News about Macroeconomics

Conservative MPs in Germany’s Bundstag are preparing to give European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a tough ultimatum: either limit Brussels’ control and cut bureaucracy, or face new attempts to limit the Commission’s powers.

European parliamentarians are actively working on the European Union budget for 2027, which is the final year of the current seven-year planning period (2021-2027). Following the approval of a €90 billion funding package for Ukraine for 2026-2027 to cover budgetary and military needs, there are concerns that additional funding will be needed as early as 2027 due to the deficit.

The dollar is falling at the start of the week amid forecasts of US-Iran talks and central bank action. Waning hopes for an agreement to end the war in the Middle East are keeping investors on edge ahead of a series of central bank meetings later this week.

The Moldovan authorities plan to implement a system of job exchange with the European Union countries, which will allow citizens to get access to job offers abroad, and European employers – to candidates and vacancies on the Moldovan market.

Moldova has made significant progress towards European economic integration, reflected in an increasingly pronounced orientation of exports towards the European Union market. Preliminary results and an analysis of the country’s prospects in the context of the economic policies pursued by the authorities was presented by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) within the framework of the project “Strengthening Trade and Competitiveness in the Eastern Partnership Countries”, funded by the European Union with the support of the consulting company Civitta.

Romania’s National Institute of Statistics published alarming data last year: for every 100 children, there are 130 elderly people.

Global apparel brands are faced with the fact that they now have to pay more for the customer. This is a direct factor that is changing the marketing budgets of companies around the world.

Real hourly wages in Europe have fallen by 3% over the last five years. Their growth has been higher in countries outside the euro area and in countries with lower wage levels.

The first tranche of the “military” part of the 90bn-euro EU loan will amount to 6bn euros and will arrive in Ukraine no later than June.

Carbon Brief climatologists have warned that 2026 could be one of the hottest years on record due to an expected increase in global warming.

SANTIAGO – For decades, global power has come from Europe and the United States. At least that’s what I thought when I first set foot in the Northern Hemisphere as a graduate student at Cambridge University. But the management of Chile’s international economic relations under former President Gabriel Boric has shown how much power the Global South can wield if it so chooses.

BERLIN – What will Europe be like without the U.S. military and political presence? Europeans had better start preparing for this prospect, because it is no longer in doubt that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to end the North Atlantic Alliance and is well on his way to achieving this goal. The only question that remains is whether he will officially withdraw from NATO or simply devastate it with his disdain and contempt.

From 2018 to 2025, under current legislation, the tax burden on a Spanish worker’s salary increased from 39.7% to 41.1%, although the country still lags behind the three major European economies of Germany, France and Italy.

Business leaders do not expect a surge in business activity in the second quarter: the outlook is relatively stable, both in terms of price growth and sales revenue. Economic activity in the second quarter of 2026, according to surveys, will also be accompanied by a reduction in the number of employees in trade and services.

According to the authorities, there are about 3,400 prisoners in Moldova who are able to work, of whom only 1,200 were working in 2025. Another 2,000 would like to be employed, but there are regulatory restrictions. In some countries, such as the Netherlands or Germany, the employment rate of prisoners reaches 80%.

The union demanded “legislative predictability” and the urgent implementation of European norms that require the minimum wage to be 50% of the projected average wage.

The obligation to implement the reform of the wage system in the public sector from September 1, 2026 is maintained. In order to increase salaries, it is envisaged to implement tax measures aimed at expanding the tax base. This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Finance to the parliamentary inquiry of Angela Cutasevici, a member of the faction of the “Alternativa” bloc.

The European Union officially launches an internal procedure to unblock a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine and a 20-pack of sanctions against Russia.

Italy has joined France on the list of EU nations whose public debt has exceeded 3 trillion euros.

According to Amnesty International’s 2025 report, impunity persists in Moldova, the media sector remains vulnerable and economic growth remains moderate. The organization states that the authorities arbitrarily restrict the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.