European Union

The sudden rise of tensions between Serbia and Kosovo (adding Albania to the latter) coincided with the German elections held on 26 September. But is it a coincidence?

Small and medium-sized companies stay exempt from the new disclosure rules on the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy starting in 2022. However corporate leaders would be well-advised to follow its implications, including SMEs, writes Finn Wendland.

The European Commission has highlighted Germany's lack of progress in reducing emissions by implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Industry associations also see current plans as falling short of the mark. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The Trade and Technology Council marks an opportunity for de-escalation and bridge-building in the troubled transatlantic relationship, writes Anna Michelle Asimakopoulos.

The SPD under chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz has narrowly won the Bundestag election. With 25.7 percent of the vote, the Social Democrats are in the lead against the CDU/CSU (24.1 percent), the Greens (14.8 percent) and FDP (11.5 percent). Since the SPD and the CDU/CSU do not want to continue their grand coalition everything points to a three-party coalition, which would be a first for Germany. Commentators note that this could put austerity back on the European agenda.

For the first time in 16 years, Angela Merkel will no longer be German chancellor. But after all this time the Germans have not voted for radical change, commentators note with delight and amusement.

Swiss voters backed same-sex marriage or "marriage for all" by a clear majority in a referendum on Sunday. The corresponding legislation was already passed last December but had not taken effect because of the referendum, whose initiators stirred up public opinion against the legislation for example with with photos of children crying over the supposed difficulties of life in a rainbow family. The Swiss media are all the more jubilant about the result.

In response to shortages. of petrol and foodstuffs, the British government plans to ease visa regulations for lorry drivers. The UK will issue 5,000 temporary visas for lorry drivers and and 5,500 for poultry processing workers. Commentators say misguided and delayed political decisions are to blame for the current situation.