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.
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
BRATISLAVA
Close to half of respondents in Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia still do not place primary responsibility on Russia as the party responsible for the war in Ukraine, a new survey from Bratislava-based think tank GLOBSEC found. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
European Parliament closes doors on Russian lobbyists. Representatives of Russian companies, many with ties to the Kremlin, are no longer allowed to enter European Parliament premises according to a decision taken by President Roberta Metsola on Thursday. Read more.
European liberal alliance backs membership for Zelenskyy’s party. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has secured another boost to his EU aspirations after his party was approved as a member of the European liberal party on Thursday (2 June). Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch intelligence service allegedly uses Pegasus hacking software. The General Intelligence and Security Service allegedly used hacking software from the Israeli supplier NSO Group, Dutch broadcaster Volkstkrant reported Thursday after interviewing anonymous sources. Read more.
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BERLIN
German Bundestag to investigate botched Afghanistan evacuation. German lawmakers have agreed to launch an inquiry committee that will examine the withdrawal of German troops and the unsuccessful evacuation of local support staff from Afghanistan in June 2021. Read more.
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PARIS
French PM prepares ‘emergency law’ for climate, reducing Russian fuel. New Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is preparing an “emergency law” to tackle global warming and reduce France’s Russian fossil fuel dependence, she announced Thursday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian government mulls delaying carbon tax implementation. The government is again considering whether to postpone the start date for implementing the carbon tax until October, due to high energy prices and growing criticism. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finland preparing for new South African COVID variant. Finland is boosting its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in preparation for the new COVID-19 BA.5 variant first detected in South Africa in January which has now hit the country. Read more.
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STOCKHOLM
Swedish right-wing party wants to cap benefits from fourth child. The right-wing Moderate Party wants families to stop receiving benefits from their fourth child to help integrate and reduce crime, party leader Ulf Kristersson told the newspaper Aftonbladet in an interview on Thursday, mainly targeting women with a migrant background. Read more.
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Swedish PM threatens resignation if justice minister does not survive confidence vote. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said she would resign if Justice Minister Morgan Johansson is defeated in the upcoming no-confidence vote put forward by the far-right Democrats of Sweden, Radio Ekot reported. Read more.
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COPENHAGEN
Denmark expected to join EU defence cooperation within month. The foreign ministry expects Denmark to join the European Security and Defence Cooperation on 1 July, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Thursday in a press release after about two-thirds of Danes backed such a move in Wednesday’s referendum. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italian minister raises idea of new European migration policy. The idea of a new European migration policy was floated by Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese during an interview ahead of the Med5 summit that gathers Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish unemployment falls below 3 million-mark for the first time since 2008. The number of Spain’s unemployed fell below the three million mark for the first time since December 2008, while employment grew, official figures found. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal restricts indoor smoking as of 2023. Smoking indoors will only be allowed in places such as restaurants, bars, and nightclubs from January next year if they have an area equal to or greater than 100 square metres and a minimum ceiling height of three metres, according to a new decree published on Thursday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Outrage over unregulated surrogacy sector errupts in Czechia. A new investigation has shed light on Czechia’s unregulated surrogacy industry, with at least 30 babies being born in Prague by surrogate, and then passed to foreign parents in the last three years. Read more.
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WARSAW
Poland to receive €35.4 billion if it proves that the judiciary is reformed. The European Commission approved the €35.4 billion recovery plan for Poland, but the funds will only be disbursed if Warsaw upholds reforms to the judiciary, the Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday (2 June). Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BELGRADE
Vucic says planned Lavrov visit to Belgrade getting complicated. The planned visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Belgrade announced for 7 June by the media is becoming complicated, particularly when it comes to how he will arrive, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Thursday. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria will never negotiate with Gazprom again. Bulgaria will never negotiate with Russian energy giant Gazprom ever again, Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev told parliament on Thursday, adding that the contract with the company expires at the end of the year and that Russia unilaterally suspended supplies. Read more.
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Bulgarian Deputy PM apologises to Ukrainian refugees. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Kalina Konstantinova apologised to Ukrainian refugees in the country after she announced the scrapping of the government’s housing programme for the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees due to their attitude on Monday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Eyeing Bulgaria-Greece interconnector completion, Romania shops for Azerbaijani fossil fuels. Energy Minister Virgil Popescu is trying to persuade Azerbaijan to increase oil and gas deliveries to Romania in an attempt to diversify Romania’s energy resources as Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnector needed for LNG supply nears completion. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croatia to focus on railways, river cargo over next 10 years. Croatia plans to invest €3.5 billion in upgrading its railway traffic in the next ten years, with the other priority being river cargo transport, Transport Minister Oleg Butković said on Thursday, state broadcaster HRT reports. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian farmers receive lowest government subsidies in region. Albanian farmers receive 18 times less financial support from the state than other countries in the region, according to an analysis published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, leading to concerns about the distribution of EU funds. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: Trade and Telecommunications Councils.
- Pre-session briefing of next week’s European Parliament plenary session.
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson receives Chairman Frontex Board, Alexander Fritsch.
- Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas participates in the Bilderberg meeting in Washington D.C.
- Germany: Final vote in Bundestag on the 2022 budget.
- France: President Emmanuel Macron hosts UN special envoy on climate ambition and solutions Michael Bloomberg.
- Macron to lunch with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris.
- UK: Fifth anniversary of London Bridge attack, claimed by Islamic State group.
- Italy: MED5 Group summit in Venice. Interior ministers of Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus meet.
- Sweden: Climate activists protest in parallel to the Stockholm +50 summit.
- Slovakia: Interinstitutional Relations Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič participates in the GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum 2022.
- Czech Republic: Czech and Polish governments hold a joint meeting.
- Serbia: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias visits Serbia.
- Moldova: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visits.
- World: World Bicycle Day.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Eleonora Vasques, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
