French finance minister - "Worrying" Italy vote shows Europe needs growth

PARIS (Reuters) - Italy's inconclusive election shows Europe's leaders must give voters across the region hope of stronger growth to offset painful austerity, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Tuesday.

So Does Italy Now Aim To Take The Euro Down?

By Friday of last week good money was bettingagainst the UK pound but by Monday morning the Euro was back in the frame, courtesy of an Italian election that looked likely to favor anti-austerity politicians.

France seeks extra 6 bn euros in taxes in 2014: Minister

PARIS: The French government will have to raise an extra 6 billion euros in taxes next year to make up for a shortfall in its finances, the budget minister said on Monday.

Tens of thousands in Spain protest economic policy, corruption

MADRID: Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched through cities across the country on Saturday to protest deep austerity, the privatisation of public services and political corruption.

Italy urges high turnout in key election for euro zone

ROME: Italy pressed citizens to get out and vote in one of the most closely watched elections in years on Sunday and Monday, with markets on edge at the prospect of a political stalemate that could reignite the debt crisis.

French services activity weakest in 4 years in February

PARIS: French service sector activity shrank in February at its fastest rate in nearly four years, a survey showed on Thursday, suggesting the euro zone's No. 2 economy is far from the turnaround emerging in Germany.

Greeks in fresh general strike against austerity

Tens of thousands of Greeks are taking part in the first general strike of 2013, as workers renew their protest over austerity measures.

Bundesbank: German economy to avoid recession

FRANKFURT (AP) — German's central bank says the country's economy is on track to avoid a recession as it shows signs of growth in the first three months of the year.

Cyprus votes for leader to steer it past financial storm

(Reuters) - Cypriots went to the polls on Sunday to elect a president who must negotiate a financial rescue to save the island country from a bankruptcy that would reignite the euro zone debt crisis.

Europe to call on Japan, U.S. to consolidate public finances

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The European Union will urge the United States and Japan on Friday to consolidate public finances over the medium term to remove what it believes is one of the main risks to the global economy now.

Eurozone must push ahead with banking union or risk recovery, says IMF

Eurozone countries must implement a planned banking union in full as backsliding could throw the economy into a tailspin, an International Monetary Fund staff paper has concluded.

Euro-Area Economy Shrinks Most Since Depths of Recession

The euro-area recession deepened more than economists forecast with the worst performance in almost four years as its three biggest economies suffered slumping output.

France to miss 2013 deficit goal: foreign minister

PARIS: France will probably miss its goal to cut the public deficit to 3 per cent of economic output this year, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday, the first government official to admit that analysts' doubts are valid.

ECB's Draghi: Spain is 'on the right track'

MADRID (AP) — Spain has succeeded in stabilizing a banking system that almost collapsed last year and is well-positioned for better economic times going forward, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said Tuesday.

French official industrial output slumps 2.2% in 2012

PARIS: French industrial production fell by 2.2 percent in 2012 from the level of output in 2011, the national statistics institute INSEE told AFP on Monday.

ECB's Visco says markets watching Italy closely

ROME (Reuters) - Financial markets remain keenly focused on Italy's ability to control its public finances and pursue reforms to lift its stagnant economy, European Central Bank governing council member Ignazio Visco said on Saturday.

Germany's trade surplus rises to second highest level since 1950

Germany's trade surplus has risen to its second highest level in more than 60 years after an unexpected drop in imports in December.

U.K. Property Prices Increased in January, Acadametrics Says

U.K. house prices rose in January as strains in the mortgage market eased and funding costs fell, Acadametrics Ltd. said.

Slovenia, Croatia near solution for row blocking Croatia's EU bid

(Reuters) - Slovenia and Croatia stepped closer to solving a 20-year old bank dispute on Wednesday and will now race to hammer it out in the coming weeks so that Croatia can join the European Union as planned on July 1.

Spain service sector contraction eases in Jan: PMI

MADRID: Spain's service sector contracted at the slowest pace since June 2011 in January, though companies axed more staff as they struggle to eke out growth amid a slump in domestic demand, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Silvio Berlusconi, in major speech, promises sweeping tax cuts

ROME: Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi announced his "last great electoral and political battle" on Sunday with a sweeping promise to cut taxes and the cost of government if his centre-right wins elections this month.

Spanish prime minister denies corruption allegations

The Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy has issued a televised denial or corruption allegations that are threatening to engulf his government and destablise the eurozone.

Pound Falls Versus Euro as Data Signals Recovery Stalling

The pound declined for a fourth week against the euro, the longest streak since September, as economic reports on consumer confidence and manufacturing suggested the U.K. economic recovery is petering out.

Rare good news for eurozone economy

LONDON (AP) — Mention it quietly, but there were rare hopeful signs for Europe's struggling economy on Friday.

Poland hurt by EU aid freeze over suspicious road deal

Polish officials have voiced dismay over an EU decision to block nearly 1bn euros (£859m) of funding for Polish road projects amid suspicions of fraud.