Brussels desk

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

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.

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.

Politics · 7 October 2026

EU health ministers convene to debate Siberian 'plague' while Russia plays hide-and-seek with the microbes

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

European health authorities and the European Commission will meet Wednesday morning to discuss a suspected plague outbreak in Siberia after a researcher’s death, despite Moscow’s denial.

World · 6 October 2026

Sánchez’s 29 November Gamble: Could Spain’s Snap Election Turn Brussels into a Budget Battlefield?

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

Pedro Sánchez has called a 29 November snap election after Congress rejected his housing reforms, a move that could reverberate through the EU’s long‑term budget, while French students continue protests over ove…

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.

Politics · 5 October 2026

Sanchez Calls Snap Election After Housing Protest Blitz—Will Spain’s Future Be a Lottery Ticket?

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

After massive housing protests in Madrid and other cities, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a snap election for 29 November, even as his Socialist Party trails in polls and faces corruption and migration crises.

World · 4 October 2026

Merz lands in Kyiv as Russia hits the Pivnichnyi Bridge and a second crossing

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

German politician Friedrich Merz arrived unannounced in Kyiv while Russian forces struck the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge and another major bridge, leaving the capital’s transport network in chaos.

World · 3 October 2026

School Protesters Rewrite Parisian Politics, One Baguette at a Time

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

When a wave of schoolchildren marches on the streets of Paris with signs, the French government feels the chill of a new curriculum: politics, protest and a dash of baguette. The protest, now in its third week, is forcin…

World · 3 October 2026

Baguettes, Chalk, and Chaos: Students Take the Bastille, One Classroom at a Time

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

When French pupils armed with baguettes and textbooks clash with riot police across Paris, Toulouse, and Lille, the nation’s educational budget feels more like a missing ingredient in a croissant. Over 600 schools are…