Eurozone manufacturing PMI confirmed at 52.2 in April 2026, with Spain leading at 51.7, Italy at 52.1, France 52.8 and Germany 51.4. Defense procurement and auto orders are sustaining factory output even as consumer-facing services collapse.
The European Central Bank held its deposit rate at 2% on 30 April 2026 for the third consecutive meeting. Eurozone inflation jumped to 3% in April from 1.7% in February, driven by 10.9% energy price increase amid the Iran war.
ECB held deposit rate at 2% on 30 April for third consecutive meeting. Eurozone inflation 3% in April, Brent crude above $126, GDP growth slowed to 0.8% Q1 2026. Lagarde: ‘data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting’ approach.
Europe Day on 9 May 2026 marks the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. As war returns to Europe, AI reshapes economies, and enlargement accelerates, what does Schuman still mean?
EUR/USD trades near 1.17 in early May 2026 as ECB holds steady while signalling June rate hike. Markets price in three hikes for 2026 amid Middle East tensions and US tariffs.
Hungary’s Article 7 procedure remains the EU’s longest-running rule-of-law deadlock. In 2026, the file is shaped by frozen EU funds, Article 6 hearings and the political momentum after Orbán’s electoral defeat.
Viktor Orbans electoral defeat in 2026 has revived a familiar question in Brussels: how and when to release the billions in EU funds frozen due to rule-of-law concerns over Hungary.
EIB President Nadia Calvino called in May 2026 for cities to dramatically boost green investment for safety and resilience, citing climate-driven flood and heat risks reshaping urban planning across Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in May 2026 that the Strait of Hormuz crisis could push tens of millions into poverty, trigger global hunger surge and tip the world toward recession.
Montenegro hosts the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Podgorica in June 2026, a key political moment for Montenegro’s accession bid targeting 2028 EU membership and Albania’s negotiations.