Macron says ‘European political community’ no substitute to enlargement

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Editor’s take: Momentum for treaty change gains pace. There comes a moment when EU treaty change or something similar becomes inevitable. After the referendums in France and the Netherlands that nixed the Constitutional Treaty in 2005, there was a hiatus, referred to as ‘a period of reflection’, during which leaders worked out what to do.

Some leaders wanted the treaty reform process to die a quiet death. But the treaty’s advocates kept it on the table, and in early 2007, under the German presidency, came the impetus to salvage the substance of the text as an amending treaty. By the end of 2007, the negotiations on the Lisbon Treaty had been wrapped up. Read more.

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Celebrating 20 years of the Food Supplements Directive

EHPM is organising a high-level event in the European Parliament on 14 June to celebrate the accomplishments of the Food Supplements Directive and discuss the future of the sector, hosted by MEPs Pascal Arimont and Simona Bonafè.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

PARIS

The “European political community” complements the EU accession process and is not an “alternative”, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, following concerns by those in the EU waiting room that the idea could serve as a way to shut out countries from the bloc. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Scholz splits with EU Parliament socialists over ex-chancellor Schröder. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes a European Parliament resolution calling for former Social Democrat Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to be put on the EU sanctions list due to his ties to the Kremlin, drawing the line at the measures already taken by the German Bundestag. Read more.

Farming sector cautious about using CAP funds to drop Russian energy imports. Europe’s farming community gave a lukewarm reception to the possibility, suggested by the European Commission, of transferring up to €7.5 billion from the EU’s farming subsidies to the support measures aimed at overcoming dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Read more.

Expert: Cardiovascular diseases will only be improved with an EU-wide dedicated plan. EU policymakers should develop a more structured approach to improving cardiovascular diseases if the bloc wants to see tangible results in future healthcare, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, interim president of the European Heart Network (EHN) told EURACTIV in an interview. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austrian minister backs tripling of benefits only for Ukrainian refugees. The maximum bonus refugees receive on top of minimum benefits should only be raised for refugees from Ukraine and not elsewhere, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). Read more.

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BERLIN

EU-accession of Western Balkans ‘top of the agenda’ in Germany. Germany has made the EU integration of the Western Balkans a top priority for the government as their accession is geopolitically important for the EU, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday evening (19 May). Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch government opposes EU plans to bring in migrant workers. The Dutch government is against the European Commission’s plan to bring in more migrant workers from North Africa to help with staff shortages, Dutch broadcaster NOS reports. Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

DUBLIN

Ireland takes over pan-European human rights body presidency. Ireland will focus on protecting human rights in light of the Ukraine war and fostering a welcoming, inclusive and diverse Europe during its six-month stint at the helm of the Council of Europe (CoE), the region’s human rights body. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Swedish opposition calls for Turkey’s block on NATO talks to be ignored. Sweden should not give in to Turkish pressure, Liberal People’s Party MP Allan Widman told news agency TT on Thursday, citing Turkey’s threat to block accession talks for Sweden and Finland. Read more.

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HELSINKI

Finnish opposition get poll boost for backing NATO bid. The liberal-conservative National Coalition Party (NCP), a staunch advocate of NATO membership for the past 20 years and currently in opposition, has maintained and increased its lead in a new opinion poll. Read more.

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COPENHAGEN

NATO’s Stoltenberg visits Copenhagen amid NATO accession challenges. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday and addressed the latest challenges that the region is facing due to Sweden and Finland having recently applied for NATO membership. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Draghi asks coalition to approve recovery-linked reforms despite disagreements. Prime Minister Mario Draghi summoned a flash Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday to urge his government, that is split over arms supplies to Ukraine and beachside ownership, to approve reforms promised by Rome in its recovery plan approved by Brussels. Read more.

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MADRID

Former king returns to Spain in private jet after self-imposed exile. Spain’s former king, Juan Carlos I, returned to Spain in his private plane almost two years after leaving the country amid a tax fraud scandal, EFE reported on Thursday. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese PM tells troops in Romania they have to maintain peace in Europe. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa told his troops in Romania on Thursday that their main objective would be to maintain peace in Europe and stressed respect for international law and the defensive nature of NATO. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

Ukraine war hits Slovak economy hardest in EU. The Slovak economy suffered the most out of all EU countries from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a comparison of the February and May macroeconomic forecasts of the European Commission. Read more.

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WARSAW

Poland to receive most EU funds for helping Ukrainian refugees. The European Commission will grant Poland €144.6 million from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for helping refugees from Ukraine, while Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia will receive €39 million, €27 million, €21 million, and €15 million respectively. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechia’s Babis visits voters in caravan trip, says it’s no ‘campaign tour’. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš still refuses to say whether he is preparing his presidential campaign for next year’s elections although he was seen going across the country in his caravan to meet voters. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian PM says fighting corruption includes Russian influence. Fighting corruption includes tackling foreign influence, said Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov during a government business breakfast with the US Chamber of Commerce. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatia on course to meet euro criteria despite high inflation, says Bank governor. High inflation should not stop Croatia from meeting the convergence criteria and joining the eurozone next January, the governor of the Croatian National Bank, Boris Vujčić, said on Thursday, according to poslovni.hr. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

Slovenia asked to reduce diplomatic staff in Moscow. Russia formally demanded that Slovenia reduce the number of staff at its embassy in Moscow by four people on Thursday in response to a similar step Slovenia took in April. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Serbia expected to go with Michel’s European geopolitical community initiative. Serbia should support European Council President Charles Michel’s idea of a so-called ‘European Geopolitical Community’ “with great pleasure and great hope”, President Aleksandar Vučić told reporters after meeting Michel in Belgrade. Read more.

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TIRANA

World Vision report rings alarm bells for Albanian women, child empowerment. Albanian women and children are suffering from low levels of empowerment, a lack of freedom, and a concerning level of exposure to violence, according to the results of a survey by World Vision Albania. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Chief diplomat Josep Borrell chairs the foreign affairs Council on development.
EU development ministers’ informal lunch with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas participates in Latsis Conference on Migration and meets International Labour Organisation Director-General Guy Ryder.
Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans meets Estonian PM Kaja Kallas.
Commissioner Mairead McGuinness meets Spanish Central Bank Governor Pablo Hernández.
Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen meets UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous.
Commissioner Johannes Hahn meets Croatian PM Andrej Plenković.
Belgium: Belgian federal and regional leaders meet to discuss the possible lifting of the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani address a press conference.
Italy: Foreign ministers of the Council of Europe’s member states to discuss the situation in Ukraine during the annual session in Turin.
Serbia: Serbia’s European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimović to meet US Ambassador Christopher Hill and USAID’s acting director, Danny Robertson to sign the amendments to the agreements on assistance between the US and Serbia.