17/08 – Today’s headlines from across the EU

EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT – Merkel goes on offensive to quell revolt over €86 billion Greek bailout. Bundestag to vote on new rescue. No guarantee secured from IMF over joining the plan.

WSJE – Weak China concerns US firms. Threat comes at a tough time for many businesses.

INYT – Algeria or France: neither is truly home. A century of migration leaves many in both places feeling unwelcome.

FRANCE

Le Monde – Why the French recovery has been postponed. The French recovery has suddenly stopped in the second quarter. The GDP has stagnated at 0%, against +0.7% in the first quarter.

Les Echos – Growth: a stagnation that darkens Valls’ new year. France recorded zero growth in the second quarter, one of Europe’s worst figures. Economy humbly restarted creating jobs in the commercial sector.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ) – Merkel says refugees are bigger concern than Greece. Cities and municipalities advocate “realignment of refugee policy”

Suedeutsche Zeitung – Beijing fears anger of relatives. Following the Tianjin disaster that claimed more than 100 lives, families of the victims want to know what caused the violent explosions. However, authorities remain silent and reports on the Internet are being censored.

ITALY

La Repubblica – Migrants: the Northern League declares war on bishops. The European Union pledges more support. The far right criticises the Church and the government: “They want an invasion” states Forza Italia’s Senator Maurizio Gasparri. The European Migration Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, announces a €560 million grant to come soon.

Il Sole 24 Ore – The increase of local taxes “punishes” the Central-South peninsula. Local taxes’ rise notably affected citizens and companies in the South of Italy. Regions, counties and municipalities request up to 8% of disposable income.

POLAND

Gazeta Wyborcza – Mother like a grandmother? Sixty-years-old Polish actress gave birth to twins. Every year, a dozen or so post-menopausal women give birth to children thanks to the in vitro method. This provokes a question – should doctors still perform such medical procedures?

SPAIN

El Pais – PSOE calls for a similar retirement age and minimum wage in Europe. Socialists are in accordance with their French counterparts and take advantage of the Greek crisis to table a substantive reform in order to strengthen cohesion in the euro area.

Expansion – Creditor banks pressure Abengoa. Banks want to know Abengoa’s financial situation and ask for the sale of assets.

The Times – Unemployed ordered to attend job boot camps. 18 to 21-year-olds face training in class rooms.

The Guardian – Brown: anger is not enough. Former PM offers sustained critique of Corbyn. Criticises links to Hamas and Hezbollah. Warns Labour must not become a party of protest.