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In today’s news from the Capitals:
SOFIA
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s name has been brought up in the latest Bulgarian political scandal after a five-hour recording – which includes former prime minister Kiril Petkov relaying a Schengen-related discussion with von der Leyen to his fellow party members – was released by Change Continues MP Radostin Vassilev. Read more.
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EDITOR’S TAKE
In what appears to be another invective against the free press, a Greek newspaper published a report this weekend linking EURACTIV with “foreign intelligence” circles and certain political parties in Greece. We state clearly, that as always, the core of our reporting is “independent and free from bias”, and we express our concern and deepest dismay at the unfounded, defamatory, and highly speculative report in Athens that fell well short of good journalistic standards.
We have absolute trust in our journalists and will by no means allow any kind of intimidation aimed at preventing us from doing our job. We will continue to report on political events in Greece objectively and constructively, believing that this is the only way to strengthen democracy and the media in the country.
If the author had contacted EURACTIV before the publication, we would have let them know that the structure of our media network is based on having entities in several European countries with full editorial independence.
Regarding Yiannis Roubatis, a former MEP and journalist mentioned in this report, while he had indeed helped EURACTIV Greece set up its editorial team more than one decade ago, he has never been involved in the editorial operations of EURACTIV.com.
Over the last decade, he contributed several Op-Eds as thousands of politicians, journalists, analysts, businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders across Europe have been doing for 20 years.
Last but not least, Yiannis left EURACTIV Greece more than ten years ago and no longer has any formal or informal ties with it. Any and all of this could have been explained if EURACTIV had been approached for comment, which is itself a standard practice when producing trustworthy journalism.
The never-ending fight for democracy, the rule of law and the free press should keep us all united, from political parties to journalists, and we shall always support reporters in doing their job professionally and objectively.
Zoran Radosavljevic | EURACTIV.com Editor-in-chief
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU Commission expects first bloc-wide AI law to be adopted this year. The EU Commission expects agreement in the European Union this year on the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) law, although it admits the new rules will not come into force until 2025, according to Digital Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in an interview. Read more.
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BERLIN
Turkish elections leaves German left disappointed. The outcome of the presidential election in Turkey, in which incumbent Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prevailed, disappointed German politicians. Read more.
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PARIS
France launches campaign for women’s safety. France will launch a major operation for women’s safety, which includes recommendations and preventative measures for witnesses and victims of assault, on Tuesday, announced French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Read more.
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VIENNA
Right-wing coalition to govern in Salzburg gives foretaste of upcoming elections. The centre-right ÖVP will govern with the far-right FPÖ in Salzburg in what many observers view as a surprise move that could give a foretaste of the legislative elections next year. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch police union frustrated by lack of prosecution following climate protests. The Dutch Police Union criticised the Public Prosecution Service for not prosecuting the overwhelming majority of climate protesters arrested during the mass protest organised by the environmental group Extinction Rebellion in The Hague on Saturday. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
UK to boost tech and innovation ties with India. Strengthening science, research, and innovation links are at the top of Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad’s agenda during his visit to India from 27-31 May to accelerate science and technology ties. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finnish coalition talks back on track after migration agreement. The Swedish People’s Party agreed to the migration policy proposed during government negotiations subject to minor adjustments, according to future Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, after heated debates and a walk-out threatened the stability of Finland’s new formation. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Blow for the socialist party in local elections; alliances with the far-right VOX. Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP/EPP) got the most votes in seven of the country’s 10 big cities in Sunday’s local elections, obtaining pluralities or majorities in Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Malaga, Murcia and Palma. However, it would have to forge coalitions with the far-right party VOX in some regions. Read more.
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ROME
Italy to meet national recovery plan deadlines, says government. Italy will meet the national recovery plan deadlines set by Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto said after the Italian Court of Auditors criticised the government for delays. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Most Poles against scrapping EU unanimity voting. Most Polish people oppose ending unanimity voting in the EU, and only one-tenth support the idea, according to poll results by the Social Changes Institute, published by wPolityce.pl on Sunday. Read more.
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PRAGUE
ALDE bureau to assess Czech party’s commitment to core liberal values. Czech ANO party leader Andrej Babiš’s participation at a conservative conference in Budapest was condemned by the ALDE Party Bureau, which will analyse ANO’s commitment to core liberal values, according to a statement from the ALDE Party on Sunday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Russia tried to influence Slovak elections, says ex-minister. Intelligence services uncovered a Russian attempt to rig upcoming parliamentary elections in Slovakia in favour of the Smer party, claimed former defence minister Jaroslav Naď in a TV interview. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
LJUBLJANA
Slovenia passes law to accelerate e-mobility. The Slovenian parliament passed a law providing opportunities for significant expansion of infrastructure for alternative fuels and faster uptake of electric vehicles. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Vučić resigns as head of party as anti-government, anti-violence protests continue. A turbulent political weekend saw President Aleksandar Vučić announce his resignation as head of SNS at the party’s rally as a fourth anti-government ‘Serbia against Violence’ protest occurred. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Kosovo steadfast over mayor action despite international criticism. The international community’s reactions have caused a stir in Kosovo after tensions with Serbia rose on Friday after newly elected mayors in the north of Kosovo entered municipal buildings to start their work following recent local elections. Read more.
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TIRANA
‘Pointless’ UK-funded ad campaign launched to dissuade Albanian asylum seekers. The British Home Office has launched a new advertising campaign across Albanian social media platforms to deter Albanians from migrating to the UK after 2022 saw record numbers seeking asylum in the country, but it has been dubbed as pointless by critics. Read more.
AGENDA:
- SLOVAKIA: GLOBSEC 2023 forum starts in Bratislava, with Emmanuel Macron, Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen attending;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with EURACTIV
Kosovo steadfast over mayor action despite international criticism
Source: euractiv.com
