, retailers and the euro, leaving companies to improvise in a climate of collective barga…

Business · 28 September 2026

Euro‑area diesel surge turns fuel stations into high‑stakes roulette

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

European diesel prices have rocketed to record levels as refinery outages, supply shortages and geopolitical tensions combine, prompting a bleak forecast for the euro‑area fuel market.

Business · 28 September 2026

German Fuel Tax Vanishes Faster Than a Battery‑Powered Beetle in a Berlin Speed‑Trap

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

A surge in electric‑vehicle sales is draining Germany’s fuel tax coffers, prompting a tongue‑in‑cheek Brussels communiqué and a forecast annex warning of a fiscal pothole on the road‑funding highway.