The European Union is pressing ahead with an active trade agenda as it seeks to diversify partnerships amid global tensions. On 22 May 2026, the Commission signed trade agreements with Mexico, deepening ties with one of Latin America’s largest economies and reinforcing the bloc’s network of preferential arrangements at a time of transatlantic uncertainty. The…
The European Union is entering a pivotal phase on enlargement, with a Western Balkans summit scheduled for 5 June 2026 and a broader June package expected to bundle progress on Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans into a single coordinated push. The choreography reflects Brussels’ attempt to keep multiple accession tracks advancing in parallel without…
European energy markets endured another volatile session on Wednesday 28 May 2026, as renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran reignited the geopolitical risk premium that has dominated crude pricing since February. The July Brent contract swung sharply, trading around $96 a barrel after the US military downed four Iranian drones and struck…
The European Commission’s Spring 2026 Economic Forecast, published on 21 May, paints a markedly gloomier picture than just six months ago. EU GDP growth is now projected to slow to 1.1% in 2026, down from 1.5% in 2025 and a downward revision of 0.3 percentage points from the Autumn 2025 forecast. The euro area fares…
