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In today’s news from The Capitals:
EU INSTITUTIONS
While Germany’s new leftist breakaway party led by Sahra Wagenknecht soars with seven seats to the detriment of far-right AfD, Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia and France’s Rassemblement National are also on the rise, according to mid-February’s Europe Elects projections for Euractiv. Read more.
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BERLIN
Scholz prevented von der Leyen from NATO’s top job bid – media reports. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly opposed the idea of incumbent European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen running for NATO’s secretary-general post, according to German media. Read more.
Former German spy chief founds new right-wing party. A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a new right-wing party on Saturday, holding an inaugural party congress on a boat near Germany’s old capital Bonn. Read more.
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PARIS
Former EU border agency chief joins France’s far-right RN. The former director of the EU border agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, announced Saturday he had joined France’s far-right National Rally (RN). Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Let’s mind our own defence, not who sits in the White House, Dutch PM Rutte tells Europe. Europeans should focus on ramping up military capabilities and supporting Ukraine instead of worrying about who will be the next US president, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a top contender to be the next NATO chief, told Euractiv. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
VILNIUS
Lithuania’s President Nausėda on course to secure a second term. Lithuania’s incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda is standing for re-election on 12 May, and the latest poll puts him well ahead of potential challengers with 30% support, while the runner-up, Christian Democrat Ignas Vegele, is polling at 16%. Read more.
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COPENHAGEN
Denmark will send its ‘entire artillery’ to Ukraine. Denmark will send its entire stock of ammunition to Kyiv, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced, becoming the first to do so and appealing to other European nations to do more to help Ukraine. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italian politics mourns Navalny after Salvini’s Lega first refused to point fingers. Italy’s political parties will participate in a procession in memory of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who was reported dead on Saturday, though Matteo Salvini’s Lega, known for its pro-Putin tendencies, first responded to the news by saying it did not want to “point any fingers”. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish government to meet opposition in Brussels to unblock top legal body. Spanish Justice Minister Félix Bolaños (PSOE/S&D) and Partido Popular’s Vice-Secretary for Institutional Action, Esteban González Pons, will meet again in Brussels on Monday with EU Justice Commissioner and mediator Didier Reynders, to try to broker the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), Spain’s highest judicial body, which has been operating on an interim basis for more than five years. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
WARSAW
Polish FM Sikorski floated as a potential EU defence commissioner as agri commissioner faces critique. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski is being floated as a possible candidate to head the new EU Defence Commissioner portfolio, while Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski faces troubled waters amid ongoing bloc-wide farmers’ protests. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czechia could send 800,000 ammunition units to Ukraine if funding secured. The Czech Defence Ministry and local industry have identified 800,000 units of available ammunition that could be delivered to Ukraine within weeks, Czech President Petr Pavel announced on Saturday, with Defence Minister Jana Černochová adding that the deal would only go ahead if funding were secured. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
In unusual move, China offers to back Hungary in security matters. China offered to support long-time strategic partner Hungary on public security issues, going beyond trade and investment relations, during a rare meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, just as NATO struggles to expand its network in Europe. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
ZAGREB
Croat opposition demands election as thousands rally at anti-government protests. Thousands gathered in the centre of Zagreb on Saturday to join a protest organised by left-wing and centrist parliamentary parties, both opposing the policies of ruling HDZ leader and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and calling for early parliamentary elections. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia’s Vučić presents anti-drone system acquired from Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić unveiled the Repellent anti-drone system, acquired from Russia, on Statehood Day, adding that combat vehicles and infantry equipment had also been purchased and would be incorporated into the Serbian Armed Forces’ arsenal. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Foreign Affairs Council convenes to discuss situation in Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Sahel, and more;
- Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič delivers keynote speech at high level conference on “Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change”;
- Vice President Dubravka Suica participates in multilateral meeting with Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy representative, UNICEF, UA and US Embassy in Poland representatives, in Warsaw;
- Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosts Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag; Visits Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) with Climate Action Commisssioner Wopke Hoekstra;
- International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen signs Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Raw Materials with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda Vincent Biruta; Meets with United Nations Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner; Gives opening address at EU-UNDP Strategic Dialogue; Signs EU-Ivory Coast Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade with Minister of Water and Forests of Ivory Coast Laurent Tchagba;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with Euractiv
Serbia’s Vučić presents anti-drone system acquired from RussiaSerbian President Aleksandar Vučić unveiled the Repellent anti-drone system, acquired from Russia, on Statehood Day, adding that combat vehicles and infantry equipment had also been purchased and would be incorporated into the Serbian Armed Forces’ arsenal.
Source: euractiv.com