Source: European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs 9/9/2021

France will use its EU presidency in the first half of 2022 to promote its ideas on Europe. Many of the key people in Brussels are sympathetic to France.

Source: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)

A massive investigation from more than 600 journalists across the globe sheds new light into the shadowy world of offshore banking — and the high-powered elites who use the system to their benefit.

The exposé, dubbed the "Pandora Papers”, shows how the world's wealthy hide their money and assets from authorities, their creditors and the public using a network of lawyers and financial institutions that promise secrecy.

ICIJ is a  U.S.-based nonprofit with a global network of reporters and media organizations who work together to investigate the most important stories in the world. Its network encompasses 280 of the best investigative reporters from more than 100 countries and territories. It also partners with more than 100 media organizations, from the world’s most renowned outlets, including the BBC, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Asahi Shimbun, to small regional nonprofit investigative centers.

Source: IEA

AUSTRIA

Source: Reuters Institute

Proportion that trusts most news most of the time

Biden’s Summit for Democracy to be held December 9-10, 2021 aims to bring together the world’s democracies to strengthen democratic institutions, honestly confront nations that are backsliding and force a common agenda. The summit will invite heads of state and key private sector actors, from civil society organizations on the frontlines of the defense of democracy to technology giants like Amazon, Facebook and Google which remain vital for preserving the integrity of modern democratic practices.

Current U.S. National debt stands at US $ 28.5 trillion. It could swell to US$ 35 trillion by the end of the year. The gap between government spending and revenue has swelled to more than US$ 2.2 trillion in the 2021 fiscal year.

Acumen Public Affairs: Brittney Elzarei is now sustainability account director, while Rodrigo Vaz is a sustainability consultant. Silvia Romeo and Ingeborg Bennink are EU health consultants. Enrica Obizzi is an EU health account manager. And David Malka is the new CFO.

APCO Worldwide: Former Irish Ambassador Declan Kelleher has joined APCO Worldwide as a senior adviser.

% of GDP at current prices- 2021 Forecast

1. Greece: 200.7
2. Italy: 159.5
3. Portugal: 130.3
4. Spain: 122.0
5. France: 117.8
6. Belgium: 117.8
7. Cyprus: 108.2
8. Austria: 85.2
9. Slovenia: 80.2
10. Finland: 71.8
11. Germany: 70.1
12. Ireland: 66.0
13. Slovakia: 65.7
14. Netherlands: 63.5
15. Malta: 60.0
16. Lithuania: 50.7
17. Latvia: 45.9
18. Luxembourg: 27.3
19. Estonia: 22.5

Euro Area: 102.3