Economy

G7 meeting in France
Sources: Macron wants to charm Trump with Versailles dinner

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to make sure that Donald Trump shows up at the important G7 economic summit later in June. As a lure, he is considering using the finest the French state administration has to offer – a private dinner at the luxurious Palace of Versailles. This is stated by two French sources for Politico.

Macron hopes that the splendor will be to Trump's taste and convince him that the United States should remain committed to the future of Europe. The French desperately want to avoid Trump storming out of another G7 meeting or starting a new conflict over, for example, Greenland.

The sources note that Macron has already invited Trump to dinner at the Eiffel Tower on a previous visit.

– They have already done the Eiffel Tower together. What is left then, if not the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles?

ECB vs. inflation
Economists' thesis: Interest rates will be raised twice in Europe this year

As a result of the Iran war and the energy shock, the European Central Bank ECB will raise its key interest rate twice this year. This is predicted by the economists included in the Bloomberg survey.

Almost all experts believe that the ECB will raise interest rates at the meeting next week. With another increase later this year, the interest rate would land at 2.5 percent.

Core inflation was already a bit high before the war, so the measure is necessary, according to the assessment.

- The ECB wants to send a signal that it will not stand idly by when inflation rises, says Bantleon's chief economist Daniel Hartmann.

The ECB's interest rate strategy will of course also have an impact on how the Riksbank acts, even if there is no direct connection.