European Union

Creating a special budget for the Eurozone is widely known to be one of French President Emmanuel Macron's pet projects. At a Eurogroup meeting on Monday the finance ministers of France and Germany presented a joint plan - although according to observers Berlin got its way on most points. Commentators examine whether the initiative brings the EU forward.

In Japan Carlos Ghosn, one of the most prominent figures in the automotive industry and chairman of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, has been arrested on charges of misusing company assets and under-reporting his pay package vis-à-vis the Japanese stock market. Ghosn's fall is a hard one, observers concur.

In the war in Yemen Houthi rebels have said they will halt all attacks to facilitate a ceasefire. If the Saudi-led military coalition is ready to make peace the rebels are too, their leader announced on Twitter. Journalists voice hopes that peace talks could soon begin in what the UN describes as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world right now.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both recently promoted the idea of creating a European army. Commentators examine why the two leaders are keen on the initiative and hope that they will pursue it with resolve.

The damage caused by austerity-driven bailouts in Greece could raise the issue of legal liability of the EU institutions and possible compensation, according to Olivier de Shutter, a former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

French President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech in the German Bundestag – but this will not bring him any closer to his idea of Europe. A commentary piece by Albrecht Meier, correspondent in the Berlin office of EURACTIV Germany’s media partner Der Tagesspiegel.

European Greens will pick their two Spitzenkandidats in Berlin on 23-25 November, hoping to build on the Green parties’ unexpected surge in Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.  EURACTIV has spoken to the three candidates. Here is the portrait of one of them, Petra De Sutter.

The European Greens will pick their two Spitzenkandidaten in Berlin on 23-25 November, hoping to build on the Green's unexpected surge in Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.  Here is a portrait of one of the three contenders, Ska Keller, a fiery German who grew up organising rallies against neo-Nazis.