Today: USA provozieren Finanzkrise | Wahlkampf in Frankreich

Three events in the past week sent global financial markets into turmoil, more than a week ago: On August 18, the returns on 30-year US Treasury bonds soared to 5.33 percent, reaching their highest level since the 2007 financial crisis. Just one day later, on August 19, US government debt surpassed the 40 trillion dollar mark. On the same day, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a doubling of the buyback volume of long-term US government bonds to stabilize prices and calm the markets.

However, the intervention did not quell the turmoil – rather, it shifted the focus to a dangerous debt experiment with potentially severe consequences for the markets, extending far beyond the United States. Stefan Reccius, a currency policy correspondent for Handelsblatt, discusses the growing US debt problem and the risks it poses to the global economy in a podcast.

For more on this topic: Handelsblatt's Friday headline: How America's debt experiment scares investors. Also: On Thursday, for the first time, the main presidential candidates in France's upcoming election debated each other, less than eight months before the vote. Marine Le Pen, the populist justice advocate, leads the polls far ahead.

Handelsblatt correspondent Friederike Hofmann speaks about Le Pen's difficult relationship with French entrepreneurs and the most promising opposition candidates in the race for the Élysée Palace.