France and Germany ‘agree to disagree’ on EU-Mercosur deal

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

PARIS

France’s Gabriel Attal was in Berlin on Monday to meet with his German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, to deepen both countries’ ties, but the meeting laid bare deep disagreements on the EU-Mercosur trade deal. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Far-right ID party faces unity test as it scrambles to get a seat at the table. The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) party, recently plagued by major infighting, is looking to patch up the bonds between its national parties in preparation for a European Parliament that will likely veer to the right following the EU elections. Read more.

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BERLIN

East German state premier blames US for solar industry malaise. Saxony prime minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU/EPP) blamed the USA’s ‘protectionism’ against China for the current malaise of European solar manufacturers, arguing that it proves the necessity of an independent trade policy approach towards China. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Sweden’s NATO bid: Orbán’s Fidesz boycots extraordinary parliamentary session. Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party boycotted an extraordinary parliamentary session called by the opposition to vote on Sweden’s accession to NATO, as the Hungarian prime minister made clear he prefers to impose his own tempo. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Meloni in Tokyo as farmers arrive in Rome. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is in Tokyo for the handover of the G7 presidency, while thousands of farmers on tractors arrived to protest in Rome on Monday in response to Brussels’ agricultural policies. Read more.

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MADRID

Opposition claims government ‘influencing’ judiciary to allow Puigdemont’s return to Spain. The right-wing Partido Popular issued harsh accusations against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday, suggesting some official sectors are trying to influence the judiciary for the future amnesty law to allow former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and other separatist leaders to return to Spain as free individuals. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese ministers travel to Ukraine to discuss reconstruction, education. Foreign Affairs Minister João Gomes Cravinho and Education Minister João Costa arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning for a two-day visit and will be received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and their counterparts to discuss the war, reconstruction, and education. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

PRAGUE

Czech media landscape shifts as Babiš’s sells media house. One of the largest publishing houses in the Czech Republic – Mafra – will no longer be owned by the Agrofert holding, whose beneficial owner is former prime minister Andrej Babiš, a positive step for Czech media, David Klimeš, director of the Czech Foundation for Independent Journalism, told Euractiv Czechia. Read more.

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WARSAW

Polish recovery plan needs renegotiation, says minister. The recovery and resilience plan needs to be renegotiated if Poland is to receive the money that has until now been frozen due to the rule of law concerns, Polish Development Funds and Regional Policy Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz told the press. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

High-ranking Bulgarian police officer arrested on suspicion of Russian espionage. A high-ranking official in Bulgaria’s anti-organised crime police service was arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia on Monday. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Milanović, Plenković in new row over proposed state attorney. President Zoran Milanović suggested that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković convene a meeting of the National Security Council, and although no specific reason was given, there is little doubt that the reason is the government’s proposal to appoint Judge Ivan Turudić as the new State Attorney, a proposal Plenković has publicly opposed. Read more.

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TIRANA | PRISTINA

Albanian prime minister defends Kosovo’s right to uphold constitution in dinar row. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has jumped to the defence of Kosovo, noting its right to enforce its own constitution in relation to new rules from the Central Bank, reinforcing that the euro is the only legal tender in the country. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chairs College of Commissioners meeting; Participates in Parliament’s plenary debates; Meets with Parliament’s Co-Chairs of the Greens/EFA Group Terry Reintke and Philippe Lamberts;
Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli participates in trilogue on proposed directive for combating violence against women and domestic violence;
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski meets with Parliament’s committee on agriculture and rural development coordinators;
Home Affairs Commissioner Yiva Johansson participates in trilogue on Schengen Borders Code;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides meets with Minister of Health of Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa;
Parliament’s plenary session votes on requests to waiver the immunity of Ioannis Lagos, Giorgos Kyrtsos, and Eva Kaili; Votes on union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications, waste electrical and electronic equipment, and more;
Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola meets with Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]