|

EUR/GBP steady near 0.8700 amid French unrest and UK fiscal challenges

  • The EUR/GBP trades within a tight 0.8650–0.8750 band amid France’s political turmoil and Britain’s stagnating job market.
  • Macron’s meeting with opposition yields little progress; pension reform delay signals persistent instability in France.
  • Investors eye diverging policy paths, with the ECB likely on hold while the BoE is seen cutting rates twice in 2026.                                

The EUR/GBP pair advances on Friday but remains shy of the 0.8700 figure after hitting a daily high of 0.8725 earlier during the European session. France's political turmoil and a stagnating economy in the UK could keep the cross-pair trading within familiar levels of 0.8650-0.8750.

Euro steadies as uncertainty in Paris offsets weak UK outlook and dovish BoE expectations

Market mood turned negative as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on China, after the latter imposed export controls on rare earths.

Aside from this, the reunion between the opposing parties and French President Emmanuel Macron finished. France’s ecologist party’s Marine Tondelier said that Macron was ready to delay further application of pension reform. She added that she does not expect a premier from the left.

Meanwhile, Britain’s jobs market remains sluggish, as reported by a survey of recruitment companies. Uncertainty about UK public finances weighs on Sterling, as investors expect an increase in taxes so Chancellor Rachel Reeves could meet her fiscal targets.

From a central bank perspective, the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank (ECB) are expected to keep rates unchanged. Nevertheless, the former is expected to cut twice next year, while the ECB finished its easing cycle as confirmed by President Christine Lagarde, who said the disinflation process is over.

EUR/GBP Price Forecast: Technical outlook

The technical picture shows EUR/GBP might remain consolidating, even though the trend is slightly up. Bullish momentum diminished, and if sellers drive the pair below the 50-day SMA at 0.8677, they threaten to clear the latest cycle low seen at 0.8656, the October 8 low. A breach of the latter will expose 0.8600.

On the upside, if buyers claim 0.8700, they could test September’s high at 0.8751.

EUR/GBP daily chart

Pound Sterling Price This week

The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies this week. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.80%0.67%1.39%0.32%1.52%1.61%0.50%
EUR-0.80%-0.24%0.49%-0.52%0.67%0.75%-0.35%
GBP-0.67%0.24%0.83%-0.27%0.93%1.01%-0.10%
JPY-1.39%-0.49%-0.83%-1.01%0.08%0.14%-0.94%
CAD-0.32%0.52%0.27%1.01%1.23%1.28%0.19%
AUD-1.52%-0.67%-0.93%-0.08%-1.23%0.08%-1.01%
NZD-1.61%-0.75%-1.01%-0.14%-1.28%-0.08%-1.09%
CHF-0.50%0.35%0.10%0.94%-0.19%1.01%1.09%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).

Author

Christian Borjon Valencia

Christian Borjon began his career as a retail trader in 2010, mainly focused on technical analysis and strategies around it. He started as a swing trader, as he used to work in another industry unrelated to the financial markets.

More from Christian Borjon Valencia
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD: Bulls pray for a dovish Fed

EUR/USD has finally taken a breather after a pretty energetic climb. The pair broke above 1.1680 in the second half of the week, reaching its highest levels in around two months before running into some selling pressure. Even so, it has gained almost two cents from the late-November dip just below 1.1500 the figure.

GBP/USD trims gains, recedes toward 1.3320

GBP/USD is struggling to keep its daily advance, coming under fresh pressure and retreating to the 1.3320 zone following a mild bullish attempt in the Greenback. Even though US consumer sentiment surprised to the upside, the US Dollar isn’t getting much love, as traders are far more interested in what the Fed will say next week.

Gold: Bullish momentum fades despite broad USD weakness

After rising more than 3.5% in the previous week, Gold has entered a consolidation phase and fluctuated at around $4,200. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and revised Summary of Economic Projections, also known as the dot plot, could trigger the next directional move in XAU/USD. 

Week ahead: Rate cut or market shock? The Fed decides

Fed rate cut widely expected; dot plot and overall meeting rhetoric also matter. Risk appetite is supported by Fed rate cut expectations; cryptos show signs of life. RBA, BoC and SNB also meet; chances of surprises are relatively low. Dollar weakness could linger; both the aussie and the yen best positioned to gain further. Gold and oil eye Ukraine-Russia developments; a peace deal remains elusive.

Week ahead – Rate cut or market shock? The Fed decides

Fed rate cut widely expected; dot plot and overall meeting rhetoric also matter. Risk appetite is supported by Fed rate cut expectations; cryptos show signs of life. RBA, BoC and SNB also meet; chances of surprises are relatively low.

Ripple faces persistent bear risks, shrugging off ETF inflows

Ripple is extending its decline for the second consecutive day, trading at $2.06 at the time of writing on Friday. Sentiment surrounding the cross-border remittance token continues to lag despite steady inflows into XRP spot ETFs.