Spanish socialist heavyweights woo Catalan leader in Brussels

The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.

Today’s edition is powered by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

On a mission to reshape Europe – 14 November 2023

With the European elections, 2024 will be a decisive year for the EU. Join the launch of the FES Twelve Missions for a Progressive Europe on 14 November to discuss with Martin Schulz and other leading politicians how to improve EU citizens’ lives.

Today’s edition includes a corrected link for registration to the event.

In today’s news from the Capitals:

MADRID

Spain’s Socialist leaders are on course to accept the demands of Catalan separatists to give incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a second run at the premiership, with the PSOE’s third-in-command Santos Cerdán and Spain’s S&D leader Iratxe García meeting Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont in the European Parliament and Sánchez himself trying to convince party members of the move in a letter on Monday. Read more.

///

BERLIN

German economic outlook brightens as inflation eases. Germany’s economy is expected to recover in the coming months following an ongoing recession, with inflation dropping to 3% year-on-year in October, according to data published by the National Statistics Office on Monday. Read more.

///

PARIS

France detains Russian oligarch suspected of violating EU sanctions. French police detained EU-sanctioned Russian billionaire oligarch Alexey Kuzmichev on Monday, citing money laundering charges and a possible violation of EU sanctions. Read more.

///

BRUSSELS

Belgian liberals in turmoil as elections loom. Belgium’s Liberals have had a crisis-filled October on both sides of the linguistic divide, with a terrorist attack and questions over future leadership fuelling division at a time when Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has to lead Belgium into national and European elections, not to mention the upcoming six-month EU presidency stint. Read more.

///

THE HAGUE

Dutch parliament dismisses call for debate on UN Gaza ceasefire vote. The Dutch House of Representatives will not reconvene to discuss the cabinet’s decision to abstain in a vote on a UN resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel war after a motion by the Socialist Party (SP/EU Left) and the liberal D66 (Renew) failed to get enough support. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Meloni government presents PM power boost bill as part of ‘third republic’ push. The people could directly elect Italy’s future prime minister if a constitutional reform bill introduced on Monday by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government as part of her election promise to usher in a ‘third republic’ is signed into law. Read more.

///

MADRID

Spanish now world’s second-most spoken mother tongue: report. Spanish is the world’s second-most common mother tongue, with 500 million speakers, representing a quick growth that gives “reasons for pride” but “cannot mean complacency”, a new report by state-owned Instituto Cervantes revealed on Monday. Read more.

///

LISBON

Portugal’s Communist party rails against budget, airline privatisation. Portugal’s Communist Party leader Paula Santos has aimed Prime Minister António Costa for casting doubt on the future of national flag carrier TAP during the first reading of the 2024 state budget bill, reiterating her view of the airline’s strategic role and the need to keep it under public control. Read more.

///

ATHENS

Greek PM says no solution in Middle East without Hamas’ strategic defeat. There can be no solution to the ongoing Middle East crisis without first the “strategic defeat” of Hamas, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday, adding that the world can already start discussing who will govern Gaza soon. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

PRAGUE

Czech deputy FM slams UN over failed resolution. The Czech Republic was one of 14 countries to vote against the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamás, as the resolution did not reflect what he believes is Hamás’ goal of destroying Israel, Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jiří Kozák told Euractiv.cz. Read more.

///

WARSAW

Top private Polish radio station sponsored by state-owned petrol giant. The leading private radio station RMF FM has received money to promote the activities of Orlen S.A., one of Poland’s largest state-owned multinational oil refiners and petrol retailers, casting a shadow on the independence of the country’s media market. Read more.

///

BRATISLAVA

Fico sends ‘armada’ to border despite dwindling numbers. Prime Minister Robert Fico has sent drones, water cannons and police horses to the border, despite a predictable drop in irregular crossings due to colder weather, in what critics say is an attempt to take credit. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgaria has ‘carte blanche’ on using Russian gas tax cash, says EU Commission. Bulgaria can decide how it will be using the revenues it makes from the €10/MWh tax on Russian gas imports transiting through Bulgarian territory, the European Commission confirmed on Monday. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

Romania to build burn centres eight years after worst fire in history. Romania will get three specialised burn centres by 2025, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila announced on the eighth anniversary of the deadliest fire in Romania’s history that killed 65 people. Read more.

///

TIRANA

Albania taken off FATF grey list but money laundering concerns persist. Albania is no longer on the Financial Action Task Force ‘grey list’, which names countries where concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing are not adequately addressed by the authorities but stakeholders say the impacts of money laundering are still felt in the economy. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets with Montenegro President Jakov Milatović, caretaker Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, in Podgorica; Meets with Serbia President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, in Belgrade;
Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra meets COP28 President-designate Sultan Al Jaber, in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Attends roundtables “Mobilising for an Inclusive COP”, “Building Global Solidarity: Operationalising Loss and Damage Fund and Funding Arrangements”, “Towards a transformational Global Stocktake”;
Parliament President Roberta Metsola holds meetings with President of the Republic of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Assemblée Nationale Yaël Braun-Pivet;
Norway: Nordic Council prime ministers meet to discuss security and regional cooperation; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at session of Nordic Council;
Italy: First meeting of the Italian-French Border Cooperation Committee with Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani, French counterpart Catherine Colonna;
OECD: International Economic Forum on Africa takes place in Paris, France;
UN: Security Council meets on Ukraine;

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]