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:
Former Italian MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri, the alleged mastermind behind the Qatargate scandal, has decided to collaborate with Belgian justice to shed light on the scandal, which has shaken the European Parliament.
Given that Panzeri will have to speak the truth to get a lesser sentence, Brussels stakeholders are already panicking about whose name could crop up and from which EU institution. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany picks ‘dark horse’ as defence minister. Boris Pistorius, Lower Saxony’s Social-Democrat interior minister, was appointed as Germany’s new defence minister on Tuesday, with his first test – Berlin debating the supply of heavy battle tanks to Ukraine – looming later this week. Read the full story.
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PARIS
Insolvency figures soar by 50% in France. In 2022, some 42,500 French businesses shut up shop, accounting for an almost 50% insolvency increase compared to 2021, according to a report by data analytics consultancy Altares. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria’s president, defence minister’s feud resurfaces before elections. A multi-year clash over a controversial posting between Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner and President Alexander Van der Bellen has reared its head as Lower Austria’s election is barely more than a week away. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch arrest suspected IS security boss. A man, who allegedly played an important role in the Syrian war on the side of terrorist organisations Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State, was arrested in Arkel, the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
Brexit cost 330,000 drop in UK labour force, new research finds. Brexit has resulted in the loss of 330,000 workers from the UK economy, according to new research published on Tuesday. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finland chosen as EU’s common reserve of rescue equipment, medical supplies. Finland is the chosen location for the EU’s first chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear strategic reserve, which will be funded €242 million by the Commission and will be ready by 2026. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italy to ban vaping indoors. Health Minister Orazio Schillaci announced new measures against traditional cigarettes and novel tobacco and nicotine products in a hearing before the Social Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday. Read more.
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MADRID
Anti-abortion plan endangers PP, far-right Vox coalition. A controversial initiative by far-right party Vox to help prevent abortions in Castilla-León has sparked a bitter controversy with the party’s local partner, centre-right Partido Popular (PP/EPP), and put both conservative formations on a dangerous collision course with the progressive Executive in Madrid. Read more.
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LISBON
Teachers demands are fair, says Portuguese president. Portugal’s teachers have several understandable and fair demands, said Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who called on the government and unions to establish a constructive dialogue and avoid a prolonged strike period. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Polish food smuggling to Kaliningrad flourishing despite sanctions. The food smuggling business is thriving between Poland and the Kaliningrad Oblast as Russian citizens grow increasingly frustrated over the lack of access to Western products because of sanctions, according to Polish media reports. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Ukraine needs more money than we expected, admits Czech minister. The EU sent Ukraine the first €3 billion from the €18 billion loan package, but some EU member states already see that this amount will not be sufficient, admitted Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS, ECR) on Tuesday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia likely to hold snap elections in September. Negotiations for snap elections have started after Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) failed to find a new majority in the National Council. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Risk of Russian sabotage in Bulgaria, warns leading investigative journalist. There is a risk of new Russian sabotage actions against the military industry of Bulgaria, Christo Grozev, leading journalist with the open-source investigative journalism group Bellingcat told members of the Bulgarian parliament. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Economists warn pay raises risk Slovenia’s fiscal stability. The recent increase in the minimum wage and mounting demands for higher pay in the public sector, most of which are being heeded, risk throwing the country’s public finances in disarray amidst a slowdown of economic growth, warn Slovenian economists. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Kurti warns of Serbian, Russian hegemony in Balkans, failure of Belgrade to distance from Milosevic. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti warned of ‘‘pan-Slavic hegemony” of Serbia and Russia in the Balkans and the failure of Belgrade to distance itself from Slobodan Milosevic, in an interview with Tages-Anzeiger. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian executives fear infectious diseases, cyberattacks in 2023. Infectious diseases and the lack of infrastructure to protect against cyber attacks are the two main fears of Albanian executives, according to the latest report of the Global Economic Forum, “Global Risks Report 2023.” Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen participates in the European Parliament plenary debate on the conclusions of the Council meeting of 15 December 2022;
- Vice President Frans Timmermans meets with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, in NATO premises, in Brussels, Belgium;
- Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides participates in the videoconference of G7 Health Ministers;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson addresses the European Parliament plenary session on the terrorist threats posed by far-right extremist networks defying the democratic constitutional order;
- Delegation of seven commissioners takes part in the World Economic Forum 2023, in Davos, Switzerland;
- European Parliament plenary session holds debates on the financial activities of the European Investment Bank, Uber’s former lobbying practices in the EU, and more; Votes on the election of a vice president to replace Eva Kaili;
- The European Data Protection Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski meets with Member of the European Central Bank’s Executive Board Fabio Panetta, in Frankfurt, Germany;
- Belgium: NATO military chiefs hold meeting;
- Switzerland: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres address World Economic Forum in Davos;
- Switzerland: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda take part in round table on security at World Economic Forum in Davos;
- Switzerland: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets China’s Vice Premier Liu He;
- Russia: Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov holds annual press conference;
- United States: Secretary of State Antony Blinken receives Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu;
- UN: Security Council holds meeting on Middle East situation;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
