Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes

Germany, France show divisions on EU budget rules

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Jan 2022 20:06
3 Min Read

The EU wants to simplify decades-old rules governing national budgets, and Germany and France choose opposing sides.

  • x
  • Germany, France show divisions on EU budget rules
    Germany, France show divisions on EU budget rules.

Germany and France presented opposing visions for the future of the European economy on Monday, hinting at a fight later this year to overhaul the bloc's stringent rules on government spending.

The EU wants to simplify decades-old rules governing national budgets, and the positions taken by the eurozone's top two economies will shape the debate.

The rules require eurozone members to collaborate when developing their spending plans, an exercise that gained importance following the debt crisis of 2010-15, which nearly brought the single currency to its knees.

Christian Lindner, Berlin's new Finance Minister, was attending his first meeting with his eurozone counterparts and made it clear that his priority will be to keep spending under control.

Despite being a member of a newly formed coalition with the center-left and the greens, Lindner is a member of the liberal FDP, which has traditionally advocated for prudent spending and a zero-deficit policy.

"It is crucial that we continue to pay attention to the importance of the fiscal rules," Lindner said as he arrived for the talks.

"Fiscal rules are crucial to maintaining the credibility of governments vis-à-vis the capital markets."

Related News

Diplomatic efforts to solve Ukraine conflict are 'exhausted' says Merz

1,200 soldiers from 4 NATO states train river crossing in Germany

The rules, known as the Stability and Growth Pact, limit a country's government debt to 60% of its annual GDP and its annual deficit to 3% of GDP.

Constructive spirit 

France and Belgium have joined Italy, Spain, and Greece in having debt ratios of more than 100%, reflecting years of overspending.

The rules were suspended in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and are set to re-enter into force at the end of the year, hopefully with new benchmarks in place.

"I'm very much in favor of reducing sovereign debt and this is one of the important details," Lindner said.

However, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire insisted that the bloc's energy be directed toward growth, especially since Europe's recovery is lagging behind that of the United States.

"It must be a growth pact first. Growth comes before stability," Le Maire said, with France in favor of allowing the massive investments needed to green Europe's economy to be absolved from the rules.

Lindner told reporters that the discussion will not begin in earnest until June when the European Commission is expected to present its proposal to amend the rules.

The Commission's Executive Vice President, Valdis Dombrovskis, said it held no "pre-cooked ideas or predetermined positions," and the EU's executive would listen to member states in a "constructive spirit".

The debate will rage on until at least EU leaders meet in March for a summit dedicated to the subject.

  • European Union
  • Germany
  • France

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS