19/02 – Today’s headlines from across the EU

EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT Europe – Draghi wins backing for tougher action amid OECD growth alert. ECB governors unanimous, minutes reveal. China poised for further cash injection.

WSJE – UK pushes EU partners. At summit, Cameron demands longer-term concessions on tax credits for non-Britons.

INYT – Volkswagen may have misled US. Internal memos suggest that the carmaker tried to stonewall regulators.

BBC Europe – David Cameron says ‘some progress’ as talks resume. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has resumed talks at the EU summit saying there had been “some progress” overnight but “there’s still no deal”. Mr Cameron was negotiating until 05:30 GMT and is now holding one-to-one meetings with EU leaders.

FRANCE

Le Monde – The government’s offensive on the labour code is fueling controversy among the left. Myriam El Khomri’s bill proposes a deep reform of the labour code. It has been transmitted to the council of state and is fueling controversy among the majority.

Les Echos – Why the growth of rich countries is collapsing. The OECD strongly revises its forecasts downward for 2016, especially in the eurozone. The organisation calls for a collective response. Negotiations by forceps on Brexit.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) – Europe has left Germany alone in the refugee crisis. UNHCR Chief criticises the EU. The European Commission: Vienna’s refugee ceiling is illegal. EU summit starts.

Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) – EU calls refugee ceiling illegal. Austria reprimanded by the EC at the Brussels summit: the definition of asylum quotas violates the Convention on Human Rights. Merkel ready to “do everything” to keep the British in the EU.

ITALY

La Repubblica – EU: summit on migrants. Italy threatens: fewer funds. It is accusing Austria and the eastern bloc. The Treasury reviews the accounts.

Il Sole 24 Ore – Banks: ‘Europening’ for Italy. A European Parliament’s resolution has refused to change the rules that undermine stability and to impose constraints on Treasury bonds.

POLAND

Gazeta Wyborcza – Operation Bolek or what was in General Kiszczak’s drawer. The Kaczyński brothers promoted Lech Wałęsa to the office of President of Poland. When he lost in front of Aleksander Kwaśniewski in 1995, a disappointed and humiliated Jarosław Kaczyński reportedly opened a bottle of Champagne stating that the worst Communist was better than Wałęsa.

SPAIN

El País – The judge investigates on the Isabel II Canal as the centre of Madrid PP’s graft case. The biggest company in the Madrid Community has allegedly paid to improve Ignacio Gonzalez’ image.

The Times – This is your last chance, EU leaders tell Britain. European leaders were joining together to insert a ‘last chance’ clause into David Cameron’s renegotiation deal last night, ensuring that Britain would never be allowed to reopen talks.

The Guardian – Cameron has ‘one chance to strike EU deal’. David Cameron embarked on the biggest gamble of his premiership last night, as he sought to put Britain’s place in Europe on a permanent new footing at an EU summit in Brussels.