EU: Regional Blocs

Given the political stakes for the French government, the National Assembly is likely to approve the plan to reshape the country's retirement system.

With his political credibility on the line, the French president appears willing to endure the economic damage of prolonged strikes to win the battle.

The Nov. 10 national election has set the stage for only more uncertainty ahead, as the country’s secessionist vs. nationalist battle heats up and its economy cools down.

The European Commission's new president-elect has laid out an ambitious vision for the bloc's future. A challenging economic and political environment, however, will likely keep most of her proposals from ever seeing daylight.

After years of uninterrupted growth, Lisbon's high debt levels and an influx of trade uncertainty risk bringing Europe's economic slowdown closer to Portugal's shores.

Just as the factors driving Berlin's economic malaise extend far beyond its borders, the impact of Germany's slow growth will reverberate across Europe.

Polish voters elect a new parliament this fall, while Romanians vote for president. The results could make it harder for Warsaw and Bucharest to cooperate with Brussels.

As governments in EU members like the Czech Republic, Romania and others run roughshod over the bloc's values, civil society groups are fighting to uphold the rule of law.