Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Ticker

SPD members start voting on new Merkel-led government

A postal vote among some 450,000 German Social Democrat members has begun in order to get their approval of another 'Grand Coalition' lead by chancellor Angela Merkel. Deadline for voting is 2 March with the result expected on 4 March. SPD's youth and left wings are fiercely opposed to another governing term with Merkel, while others fear low support for the SPD should the deal be rejected, prompting new elections.

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'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Podcast

Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza

This week's Euroscopic explores the consequences of Moscow's terror attack, the convergence of public safety and border/migration policy in an EU election year, and the United Nations Security resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Investigation

How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route

Psychotropic drug abuse is one of the many dangers migrants face along the Balkan route. In overcrowded camps, doctors prescribe tranquilisers to calm people down. And black market circuits and pharmacies selling drugs without prescription contribute to the issue.

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