Europe’s Twin Headache: Economists Warn About Debt Pressures in UK and France

Upcoming budgets in Britain and France are expected to challenge their leaders’ ability to balance fiscal and political demands.
Europe’s Twin Headache: Economists Warn About Debt Pressures in UK and France
French President Emmanuel Macron talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England, on July 18, 2024. Hollie Adams/Getty Images
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Warning lights are flashing in London and Paris as economists caution that rising debt, fragile politics, and market unease are straining the coffers of Britain and France, Europe’s second- and third-largest economies, respectively.

Neither country faces an immediate financial crisis, analysts say, but both are vulnerable to the kind of debt build-up, shaky fiscal credibility, and political struggles that have often preceded crises in the past.

Evgenia Filimianova
Evgenia Filimianova
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Evgenia Filimianova is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in foreign policy, economy, and UK politics.