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In today’s news from the Capitals:
BERLIN
A collaboration between socialists and conservatives to form a coalition government in Greece after the 21 May elections would not be a good option for the Mediterranean country, especially after a wiretapping scandal which has been shaking Greek politics for months, German MEP Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV.de in an interview. Read more.
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MEP CORNER
The 150 lawmakers fighting for LGBTI rights in the EU Parliament. The LGBTI Intergroup at the European Parliament watches over member states and the Commission closely while also influencing legislative files ‘to make sure the LGBTI community is not forgotten’, Greens/EFA MEP and co-President of the LGBTI Intergroup Kim van Sparrentak told EURACTIV. Read more.
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PARIS
Russia slams French parliament for calling Holodomor ‘genocide’. The French Senate adopted a resolution recognising the Holodomor famine as genocide in a move that ‘rewrites history’, said the Russian Embassy in France on Thursday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Vienna divided over demining aid for Ukraine. As a constitutionally neutral country, Austria has not restricted itself to humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine but has not gone further than delivering helmets, however, leading members of the two government parties are split on whether demining Ukrainian territories would violate the neutrality principle. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Netherlands: no Agriculture Accord reached despite 24-hour negotiations. Farmers’ representatives and the Dutch government still have not agreed on the proposed Agriculture Accord, which seeks to lay out the blueprint for the future of the country’s agrarian sector, despite negotiations lasting nearly 24 hours. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
NORDICS | HELSINKI
Nordic countries wait for EU instructions before granting Russian escapees asylum. Nordic countries are coordinating their policy concerning Russian citizens escaping military service and are waiting for guidance from the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Read more.
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REYKJAVIK
Council of Europe Summit’s cost for Iceland still unknown but ‘within budget’. The cost of the European Council summit for Iceland is not yet known but is believed to be within the budget, the Icelandic Office of the Police Inspector General revealed on Thursday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Spain violated Catalan independentist leader’s political rights, UN rules. Spain violated current MEP and former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s political rights – and those of his constituents – by stripping him of his regional parliamentary seat, the UN Human Rights Committee ruled on Thursday. Read more.
Spanish court opens investigation into alleged postal voting fraud. A local court in the autonomous Spanish city of Melilla, on the North African coast, has opened an investigation into an alleged case of postal voting fraud after an unusual number of people requested documentation for remote voting in the regional and municipal elections on 28 May. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Polish ruling camp restarts capital punishment debate. Following the gruesome death of an eight-year-old child at the hands of his stepfather, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reopened the topic of reinstating the death penalty, with over half of Poles supporting the idea despite the legal impossibility of implementing it. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech experts: Ukraine war has not changed EU view on migration. Migration has become so politicised in recent decades that even the successful integration of refugees from Ukraine will not change the European approach to people from other continents, according to the predictions of Prague-based experts. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Future Bulgarian government looks for five votes. Former EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel is looking for five votes in parliament to become prime minister. She has the support of 116 deputies from GERB, DPS and ITN but has until next Wednesday to find the remaining votes before facing the problem of Ivan Geshev. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania, Republic of Moldova to expand Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline. The Romanian and Moldovan governments signed a memorandum about the interconnection of natural gas and electricity networks between their countries, through the expansion of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbian farmers protest for better milk prices. Farmers across Serbia have been protesting for two days after representatives of several agricultural associations met with government officials to voice their concerns over the prices they get for milk. Read more.
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TIRANA
Greek FM calls for release of Greek mayor in Albania, threatens to take matter to EU. The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, repeated the call to the Albanian authorities to release Fredi Beleri, the winner of the elections in the Municipality of Himara while threatening to put the issue on the EU agenda. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen represent the EU at the G7 summit hosted by this year’s Japanese G7 presidency in Hiroshima; Agenda highlights include Russia’s war against Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, climate & energy, and more;
- Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis participates in high level roundtable titled “Strengthening EU-Central Asia Trade and Economic Relations” in the context of EU-Central Asia Economic Forum that takes place in Kazakhstan; Holds bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov;
- Portugal: Foreign Affairs Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba meet;
- Poland: Chinese special envoy Li Hui on official visit;
- Russia: Armenian Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov hold meeting;
- Saudi Arabia: Arab League Summit;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with EURACTIV
Greek FM calls for release of Greek mayor in Albania, threatens to take matter to EU
Source: euractiv.com
