Why Macron Is Warning the EU 'Could Die'

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning yesterday for a Europe he said is over-regulating and under-investing: “The EU could die.” Speaking on a panel with Bloomberg’s Stephanie Flanders, the French president went on to add that if the bloc continues to follow its “classical agenda,” it will be “out of the market” in two or three years. He also called on member states to rally behind cross-border mergers to create companies that can compete with US firms — a pointed message given Germany’s angst over Commerzbank. As he faces his own domestic fiscal pressures, Macron endorsed a temporary tax on France’s largest companies, supporting his new government’s strategy even as it marks a shift from his pro-business stance. Read why Macron thinks he can still get his policies through a divided parliament.