23/12 – Today’s headlines from across the EU

EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT – Conoco quits Russia amid falling oil prices and tighter sanctions. US group exits Rosneft joint venture; tough market claims scalp of pioneer company.

WSJE – Iraqis push to retake city. Government forces are trying to push Islamic State from the center of Ramadi.

INYT – Spanish vote ends a year of division for Europe. Brussels and Berlin lose allies for austerity as the political center craters.

BBC Europe –Turkey Istanbul airport blast kills cleaner. An explosion on the tarmac at Sabiha Gokcen airport in the Turkish city of Istanbul has killed a female cleaner. The woman who died was working on a Pegasus airlines plane overnight when the blast took place. A colleague who was with her was wounded.

AUSTRIA

Salzburger Nachrichten – Who pays for the snow? The industry for the first time calls for tax breaks and subsidies.

FRANCE

Le Monde – Poland: the worrying authoritarian turn. Since its return to power on 16 November, the Law and Justice party tries to minimize the checks and balances in Warsaw.

Les Echos – The French massively turn away from Livret A. The French’s favourite savings account has lost €11.7 billion since the beginning of January.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine – Asylum flow divided by half. Authorities worried about refugees with forged Syrian passports.

Sueddeuetsche Zeitung – Antitrust agency takes action against Booking.com. Competition authorities ban the online portal’s price policy prohibiting hoteliers offering their rooms cheaper elsewhere, which hinders competition.

ITALY

La Repubblica – Banks: PD puts forward motion, “Parliamentary investigation required”. The Partito Democratico (PD), has launched a bi-chamber investigation on the banking scandal. The motion was proposed by Andrea Marcucci, a senator close to the PM.

Il Sole 24 Ore – The train of measures becomes law: less taxes, more deficit. Yesterday, the 2016 Stability Law was approved by the Italian Senate. Among the main measures, the end of the Imu tax on first home from next year.

IRELAND

Irish Times – European Court of Justice rules in favour of plain packaging directive for cigarettes. The introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products in Ireland has moved a step closer after the European Court of Justice rejected a case brought by big cigarette companies. In a preliminary ruling, the advocate general of the court found that the standardisation of labelling and packaging is a ‘proportionate’ measure and that it decreases the ‘coolness’ of current packaging.

NETHERLANDS

De Telegraph – Klaas Knot told the paper that if the structural budget deficit rises, ‘politicians will have to look critically at government spending again’. The central bank has estimated the budget deficit will reach 2.2% in both 2016 and 2017. Under eurozone rules, the deficit may not exceed 3%.

POLAND

Gazette Wyborcza – Constitutional Court replaced by PIS stooge. In an atmosphere of scandal and dismissal of Opposition’s rights, PiS party already pushed through a second amendment to the Constitutional Court Act. This time it makes sure that the Court will fail to judge it. This law would violate the constitutional independence of the court.

SPAIN

El Pais – Rajoy offers PSOE reforming the Constitution and chairing the Congress. The Moncloa considers that negotiations for a new government can last until next spring. The Socialists insist on saying no to PP.

Expansion – For a grand coalition. Former ministers from PP, PSOE and UCD are calling for a broad agreement.

The Times – Christmas comes early for Brussels bureaucrats. Tens of thousands of Eurocrats are to receive an inflation-busting pay rise worth €100 million, including a bumper Christmas bonus in backpay.

The Guardian – One million refugees reach Europe. Syria war drives fourfold increase on 2014 numbers. Biggest surge of migration since WW2. Europe must do more to help, says Save the Children.