1. Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a European Council meeting in Brussels, June 24, 2011

    Berlusconi Urges Italy’s Government to Ignore Borrowing Limit

    The former prime minister says Italy doesn’t have to honor its European Union budget commitments.

    Italy's conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi suggested on Tuesday that the government shouldn't be afraid to defy the European Union's budget rules because other member states won't force it to leave the bloc. Speaking in…
  1. Marine Le Pen, leader of France's Front nationale, addresses supporters in Paris, May 1, 2012

    Anti-Immigration Parties Drive European Conservatives to Fringe

    Euroskeptic and anti-immigration parties force Europe’s conservatives to move farther right.

    "Far right" or "extreme right wing" parties have emerged across Europe in recent years, if with varying levels of electoral success, demonstrating that they cannot be termed as constituting a pan-European movement. But they do have characteristics in common.…
  1. Czech prime minister Petr Nečas during a meeting in Prague, May 17, 2013

    Czech Conservatives Seek New Leader to Stave Off Elections

    The Central European country’s ruling party looks for someone to replace Petr Nečas who resigned.

    The Czech Republic's ruling conservatives tried to find a replacement for Petr Nečas on Monday who resigned as premier a day earlier. They hope to continue their right wing coalition although Nečas told reporters the same day that President Miloš Zeman…
  1. Hamburg, Germany, March 21, 2010

    Germany’s Economic Success Threatens to Stall Innovation

    Angela Merkel urges other European nations to boost their competitiveness. So should Germany.

    Germany's economy is considered the engine of growth in a Europe recovering from sovereign debt crises but a special report in The Economist this week reminds readers that it took hard work for the country to get where it is today---and that there's more to be done. The British…
  1. Czech prime minister Petr Nečas answers questions from reporters ahead of a European Council meeting in Brussels, November 22, 2012

    Corruption Scandal Tests Czech Right Wing Coalition

    Conservative prime minister Petr Nečas may be forced to resign, possibly triggering early elections.

    The future of Czech prime minister Petr Nečas' administration hinged on the support of junior coalition partners as of Saturday who said that they were considering whether to stay in…
  1. American film actress Audrey Hepburn in Paris, France, 1956

    France Succeeds in Excluding Film From Transatlantic Trade Talks

    Having threatened to veto negotiations altogether, France forces other European states to protect media.

    European Union trade ministers agreed late Friday night to exclude media from upcoming trade talks with the United States after France had threatened to veto the negotiations. France insisted that Internet services, film and television be precluded from a prospective transatlantic investment and trade accord…