EUROPEAN HEADLINES
FT – Fed opens door for September increase in interest rates. Cautious optimism over US economy after setback in first quarter of year.
WSJE – Dire warning from Greek central bank. Greece’s central bank, in an unusually sharp statement that set it squarely against the government, warned yesterday that failure to clinch a deal with international creditors on desperately needed funding could tip Greece into a catastrophe.
INYT – EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia. Campaign by Moscow fails to break unanimity in bloc over Ukraine.
BALTIC STATES
Baltic Times –President Ilves calls for containment of Russia. Speaking today at the Munich Security Conference in Vienna, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves called for a containment policy against the Russian Federation.
FRANCE
Le Monde – Waterloo, the battle that changed Europe. Belgium is preparing the re-enactment of Napoléon’s defeat. A re-enactment that upsets France.
Les Echos – Withholding tax: everything that is about to change. The government will start working on the reform by 2016, and it will be implemented in 2018, pledged the Finance Ministry. “Year free” of income tax, non-disclosure of personal information, third-party payment… there are many challenges.
GERMANY
Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ) – Most Germans welcome cooperation between BND and NSA. According to a poll, 78% consider that intelligence is important to protect the country. While politicians demand more transparency on the relations between BND and NSA, only 22% of Germans support this call.
Suedeutsche Zeitung – Athens’ central bank: the default threat. The Greek central bank warned the Tsipras government and the EU that without a compromise, the country will fall into an incontrollable crisis.
ITALY
La Repubblica – Hungary is building a wall against migrants. The pope reproves: “You should repent.” To prevent migrants’ from entering the country, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has begun the construction of a wall along the border with Serbia.
Il Sole 24 Ore – Athens’ crisis costs €600 billion to stock markets. Today the Eurogroup is meeting and the Greek government stated it is ready to refuse a bad agreement. According to the Greek central bank, this rejection would drive the country into an incontrollable crisis.
NETHERLANDS
NOS – Three Dutch tourists killed, 26 injured, in coach crash in Portugal. According to Portuguese television, the dead are two women aged 26 and 60 and a 50-year-old man. The accident happened shortly after midnight Dutch time close to the city of Albufeira when the coach skidded off the road and went down an embankment.
POLAND
Gazeta – Immigrants. European media, including Gazeta Wyborcza and BIQDATA.PL, investigated into how much immigrants pay to get to Europe, what Europe is doing not to let them in, how it reinforces its borders and how much it costs.
SPAIN
El Pais – The Pope links climate change with poverty and exploitation. His first encyclical denounces the weak political reaction to the ecocatastrophe.
Expansion – Santander to elect its new managers. The banking group is developing a replacement plan for 2,200 key positions.
UK
The Times – Everyday plastics plunge men into fertility crisis. Chemical in sunscreen and clothing linked to low-quality sperm.
The Guardian – Greece: can’t pay, won’t pay. Defiant bank chief says Athens has not money left. Breakthrough hopes slim on day of last-ditch talks.
©europeanunion2015
