Brussels desk

Filed from the Brussels desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Politics · 15 October 2026

EU Leaders Tackle €2 Trillion Budget Puzzle as French Elections Loom

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

EU heads meet at a Thursday summit to strike a deal on the bloc’s €2 trillion 2028‑2034 budget before Christmas, amid deep divisions and fears that France’s upcoming election could boost eurosceptic forces.

Politics · 13 October 2026

Pope Leo XIV Undergoes Lung Surgery, Vatican Breaks Silence on Health

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

Pope Leo XIV, 71, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital to have a small lung nodule removed – the first time a pope has publicly disclosed a personal medical operation. The Vatican says the growth was found early…

Business · 13 October 2026

Berlin’s ‘Made‑in‑Europe’ Panic Triggers Call for EU Trade‑Defense Super‑Shield

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Facing mounting import pressure from China, Germany is urging the EU to grant stronger trade‑defence powers to safeguard its key industries.

Politics · 13 October 2026

Greta Thunberg crashes French school protests, declares classrooms a climate crime scene

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined a blockaded high‑school demonstration in France, where students were rallying against teacher shortages, dilapidated buildings and overcrowded timetables. The unexpected a…

Business · 13 October 2026

Paris Motor Show Becomes Chinese Parade, Western Makers Whisper to Their Engines

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

The 2026 Paris Motor Show sees Chinese manufacturers dominate the floor, leaving Western brands to wonder if they should have brought a translator.

World · 10 October 2026

Ireland Proposes €141bn (8%) Trim to EU Budget, Sparing Farms and Cohesion

Inès Vogel, Brussels desk

Ireland has suggested cutting €141 billion – an 8 % reduction – from the EU’s seven‑year budget, leaving agriculture and cohesion funding down by only 3 % and adding a €55 billion own‑resources pack…

Business · 10 October 2026

EU Caps Chinese Hybrid Car Exports, Halving Shipments and Unintentionally Fueling Beijing’s Auto Ambitions

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

The EU has agreed to limit Chinese hybrid vehicle exports to the EU, roughly cutting shipments in half over the next four years. While the move is intended to ease trade tensions, analysts warn it could strengthen the Ch…

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.

Finance · 9 October 2026

Euro‑zone markets brace for a sequel to the energy crunch as oil tides turn in the Strait of Hormuz

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Rising oil flows and fresh government fuel releases spark a fresh bout of inflation‑fuelled voter fury, prompting the euro‑zone to issue a dry communiqué and hide a gloomy forecast in the annex.