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In today’s news from the Capitals:
ROME
Russia’s mercenary Wagner group has put a $15 million bounty on Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto (FDI/ECR), who blamed the group for causing the increased migration wave to Italy, a report by the Italian intelligence services reads. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
SVB collapse has ‘limited’ impact on EU banks, Commission says. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US only has a “limited impact” on EU markets, and the EU banking sector remains “in good shape”, financial services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness told lawmakers on Wednesday. Read more.
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BERLIN
Industrial drop saves Germany’s compliance with 2022 climate targets. German industry reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2022 compared to the previous year, enabling the country to stay in line with its overall emissions target despite additional emissions caused by an increased reliance on coal-fired power generation. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria’s social democrats decide to hold leadership race. Following weeks of infighting, the Social Democrats decided on Friday to give its members the chance to select the party’s future leader before the summer, marking the start of a race between candidates for the top position. Read more.
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LUXEMBOURG
Grand Duke dismisses accusations of mistreatment. Grand Duke Henri dismissed accusations of staff mistreatment within the Grand Ducal Court when asked during a press conference at the end of his four-day Latvia trip on Wednesday. Read more.
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THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch regional elections send shockwaves. The 15 March regional elections in the Netherlands showed a historic success of the self-declared agrarian interest party BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), a relatively young party founded in 2019. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
UK expected to ban TikTok from government devices. The UK is expected to soon ban the Chinese social media app TikTok from government devices, following in the footsteps of the US, Canada, Denmark, Belgium and the EU institutions. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
COPENHAGEN
Danish centrist party joins EU’s Renew. The recently-founded Moderaterne centrist party of former prime minister and current Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen joined the Renew Europe political group in the EU Parliament as his son unexpectedly switched to another party. Read more.
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HELSINKI
Finland can’t donate high-speed trains to Ukraine. Finland will not be able to donate four of its Allegro high-speed trains to Ukraine following a recent request from Kyiv due to contractual restraints, it was announced. Read more.
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VILNIUS
China wants Russia to continue Ukraine war, says Lithuanian president. China’s role in Russia’s war in Ukraine is more destructive than constructive and aims to prolong the conflict, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
LISBON
Portugal hopes Spain will focus EU trade on ‘Atlantic side’. Spain taking over the EU Council presidency in July could create “new momentum” for EU trade policy, particularly with regard to the trade agreements with Mexico, Chile and Mercosur, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said on Wednesday. Read more.
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ATHENS
Greece’s lack of train investigation body ‘identified’, not addressed by EU. The European Commission has “identified” the lack of a permanent and independent railway accident investigation body in Greece since 2019 in violation of EU law, but no action was taken, and only in the aftermath of a train tragedy are the Greek authorities setting one up. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish employer’s associations reject ‘historic’ pension reform pact. Spain’s employers’ association CEOE rejected the ‘historic’ pension reform agreement, signed by the government and the country’s main trade unions on Wednesday despite the Commission previously giving its green light. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Slovakia joins ‘anti-combustion engine ban club’. Slovakia’s environment ministry must join Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic in opposing the EU’s de facto combustion engine ban from 2035, according to a resolution voted by Slovak lawmakers on Wednesday. Read more.
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WARSAW
Poland sentences activist for assisting woman to get abortion. A Polish court has sentenced pro-abortion activist Justyna Wydrzynska to eight months of community service for illegally helping another woman get an abortion, but the European Commission and Parliament have remained tight-lipped. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech courts convict nine people for endorsing Russian aggression. Czech courts have so far convicted nine people, most of whom received fines, for approving Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BUCHAREST
Romanian agriculture faces collapse amid mass Ukrainian grain imports. Farmers in countries neighbouring Ukraine, including grain-producing Romania, need help to compete with the proliferation of cheap grain from the war-torn state. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgarian government mulls one-time 33% tax on excess profits. Bulgaria’s caretaker government announced that it is looking into a windfall tax of up to 33% to drastically reduce the current budget deficit for the year announced just a few weeks before the elections. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croats are ‘the fattest nation’ in EU, health officials warn. Croats are the most overweight nation in the European Union, and the annual cost of treating related health conditions amounts to almost 3% of the GDP, an official of the national institute of public health (HZJZ) said on Wednesday. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian energy minister causes furore over new nuclear unit timeline. Environment, Climate, and Energy Minister Bojan Kumer sparked controversy after he brushed off the delayed plans to build the new unit at Slovenia’s sole nuclear power station. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Bosnia to get €70 million from EU for energy support, envoy says. The EU has earmarked €70 million for Bosnia-Herzegovina from its energy support package, most of which will be disbursed over the next two months to support vulnerable families and help companies improve energy efficiency, the EU envoy in the country said on Wednesday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian opposition faction registers coalition for local elections. Following a set of legal setbacks, Sali Berisha, the leader of one faction of the divided Democratic Party (PD) announced he will join with former president Ilir Meta for the upcoming local elections, formally registering with the country’s electoral commission at the eleventh hour. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Vice-President Schinas participates via videoconference in an exchange of views with the European Affairs Committee of the Assemblée Nationale
- Meeting of the College of Commissioners;
- Commissioner Mariya Gabriel delivers a keynote speech, via pre-recorded video message, at the “Business Lady Excellence 2023”
- Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski receives Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation;
- Germany: ECB press conference on eurozone monetary policy;
- Austria: UNODC publishes report on cocaine trafficking;
- Switzerland: Press conference of UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in Ukraine following Russian invasion;
- Greece: Workers to stage fresh strikes over rail crash;
- Poland: Czech President Petr Pavel visits;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
