Douglas Busvine

Brussels says its ‘Made in Europe’ act is ready for prime time. Here’s why it isn’t. With its credibility on the line, the European Commission has decided to launch a green industry bill that is nowhere near ready, rather than face another humiliating delay.

Brussels says its ‘Made in Europe’ act is ready for prime time. Here’s why it isn’t.

@jordyndahl.bsky.social @audevdh.bsky.social @ziaweise.bsky.social and @framiche.bsky.social break down the delayed-but-still-rushed Industrial Accelerator Act due out today.

www.politico.eu/article/brus...

A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans ...

I've been working on this for ages in various countries: the story of the intelligence buildup to Putin's 2022 invasion. How did the US and Britain find out so much, and why were Europe and Ukraine sceptical.

It's a long one:

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Trump hikes ‘temporary’ global tariff rate to 15 percent, maximizing authority in wake of Supreme Court blow The move comes after the Supreme Court handed the White House a huge setback to one of its signature economic and foreign policy tools.

Trump said on Saturday he will increase his global tariff to 15%, up from the 10% he announced on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his signature tariff policy.

The White House has not officially implemented the newly increased tariffs.

www.politico.eu/article/trum...

Brussels pitches English-first approval to speed up EU trade deals Agreements with India and Indonesia would be test cases under a new “accelerated procedure” floated by the European Commission.

This one's for the nerds.

Under pressure to raise its trade game as the US and China close faster deals, Brussels wants to cut almost a year off the time it takes to approve trade deals, according to an internal plan seen by POLITICO.

@koenverhelst.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/brus...

New from me: a short piece on what comes next for the EU-Mercosur deal (spoiler: more trouble), and what ratification hurdles tell us about the EU's capacity to deliver on its geoeconomic ambitions.

Mindestens

EXCLUSIVE: Canadian PM Mark Carney is spearheading discussions between the EU and a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc after calling on middle powers to join forces.

The aim is to short-circuit Donald Trump’s tariffs.

🔗 politi.co/4ayYnTn

How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.

How Jeff Bezos (and Will Lewis) brought the Washington Post down
www.newyorker.com/news/annals-...

Ursula von der Leyen to travel to Australia to seal EU security, trade deal Canberra and Brussels are reviving trade talks that collapsed at the end of 2023 amid disagreements over quotas of beef and lamb.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is planning to travel to Australia this month to clinch a security and trade deal, according to a person familiar with the talks.

Trump announces long-awaited trade deal with India

There are two particular problems with the EU's protectionist proposals around industry. One is to continue giving the impression that China's main mistake in its eyes was to succeed. The other is the lack of evidence that what the EU is proposing is why China succeeded.

Single unnamed source? Berlin dateline? C’mon

EXCLUSIVE: Germany has joined France in saying it will ask the European Commission to explore unleashing the EU's so-called trade "bazooka" in response to Trump's threat to seize Greenland, according to five diplomats with knowledge of the situation.

🔗 www.politico.eu/article/eu-b...

The EU’s magical, mystery trade weapon — and other options to nail Trump POLITICO analyzes the actions that European leaders can consider when they gather for an emergency summit this week.

Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European countries over Greenland has blown up last year’s transatlantic trade truce and forced the EU into a familiar dilemma: hit back hard, or try to buy time.

French farmers wrongly accuse Brussels of betrayal. Macron’s complicity could help the far right to victory Marine Le Pen is milking rural fury over the Mercosur deal. France’s politicians are too cowardly to defend it, says the European Policy Centre’s Paul Taylor

French farmers wrongly accuse Brussels of betrayal. Macron’s complicity could help the far right to victory

Spot on by Paul Taylor in the @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Inside Denmark’s struggle to break up with Silicon Valley From a media blockade to “nationalizing” government software, Denmark has become a laboratory for resisting U.S. Big Tech. But is the price of sovereignty too high?

Denmark, one of Europe’s most digital societies, tried to resist Big Tech’s domination. It’s losing.

Read this deep dive by @jacob-parry.bsky.social to get a taste of things to come elsewhere ...

www.politico.eu/article/denm...

Europe’s farmers lost the Mercosur battle. They’re still ahead. Europe’s farmers are a minority. You wouldn’t know it from the political power they wield.

Officially, the EU’s Mercosur trade deal, approved by the majority of the bloc's members last week, is a defeat for Europe’s farmers.

In reality, farm lobbies just can’t stop winning.

EU-Mercosur mega trade deal: The winners and losers POLITICO analyzes who is uncorking the Malbec — and who is crying into their Bordeaux (cough, Emmanuel Macron, cough).

The Mercosur deal — the EU’s biggest ever trade agreement — finally got the nod after 25 years of negotiating.

We take you through who is uncorking their Malbec, and who is crying into the Bordeaux 👇

With Trump's tariffs on the line, US Supreme Court plans rulings for Friday The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings on Friday as it weighs cases with major implications both nationally and around the world including the legality of President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs.

With Trump's tariffs on the line, US Supreme Court plans rulings for Friday reut.rs/3LyWfCr

US tariffs that are at risk of court-ordered refunds exceed $133.5 billion President Donald Trump's administration faces the possibility of having to refund more than $133.5 billion in tariffs to importers if the U.S. Supreme Court declares unlawful the duties he has imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

US tariffs that are at risk of court-ordered refunds exceed $133.5 billion reut.rs/4pDf8lW

Von der Leyen makes €45B pitch to win Meloni’s support for Mercosur trade deal Brussels needs Rome’s support by Friday to secure a majority for the EU’s landmark trade agreement with South America.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is determined to travel to South America next week to sign the EU’s long-delayed Mercosur trade deal.

But she’s having to make last-minute pledges to Europe’s farmers in order to board that flight.

How the bubble bursts AI-fuelled market euphoria is a new telling of an old story that will not play out differently this time, writes John Plender — but it may have some way still to go

Always read John Plender
www.ft.com/content/7987...

m-shaped

How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA The Kremlin fueled the rise of Trump’s friend Steve Witkoff with a prisoner release, sidelining career diplomats.

How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA

www.wsj.com/world/putin-...

EU delays Mercosur signing as 25-year curse drags on Italy forcing a further postponement to the beleaguered trade deal leaves it open to being torpedoed by the European Parliament.

The EU's behemoth trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc was — once again — kicked down the road today, as familiar internal rifts again proved stronger than the push to seal the deal.

EU delays Mercosur signing as 25-year curse drags on Italy forcing a further postponement to the beleaguered trade deal leaves it open to being torpedoed by the European Parliament.

What a disastrous signal it would send if the EU failed to get this over the finish line.

www.politico.eu/article/eu-d...

The Putin Confidant Who Pushed Back Against the War

A must read: The Putin Confidant Who Pushed Back Against the War

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/w...

EU agrees on tougher Mercosur safeguards in bid to placate Italy, France Quick compromise on farm protections puts the Latin America deal in EU leaders’ court as they convene for summit.

In an eleventh-hour push, EU institutions agreed yesterday to strengthen protections for European farmers under a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc.

The big question now is whether the compromise will placate France and Italy.

EU presses US for tariff relief on steel, machinery and medtech Brussels is focusing on strategic sectors in its talks with the Trump administration, Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič tells POLITICO.

Brussels is prioritizing exemptions for steel, machinery and medtech from U.S. tariffs in talks with the Trump administration, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič told us.

EU, US are also looking for another cooperation forum to replace the defunct EU-US TTC.

W/@zimmerfrau.bsky.social

shorturl.at/rabR1

France seeks to delay crunch vote on EU’s Mercosur mega deal A senior EU diplomat warns that another delay could kill the Latin American trade deal after 25 years of talks.

France is playing for time over a crucial vote on the EU’s trade mega deal with Mercosur, in a strategy that could kill the long-awaited accord.

“If we do not allow [Ursula von der Leyen] to sign it on the 20th, it's dead,” a senior diplomat said.

www.politico.eu/article/fran...