Putin Seeking to Destabilize Europe, German Chancellor Warns

Posted on 10/20/2026
|

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned against complacency over the dangers posed by Russia, saying that President Vladimir Putin is seeking to not only defeat Ukraine, but to also undermine democracy in Europe.

French protests largely died down after authorities rolled out tougher security measures, including targeted curfews, following protests over the weekend that degenerated into violence, vandalism and looting.

UK joblessness fell and employers added jobs, according to official figures that give an unexpected boost to Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey ahead of his crucial budget next week.

Today's guests: Subitha Subramaniam, Sarasin & Partners Chief Economist; Tiina Lee, Citi UK CEO; Spencer Rascoff, Match Group CEO; Vanessa Holtz, Bank of America France CEO

--
"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops.



Chapters:

00:00:00 - The Pulse with Francine Lacqua Live from Berlin

00:01:55 - Merz; Europe is underestimating Russia threat

00:04:38 - Subitha Subramaniam, Sarasin & Partners Chief Economist

00:15:06 - UK payroll rebound and jobless rate drops

00:15:31 - Tiina Lee, Citi UK CEO

00:25:09 - Tuesday headlines

00:26:04 - Merz: Trying to convince Trump Europe is important for the US

00:31:57 - Nvidia CEO attends Invest in Germany Summit

00:33:01 - Spencer Rascoff, Match Group CEO

00:39:40 - German Chancellor weighs in on France unrests and protests

00:40:48 - Vanessa Holtz, Bank of America France CEO

--------

More on Bloomberg Television and Markets



Like this video? Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss any videos from Bloomberg Markets & Finance: https://tinyurl.com/ysu5b8a9

Visit http://www.bloomberg.com for business news & analysis, up-to-the-minute market data, features, profiles and more.



Connect with Bloomberg Television on:

X: https://twitter.com/BloombergTV

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloombergTelevision

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloombergtv/



Connect with Bloomberg Business on:

X: https://twitter.com/business

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloombergbusiness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloombergbusiness/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bloombergbusiness?lang=en

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/bloomberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bloomberg-news/



More from Bloomberg:

Bloomberg Radio: https://twitter.com/BloombergRadio



Bloomberg Surveillance: https://twitter.com/bsurveillance

Bloomberg Politics: https://twitter.com/bpolitics

Bloomberg Originals: https://twitter.com/bbgoriginals



Watch more on YouTube:

Bloomberg Technology: https://www.youtube.com/@BloombergTechnology

Bloomberg Originals: https://www.youtube.com/@business

Bloomberg Quicktake: https://www.youtube.com/@BloombergQuicktake

Bloomberg Espanol: https://www.youtube.com/@bloomberg_espanol

Bloomberg Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@BloombergPodcasts