Italy’s Salvini sees ‘China-gate’ in electric cars push

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.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

ROME

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and far-right Lega leader Matteo Salvini suspect illicit complicity between the EU, Germany and China in favour of electromobility and against the Italian car industry. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Lawyer: Qatargate evidence called into question after top judge resigns. The resignation of top judge Michel Claise due to a conflict of interest puts the entire judicial investigation into the Qatargate corruption scandal into question, a Brussels-based lawyer told EURACTIV.com. Read more.

Has Europe´s largest political party gone rogue? The biggest group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European People’s Party, has recently adopted a more aggressive approach towards key legislative proposals, upsetting some of its lawmakers and putting the balance of the EU’s legislative machine at risk. Read more.

EU moves towards looser rules on certain gene edited crops. The European Commission is pushing for certain kinds of gene-edited plants to be treated as conventionally produced plants, according to a leaked draft of the EU executive’s upcoming proposal, garnering mixed reactions from stakeholders. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria wants to boost voice of EU’s neutral states in security debate. Neutral states in the EU, like Austria and Malta, need to be listened to on security matters, Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with her Maltese counterpart, Byron Camilleri, citing the now reduced number of conflict-neutral states. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany’s Scholz calls on China to lobby Russia for peace. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday called on China to lobby Russia to withdraw troops and end its war in Ukraine. Read more.

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PARIS

France, Italy look to boost cooperation, marking a thaw in relations. France and Italy will enhance their cooperation looking forward, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at a meeting in Paris on Tuesday, marking a thaw in relations. Read more.

French pensions reform won’t plug deficit: report. The controversial pensions reform that French President Emmanuel Macron forced through parliament in March will not close the pensions deficit as predicted by the government, France’s pensions watchdog found in a report. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch ports fall victim to Russia-friendly hackers again. The website of three Dutch and Belgian ports was rendered inaccessible by a hacker group sympathetic to Russia early on Tuesday, just two weeks after similar incidents. Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

LONDON

UK signs up for strengthening cooperation with Denmark. The UK and Denmark intend to strengthen cooperation on security, science and technology, illegal migration, trade, and climate change, a joint statement signed in London Tuesday reads. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

REYKJAVIK

Poll shows Icelanders more keen to join EU. More Icelanders are now in favour of joining the European Union, according to a new poll that marks a shift in thinking in the country at a time the government has signalled it may want better relations with the EU bloc. Read more.

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HELSINKI

Finnish left trade unions angered by new labour reform. Finland’s left-wing parties and trade unions are unhappy about the new right-wing Finnish government’s push to reform employment and social security legislation to boost jobs and growth. Read more.

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STOCKHOLM

Sweden to increase security checks for dual-citizens applying for jobs. Stricter security checks will be conducted on dual citizens or people with links to foreign countries who apply for sensitive jobs, the head of the Swedish Security Service announced Tuesday. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

MADRID

PP uncomfortable but compliant with VOXs gender violence negationism. Ahead of Spain’s elections on 23 July, the election campaign debates have focused on how far-right Vox (ECR) and right-wing PP (EPP) approach gender violence, where VOX denies its existence altogether and PP affirms it is a priority while slashing the term from coalition agreements. Read more.

Spain’s agri minister: EU’s green transition is not ‘left vs. right’ issue. It is a mistake to frame the green transition through the lens of right vs. left, according to Spain’s Agriculture Minister Luis Planas, who stressed the need to engage farmers in the process in an interview ahead of Spain’s turn at the helm of the rotating EU Council Presidency. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese can vote in any polling station in upcoming EU elections. Portuguese voters will now be able to vote at any polling station in the country, and at posts abroad, in the 2024 European elections, Portugal’s Internal Administration Minister José Luís Carneiro announced in Porto on Tuesday. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

Polish derogation from EU relocation scheme ‘half-truth’, sources say. Diplomatic sources deny Polish media reports quoting EU diplomats and experts as saying that Poland could possibly apply for a derogation to the EU relocation scheme Warsaw recently vetoed with Hungary. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Babiš’s ANO party cannot count on EU Parliament VP Charanzová in EU elections. Czech influential MEP Dita Charanzová (Renew), currently a vice-president of the European Parliament, will not be running for the European Parliament next year on behalf of ANO, the party of former prime minister Andrej Babiš. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak president will not seek re-election in 2024, cites personal reasons. Slovak President Zuzanna Čaputová will not enter the presidential campaign race in the hopes of getting re-elected for a second term in 2024, citing personal reasons related to the toll her role has taken on her and her family. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian government wants von der Leyen to resolve internal political disputes. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must resolve the internal Bulgarian political disputes about who should replace former EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, the government in Sofia said. Read more.

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BUCHAREST | CHISINAU

Romania supports Molodova’s EU accession talks, expects 2023 start. Providing support to Moldova in advancing towards EU accession talks remains a key priority of Romania’s foreign policy, Romania’s new Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu said on her first trip to Moldova on Tuesday, ahead of the European Commission’s presentation on Moldova’s EU progress on Wednesday. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatian PM promises safe nuclear waste storage despite Bosnian scepticism. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic promised the highest safety standards will be applied during the construction of Croatia’s first radioactive waste disposal site near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina after a joint session of Croatian and Bosnian governments in Zagreb, though Bosnia’s Foreign Trade Minister, Stasa Kosarac was reportedly less convinced. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

Slovenia extends fuel price regulation by another year. The Slovenian government has extended the existing system of partial regulation of motor fuel and heating oil prices for another year. Read more.

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BELGRADE | BUDAPEST

Serbia establishes joint gas company with Hungary. At the Strategic Council for Cooperation between Serbia and Hungary in Palić, an agreement was signed on the establishment of a joint venture for gas SERBHUNGAS d.o.o. between Srbijagas and the Hungarian electricity company. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Kurti ready to go to Brussels, Vucic yet to agree. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he is ready and interested to go to Brussels to discuss the ongoing situation in the north of Kosovo and the state of relations with Serbia, while President Aleksander Vucic has not demonstrated such enthusiasm. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albanian police raid Iranian opposition compound on terrorism suspicions. Albanian police raided the MEK compound outside of Tirana on the order of the country’s corruption and organised crime court, resulting in resistance from residents, one death and over 100 injured, with the Iranian group calling on the EU to intervene. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU:Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council convenes to discuss policy orientation in view of a future enlargement;
Stockholm Symposium on Democracy and the Rule of Law, organised by the Swedish Presidency, brings together experts from member states, EU institutions, international organisations, and civil society to debate on the route to counter democratic backsliding;
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers keynote speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2023) in London, hosted jointly by the United Kingdom and Ukraine;
Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans participates in high level event titled “A Transatlantic Conversation: Climate and Security – The New Nexus” with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell;
Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis holds meetings with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, UK Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch, World Bank Group Vice President Anna Bjerde; Participates in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23);
Vice President Maroš Šefčovič participates online in the Green Transition CEE 2023 International Summit;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson hold meeting with US Attorney General Merrick Garland;
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi hosts President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Oliver Röpke;
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski hosts President of the European State Forest Association Juha Niemelä;
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) conference on financing the reconstruction of Ukraine takes place in London, UK;
UN: Security Council meeting on the missions in Afghanistan, Gulf of Guinea;