Commission removes Holocaust remembrance video following Polish backlash

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

WARSAW

The video released by the European Commission to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Saturday has sparked a backlash in Poland, prompting the EU executive to remove the social media post, which Warsaw said was misleading. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

EU backs setting aside frozen Russian assets profits for Ukraine. EU member states on Monday unanimously agreed to set aside billions of euros of windfall profits from Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe as a first step towards their use for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Read more.

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BERLIN

AfD dismisses mass protests as ‘last-ditch effort’ to keep them from power. The recent large-scale protests against right-wing extremism are being dismissed by the AfD party, which remains unfazed and sees this as a desperate “last-ditch effort” to sway public opinion ahead of crucial elections. Read more.

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PARIS

Far-right asks French government to ‘giving up the Green Deal’. In an interview on RMC on Monday, Jordan Bardella, head of the Rassemblement National list for the European elections, said he expected Gabriel Attal’s government to give “up the Green Deal”, proof for the opposition, the party is climate sceptical. Read more.

France reaffirms opposition to EU-Mercosur deal as farmers’ protests mount. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and MPs from all sides of the political spectrum have reaffirmed France’s opposition to the EU-Mercosur deal in a timely political move as farmers fiercely opposing the deal have stepped up protests and plan to march on Paris. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Meloni’s government pledges to prioritise African development during mandate. The Italian G7 Presidency kicked off with an Italy-Africa summit in Rome, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) pledging to make African development a central theme of its mandate through the Mattei Plan. Read more.

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MADRID

Last chance for Spanish government to amend controversial amnesty law. The controversial amnesty law to pardon separatist leaders and their supporters for unlawful actions that took place between 2012 and 2023 will be facing its final amendment debate in the Spanish parliament on Tuesday. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

Former Romanian intelligence director accuses far-right leader of serving Putin’s Interests. AUR Senator Claudiu Târziu deliberately chooses topics in line with Hungarian far-right politicians while serving the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Romanian Intelligence Service Director Eduard Hellvig wrote on social media on Monday. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatian courts flooded with human trafficking cases, local media report. Croatia’s criminal justice system is swamped with human trafficking cases, representing nearly 15% of the cases that went through the country’s entire prison system in 2022, justice ministry data shows, Večernji List daily reported on Monday. Read more.

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BELGRADE

EU’s Lacjak on mission to placate Belgrade after Kosovo’s euro-only announcement. EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has embarked on a mission to defuse tensions between Serbia and Kosovo following Kosovo’s announcement that it will only accept the euro within its borders, which began in Belgrade on Monday and will continue in Pristina on Tuesday, EU spokesperson Peter Stano has confirmed. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania’s highest court narrowly rules Italy migrant deal constitutional. Albania’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the deal signed with Italy to allow the processing of migrants picked up in the Mediterranean by Italy in the northern coastal town of Shëngjin is in line with the constitution. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Informal meeting of defence ministers expected to address pressing security challenges, collaborative defence projects, and more;
Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová speaks at FTxGoogle event on “A Collaborative Approach to AI Implementation and Regulation: Unlocking the benefits in a safe, responsible and competitive way”;
Vice President Dubravka Šuica receives President of Government of Catalonia Pere Aragones, President of Basque Country Inigo Urkullu;
Vice President Margaritis Schinas delivers introductory remarks at Belgian Presidency’s high level conference on mental health and work; Gives closing speech at Global Getaway Investors Forum;
Vice President Maroš Šefčovič hosts delegation from Irish Parliament’s EU Affairs Committee; Receives representatives from Green 10 coalition of environmental organisations;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides hosts President of European Breast Cancer Coalition Stella Mastora; Receives representatives of Childhood Cancer International Europe;
Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič in Chad: meets President and Chairman of the Transitional Military Council Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno and Prime Minister Succès Masra;
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi holds meetings with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Brkić and former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko;
Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit hosts Chair of the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness Yves Leterme; Joins trilogue on platform work directive;
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton in Washington, Unites States: participates in the EU-US Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Meeting;
Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson meets with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia Herzegovina Josip Brkić;
Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra receives Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance of the United Kingdom Martin Callanan;
Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets Speaker of Danish Parliament Søren Gade;