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.
The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.
In today’s news from the Capitals:
Turkey was never interested in the maritime border agreement between Albania and Greece but made a “really strong intervention” when it was signed, according to Albania’s then-prime minister and president Sali Berisha who gave an exclusive interview to EURACTIV. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU Commission ‘fully committed’ to fight anti-Muslim hatred but lacks coordinator. While Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment keeps growing across the EU, lawmakers have called on the European Commission to quickly appoint the EU coordinator to fight anti-Muslim hatred and step up efforts to tackle discrimination across the Union. Read more.
Brussels planning digital push to green the EU’s construction sector. The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector, with plans to set up a “European Construction Data Space” to pull together industry-generated information. Read more.
EU slashed gas consumption by 20% in August-November: Eurostat. European countries collectively reduced their gas consumption by 20.1% compared to the average of the same months between 2017 and 2021, according to figures released on Tuesday by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics body. Read more.
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PARIS
France more ready for winter than predicted, says grid operator. France is better prepared for the winter than what was expected at the start of autumn, according to French electricity grid operator RTE, which on Tuesday welcomed a drop in energy consumption and an increase in production potential. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany returns first Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock personally returned the first batch of 20 Benin bronzes from five German collections that were looted by British colonial forces from the former Kingdom of Benin, today’s Nigeria, in what she called a “long-overdue” step. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria still wary of newly agreed EU gas price cap. The recent agreement to cap gas prices in the EU at €180 per megawatt-hour (MWh) poses a risk to the security of supply in Austria, Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler said in Brussels after EU energy ministers reached a deal on the cap after months of negotiations. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch FM says secret Chinese police stations have shut down. Illegal and secret police stations operated by China that were first revealed in September have now shut down, said Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra on Tuesday, saying this had been confirmed by the Chinese Embassy to the Netherlands. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
UK ministers hail 30,000 extra tonnes of fish under post-Brexit deal. UK ministers have proclaimed that the latest fishing quota agreement with the EU will allow British fishers to catch 30,000 more tonnes of fish in 2023 than would have been possible before Brexit. Read more.
Patient safety at risk, UK ministers warned as healthcare staff strike. British health sector bosses warned the government on Tuesday of the risk to patient safety from a wave of industrial action as ambulance workers prepared to walk out and nurses threatened further strikes in a dispute over pay. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Athens under US-Russia pressure over sending S-300 missile system to Ukraine. The Greek government is facing a diplomatic deadlock as Washington is pushing Athens to send Russia-made anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 to Ukraine but keeps mum regarding replacing them with US-made Patriots. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain’s Sanchez vows to end deadlock caused by country’s highest court. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday vowed to adopt the necessary measures to lift the historic deadlock the Constitutional Court caused regarding reforming how judges are appointed and abolishing the crime of sedition. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal ‘stands by Romania’ in Schengen fallout. Portugal strongly backs Romania’s entry into the visa-free Schengen Area, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart, President Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Part of Slovakia’s ousted government tries to form new majority. Some members of the recently ousted cabinet of Prime Minister Eduard Heger want to form a new majority with Heger at the helm but without controversial Finance Minister Igor Matovič or Interior Minister Roman Mikulec, though most commentators believe this will likely fail. Read more.
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WARSAW
Polish parliament to grant amnesty to Poles illegally fighting for Ukraine since 2014. Polish lawmakers have signed a draft resolution that would grant amnesty to Polish citizens who illegally joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fight Russian forces in Eastern Europe since 2014. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech FM says Russia is isolating itself, even from China, India. Russia is increasingly isolating itself on the international scene, to some degree even from China and India, as it continues to bomb civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Jaroslav Kurfürst told EURACTIV.cz in an interview. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
PRISTINA
Belgrade fires mistruths at EU Presidency after Kosovo membership bid. As Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic claimed the Czech Presidency has washed its hands of Kosovo’s recent EU membership application, and stated that Hungary would also block its path, it seems the reality, according to those involved, is a little different. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria pushes for new EU-Turkey migrant summit. Bulgaria has offered to become the organiser and meditator of a migrant crisis-centred summit between the European Union and Turkey, Parliament Speaker Vezhdi Rashidov said after discussing the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania’s Berisha denies corruption, dismisses Western sanctions against him. Despite his fall from grace, former Albanian prime minister and president Sali Berisha is not hanging up his political boots. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, he staunchly denied any links with organised crime, and dismissed Western sanctions against him as unfounded. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: College of Commissioners convenes to present the Commission’s Recommendation on Union disaster resilience goals;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addresses the XV Conference of Ambassadors of Italy in the world;
- The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discusses the future of the economic governance framework and economic policy in the eurozone for 2023;
- EU Parliament Security and Defence subcommittee on an official visit to South Korea and Japan;
- A delegation of the International Trade Committee (INTA) visits Taiwan to discuss trade, investments;
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection delegation committee on an official visit to Ireland to assess trade evolution between the EU and post-Brexit UK, as well as the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland;
- Germany: 50th anniversary since East and West Germany recognised each other as sovereign states under the Basic Treaty;
- United States: End of Trump-era immigration policy;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
