banks which would be a painful thing for the kremlin. sanctions against new sectors of the russian economy for example minerals. even more important and more effective, sanctions against the russian secondary debt market, finance, that would be a major hit to the russian economy and finally, this connecting russia from the swiss financial system which would be a major blow. joe biden will deliver a clear body blow to russia. we joe biden will deliver a clear body blow to russia. we will leave it there, body blow to russia. we will leave it there, thank - body blow to russia. we will leave it there, thank you. i a video has emerged showing senior number 10 staff joking about holding a christmas party in downing street last year when tight covid restrictions were in place. number 10 continues to deny that a party took place. but the footage obtained by itv news
By Michael Nienaber BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany s three-way coalition talks are heating up as the two smaller parties, the pro-spending Greens and the more fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP), are both wrangling over who should take the powerful finance minister job. With the European Union discussing whether the fight against climate change requires reform of the bloc s joint fiscal rules - suspended until 2023 due to the pandemic - much is at stake in the duel being fought in secretive negotiations in Berlin. While FDP leader Christian Lindner, 42, has made no secret of his wish to become finance minister, Greens co-leader Robert Habeck, 52, has so far avoided making public demands - though he is equally determined to get the top position, party sources said. Olaf Scholz, the outgoing finance minister who led his centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) to a surprise election victory in September, wants Habeck and Lindner to find a compromise, according to a person familiar with his
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania s ruling centrist Liberals and their former USR ally inched closer to rebuilding their majority ruling coalition on Wednesday, their leaders said, a first step toward ending a month-long political stalemate jeopardising reforms. The Liberals (PNL), led by caretaker Prime Minister Florin Citu, cancelled a vote of confidence on a minority cabinet line-up put forward last week by premier-designate Nicolae Ciuca on Monday due to the meagre chances of success. Romania has been in political deadlock since Citu s government was toppled by parliament on Oct. 5, threatening economic recovery and efforts to rein in a large budget shortfall and current account deficit in one of the European Union s poorest member states. There are great chances to rebuild our coalition, talks today were like group therapy, Citu told reporters, adding that the USR had agreed to allow him to propose a prime minister. The next step will be further negotiations on a cabinet line-up befor
By Michael Nienaber BERLIN (Reuters) -The three German parties working to form a new coalition government are discussing higher federal borrowing next year to allow a one-time, multi-billion-euro injection into the government s climate investment fund, two sources told Reuters. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the ecologist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) face a massive spending problem as they agreed in exploratory talks to return to strict debt limits from 2023 and avoid tax increases. To create more fiscal fire power, the parties are mulling a proposal to use the emergency clause for the debt brake rule in the constitution for a third consecutive year and take on more debt than the initially planned 100 billion euros ($115.92 billion) in 2022, two people familiar with the talks said on condition of anonymity. The idea is to super-charge the government s Special Energy and Climate Fund (EKF) with a one-time, debt-financed injection worth several billion euros