IPTI’s usual monthly newsletter - the “President’s Message” - contains, inter alia, some summarised news articles from around the world. This IPTI publication - “Property Tax in the News” - contains some of the more interesting news articles concerning property taxes in North America and Europe which is where many of our members have a particular interest. Links to these and more, similarly summarised, articles - from North America, Europe and around the globe - can be found in...

Dissecting the results of the French election’s second round Round two of the French elections on Sunday, 7 July saw France faced with potential political deadlock after no party secured an absolute majority. All three blocs fell short of the 289 seat threshold needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly. Neither the major setback for Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), nor the left-wing coalition’s surprise didn’t prove President Macron´s intention right to create political stability by calling for a snap election. Without...

The fight against climate change requires collective action — from governments, institutions, businesses and individuals. A good understanding of the climate challenge is essential for people to make informed choices. To assess the public’s understanding of climate change, the sixth edition of the EIB Climate Survey focuses on people’s knowledge of climate change in three key areas: definitions and causes, consequences, and solutions. Participants answered 12 questions and were ranked on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10...

Overview: The dollar is narrowly mixed against the G10 and emerging market currencies today. The euro is little changed, holding on to last week's gains, after the surprising French election results, where the focus shifts finding a prime minister that can carry a majority of the new and closely divided National Assembly. Despite firm underlying wage data, the Japanese yen has given back its initial gains, and the dollar is pushing back above JPY161 in the European morning. The Mexican...

After bill of law 8304 was exempted from the second constitutional vote, the law of 4 June 2024 amending the amended law of 29 August 2008 on the free movement of persons and immigration (the Law) was published in the Luxembourg Official Journal Mémorial A 261 on 27 June 2024. The Law concerns highly qualified third-country nationals (i.e. from outside the EU) who wish to live and work in Luxembourg under an “EU Blue Card”. The Law implements Directive (EU) 2021/1883  on the conditions of entry and residence...

Dissecting the results of the French election’s first round On Sunday 30 June, France voted in the first round of crucial snap-parliamentary elections. Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call a snap election in two rounds, on 30 June and 7 July, proved to be a risky move, potentially handing political power to the far right. With so much at stake, voter turnout was unusually high at nearly 67%. The outcome showed patterns similar to the outcome of the recent EU election, with polls predicting a more significant win for the far-right that did not materialize as the...

As temperatures rise, water has become increasingly scarce. Nicola Beer, vice-president of the European Investment Bank, spoke at the German Water Partnership Conference in Berlin, where she also met with experts to discuss solutions to the global water crisis.   Dear Ms Morgan, Ms Röstel, Mr Hannemann, ladies and gentlemen, Safe water supply has been a key issue for the European Investment Bank for decades, so I am very pleased to have been invited to attend your annual meeting today. You and your companies...

European Investment Fund and the NATO Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund backed by 24 North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations, enter partnership. Memorandum of Understanding signed in Brussels sets terms of closer collaboration. Goal is to expand funding for start-ups, SMEs and midcaps in defence, security, and resilience sectors. The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in supporting the long-term growth of the defence, security, and resilience...