European politicians face another difficult task before the end of 2026 – naming the new President of the European Central Bank (ECB). The choice is not an easy one, given the ‘package’ nature of the appointments, which also include two vacant seats on the ECB’s Executive Board. However, far more important is the policy direction that the new head of the central bank will pursue, given the differing expectations and concerns of a number of key countries.
On 30 October, the Bureau for European Integration organised a training seminar in Strășeni for the region’s local authorities on the topic ‘Preparing the local authorities of the Republic of Moldova for accession to the European Union: governance, EU legislation and participation in the European decision-making process’.
The Donald Trump administration is demanding that Germany and France reduce their emergency diesel reserves to help bring down global prices for the fuel. Otherwise, Washington may impose a ban on diesel exports from the US.
Negotiations on the EU’s multiannual budget for 2028–2034 have intensified after Germany and five other countries demanded a substantial cut of almost €2 trillion to the package proposed by the European Commission.
Germany’s far right has won again, capturing the largest share of the vote in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as it did in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month.
Almost half of Germans do not expect to see Friedrich Merz as Chancellor by the end of the year. For the head of government, this comes against a backdrop of a sharp drop in his personal approval ratings and a series of setbacks for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in regional elections.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has finalised the venues for the 2028 and 2029 Champions League finals. The 2028 final will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich. A year later, the final will be hosted by the refurbished Camp Nou in Barcelona.
A ‘coup’ is brewing within the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany. Following the party’s failure in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, internal pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is mounting.
German experience and European mechanisms for collective action, including the role of qualified entities and measures for compensation for damages, were the focus of a training session on harmonising national legislation with the EU acquis communautaire. It took place on 11 September in Chișinău.
In 2025, Moldova exported goods worth €132.7 million to Germany, which is 40 per cent less than three years ago.
