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.
The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.
In today’s news from the Capitals:
TIRANA
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is set to meet NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels this week amid plans to turn a port on the country’s Adriatic coast into an Alliance naval base.
This comes just months after work started to convert a former base full of ex-Soviet planes in ‘Stalin City’, now Kucova, into a NATO airbase. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany fears full Russian gas phaseout ahead of Nord Stream 1 switch-off. Policymakers and stakeholders in Germany fear the 10-day maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will lead to an indefinite stop in Russian gas flows. Read more.
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PARIS
Macron at centre of Uber Files investigation. French President Emmanuel Macron backed the economic development of US company Uber in France and signed a secret “deal” when he was economy minister between 2014 to 2016, an international media investigation known as the “Uber Files” published on Sunday reveals. Read more.
Le Pen says Macron ‘bought his way through’ the election. Emmanuel Macron, who won the presidential election in April, did so by buying his way through the election, far-right rival Marine Le Pen said on Sunday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian chancellor visits Israel to deepen ‘close relations’, discuss gas. Chancellor Karl Nehammer will visit Israel on Monday alongside two ministers to discuss security, energy cooperation, Russia’s war on Ukraine and sign a strategic partnership treaty. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
Field of 11 candidates vie to replace Johnson. An increasingly crowded field of candidates is assembling to contest the Conservative party leadership ahead of the first votes to whittle down the candidates to replace Boris Johnson to take place this week. Read more.
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DUBLIN
Opponents vie for independents’ support as no-confidence vote looms in Dublin. Independent Irish lawmakers have been the objects of lobbying in recent days ahead of a vote of no-confidence in the government scheduled for this week. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finns would like to see more Russian sanctions. As the war in Ukraine rages on and energy prices increase, most Finns want Russia to face even stricter sanctions, recent polls show. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Rome fires mount pressure to diffuse ‘ecological bomb’. Rome was struck by a major fire on Saturday, the fourth in less than a month, prompting the centre-right, which also criticised the city’s long-standing waste management problem, to call for a state of alert for the city. Read more.
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MADRID
Pride march returns to Madrid after two-year hiatus. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Madrid was greeted by the LGBTIQ pride march on Saturday with the motto “in the face of hate: visibility, pride and resilience”. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal gets two Spanish aircraft as part of EU scheme to help fight wildfires. The European Commission on Sunday sent two Spanish aircraft to fight the wildfires in Portugal, which had activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the EU executive announced. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Polish liberals’ social turn leaves opponents unconvinced. Representatives of the largest opposition party, the liberal Civic Platform (PO), are increasing socially-sensitive policies despite having previously criticised left-leaning social solutions, but many are unconvinced. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech ministers saddened by recall of Ukrainian ambassador. Several Czech ministers said they were saddened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to recall his Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Yevhen Perebyinis, saying he should have kept his post for longer because of the war in Ukraine. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia no longer among worst countries on EU funds absorption. Slovakia no longer ranks second-to-last in EU fund absorption as was the case during the 2014-2020 programming period, now ranking 21st above countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, according to Deputy Prime Minister Veronika Remišová. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
LJUBLJANA
Slovenia relaxes biofuel rules to fight price surge. Fuel retailers will have greater leeway in determining how much biofuel they add to their fuels under an amended regulation on renewable sources in transport the government adopted to help keep fuel prices in check. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgarian drivers to receive 13 euro cents per litre rebate. A rebate of 13 euro cents per litre will apply to the fuel price from Saturday, with most large gas station chains announcing that the discounts they give regular customers will still apply. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Flow of goods between Croatia and Serbia facilitated by chambers of commerce. The crossing of trucks across the Serbian-Croatian border has been made easier by the expert teams of the Serbian and Croatian chambers of commerce facilitating the flow of goods, the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Cadež, said on Friday. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
EU representatives say Europe failed to prevent Srebrenica genocide. The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi have spoken out on the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre at the hands of Bosnian Serbs in 1995, calling it a failure and shame of Europe. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Kosovo’s cafes, bars, restaurants must now provide tap water free of charge. All cafes, bars and restaurants in Kosovo must now provide customers with drinking water free of charge, following a government decision. Read more.
Agenda:
- EU: EU home affairs ministers meet, with Ukrainian and Moldovan counterparts.
- EU Court of justice to hear the case brought by representatives of the European Super League, claiming UEFA has an illegal dominant position on the market.
- European Parliament Committee meetings.
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with CEOs of various German companies while Energy Minister Robert Habeck meets with Czech counterpart Síkela in Prague.
- Nord Stream 1 pipeline closes temporarily for annual maintenance.
- Czech Republic: Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Funeral of 50 identified victims of Srebrenica genocide, on 27th anniversary of the massacre.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Maksimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Eleonora Vasques]
Source: euractiv.com
