ITALY
A spate of elections this year that threaten to change Europe's course and rattle the continent's largest political bloc and currency is normally the sort of uncertainty that scares away international investors.
A serious challenger to German Chancellor Angela Merkel is forcing global investors to parse another potential electoral surprise - removal of a key political constant through years of euro zone turbulence but also an end to Europe's austerity bias.
Emperor Nero, a technology enthusiast, would have loved it: his over-the-top golden palace in Rome is about to get the virtual reality treatment.
Germany's insistence on austerity in the euro zone has left Europe more divided than ever and a break-up of the European Union is no longer inconceivable, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Der Spiegel magazine.
A sharp rebound in euro zone inflation and a better-than-expected business outlook are certain to fire up demands from some hardliners for the European Central Bank to choke off it ultra-generous monetary policy.
Euro zone stocks opened 2017 by climbing to their highest in more than a year on Monday after data showed manufacturers in the currency bloc ramped up activity at the fastest pace in more than five years.
Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Thursday defended Athens' plans to pay out one-off benefits for low-income pensioners ahead of Christmas.
When French tycoon Vincent Bollore backed out of a deal to buy the pay-TV business of Italian broadcaster Mediaset (MS.MI), and instead proposed to take a large slice of the parent company itself, investors feared he was plotting another stealth raid.
