European Press Roundup: France Unveils Healthcare Reforms, Mediobanca Wants Foothold in France

In Europe today, the European Union's antitrust body opens a formal investigation into possible collusion among German auto makers, and Zalando shares plummet after the online retailer issues a profit warning. Read about the above topics on Dow Jones Newswires or WSJ.com.

In Other Media...

French President Emmanuel Macron presents his much-anticipated healthcare reform plan, which includes investments of EUR3.4 billion by 2020. The healthcare budget will be topped up by EUR400 million per year starting in 2019, and 4,400 jobs will be created. -AFP

Italy's Mediobanca is interested in an alliance with French investment banking firm Messier Maris. According to sources, talks are in a preliminary stage, but the idea is that the Italian bank can gradually grow in the French firm's capital.-Les Echos

Portuguese airline EuroAtlantic is set to be sold by the end of September for around EUR116 million. The prospective new owner has experience with other airlines and there are no plans to take the company public, according to market sources. -O Jornal Economico

Italy's industrial sales and orders fell in July compared with the previous month, statistics agency Istat says. Sales fell 1%, while orders decreased by 2.3%. -Il Sole 24 Ore

Peugeot's plant in Vigo, Spain, is set to surpass its 2007 vehicle production record high in 2020-21, according to the head of the car maker's Iberian division. -EFE

The International Monetary Fund's Christine Lagarde sounds a note of warning on the possible disastrous consequences of a no-deal Brexit on the U.K. economy. According to a report by the IMF, if the country leaves the EU without a deal, there is a real risk of a recession. -The Guardian

Ofcom, the U.K.'s telecommunications regulator, says Facebook and Google should be regulated like other electronic media, and should have to pay fines if they fail to remove content that falls foul of laws. Ofcom's head Sharon White argues that most people want tighter controls on social media platforms. -The Guardian

The Netherlands' government appears before the Senate and House of Representatives for a yearly presentation of its policy plan and budget. It is the first time the centre-right coalition government--Prime Minister Marc Rutte's third cabinet-- lays out its budget. -De Volkskrant

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 18, 2018 07:53 ET (11:53 GMT)

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