Eurozone News
LAST UPDATE: September 11, 2025
New French PM vows ‘profound break’ with past to exit crisis
Newly appointed PM Sébastien Lecornu promised a “profound break” from previous politics as he assumes office amid political instability.
Insight
Lecornu faces the challenge of unifying a fragmented parliament and restoring public trust following rapid government turnover.
Block Everything’ protests sweep across France, scores arrested
Massive ‘Block Everything’ protests took place nationwide, against budget cuts and Macron’s administration, with around 300 arrests.
Insight
Indicates growing youth-led discontent and hostility toward austerity and political elites under pressure to reform.
New French PM faces same fiscal headaches, rating agency S&P warns
S&P warned the new PM will inherit fiscal challenges—high debt and a budget deficit of ~5.6%—maintaining a negative credit outlook.
Insight
Signals limited political and fiscal maneuvering space for Lecornu amid economic strain and looming elections.
Ireland to set a higher bar for legal challenges to infrastructure projects
Ireland proposes stricter rules for legal challenges to boost infrastructure development, targeting planning delays.
Insight
Aligns with efforts to close infrastructure gaps and support economic growth by reducing judicial bottlenecks.
Italy’s Meloni speaks to India’s Modi, skirts U.S. tariffs request
PM Meloni reaffirmed strong ties with India but did not address U.S. demands for high tariffs on Indian imports.
Insight
Reflects Italy’s balancing act—seeking deeper ties with India while avoiding alignment with U.S. trade pressures.
US Producer Prices Unexpectedly Drop, First Decline Since April
U.S. producer prices fell 0.1% in August—first decline since April—mainly due to cheaper services, signaling easing inflation.
Insight
The data supports expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts amid slowing inflation and economic softening.
Belgium seeks US help in drug trafficking fight
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever met in Antwerp to strengthen maritime security cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat drug smuggling via the port of Antwerp, which seized 123 t of cocaine in 2023. (AP News)
Insight
This highlights strategic importance of Antwerp as a trafficking hub, and underscores the urgent need for cross-border law enforcement cooperation between Belgium and the U.S. to curb organized crime.
Spanish Parliament Blocks Shorter Work Week in Blow to Sanchez
Spain’s Parliament rejected Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s proposal to reduce the working week from 40 to 37.5 hours while keeping pay steady, marking a policy setback. (Bloomberg.com)
Insight
The vote underscores political fragility within Sánchez’s coalition, illustrating challenges in pushing through labor reforms amid opposition from business sectors and political allies.
