Bulgarian PM labels pro-Russian party as neo-fascist

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

SOFIA

The radical pro-Russian party Vazrazhdane is a neo-fascist organisation because of the aggressive behaviour of its leader and supporters, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov declared on Tuesday (27 June), ahead of his first visit to Brussels. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

EPP keeps distance from far-right Valencia parliament chief. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) wants to keep its distance from the new anti-abortion chief of the Valencia regional government (far-right Vox), elected with the votes of Partido Popular, an EPP member. Read more.

German MEP: EPP election strategy also targets EU development policy. The European People’s Party (EPP) is already in the middle of its election campaign and is not stopping at targeting development policy, said leading MEP Udo Bullmann, adding that “basic ideological blockades” are being drawn up. Read more.

EU Parliament committee calls for criminalisation of prostitution clients. In a move highly criticised by the European Sex Workers Alliance, the European Parliament committee on women’s rights voted in favour of a report calling on member states to decriminalise women in prostitution, while criminalising their clients. Read more.

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PARIS

France lags in medicine production. France is lagging Germany, Italy and the UK in the race to produce medicines, which is detrimental to patient health, according to a report by Entreprises du médicament en France (Leem), published on Tuesday. Read more.

French media coverage of the EU is improving, but remains limited. Coverage of European issues has increased in French broadcast media due to the war in Ukraine but remains limited, according to the Fondation Jean-Jaurès think tank, which proposes binding targets to increase reporting. Read more.

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BERLIN

Most German weapons exports sent to Ukraine in 2023. German weapon exports amounted to €4.46 billion in the first half of 2023, a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2022, with Ukraine receiving €4.42 billion in military assistance. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria’s EU minister calls for change of direction in migration policy. EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler spoke out in favour of a shift in the EU’s migration policy direction, saying the recent deadly migrant shipwreck in Greece is not the way. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Belgium to criminalise conversion therapy. Belgium’s parliamentary Justice Committee on Tuesday approved a law proposal to criminalise conversion therapies for LGBTQIA+ people and give out prison sentences and fines for people who use conversion practices. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch MEP Sophie In’t Veld’s rocky path to Volt electoral lists. Sophie In’t Veld quit the D66 party and has taken a step forward to renew her mandate as MEP with pan-European party Volt, but her way onto the electoral lists will be rocky as she does not meet requirements, and the party’s leadership needs to grant her an ‘exceptional’ exemption. Read more.

UK & IRELAND

LONDON

UK to sign financial services agreement with EU. A Memorandum of Understanding on financial services, which sets out plans for UK-EU cooperation, is expected to be signed by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt during his trip to Brussels this week. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ATHENS

New Greek government eyes ‘reset’ in relations with Turkey. The conservative Greek government will push a positive agenda in its relations with neighbouring Turkey in a move expected to be announced at a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Read more.

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ROME

Italian deputy PMs criticise European Central Bank’s new interest rate hike. Deputy Prime Minister’s Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani spoke out against European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde’s announcement of a new interest rate hike in July, arguing it leads to a risk of recession. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain’s Popular party’s nuclear plant extension plan ‘tricky’, says energy minister. The commitment made by Partido Popular leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo to extend the lifespan of the country´s seven nuclear power plants is a political slogan and a tricky message” said Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera on Tuesday. Read more.

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LISBON

ECB president: nature of inflation is changing, ‘job not yet done‘. Inflation in the eurozone is too high and shows no sign of decreasing anytime soon, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde at the opening of the ECB Forum in Portugal on Tuesday, adding that the bank remains committed to lowering inflation by 2%. Read more.

VISEGRAD

PRAGUE

Czech industry minister eyes EU Commissioner position. Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela admitted he is interested in taking on the position of European Commissioner after next year’s European Parliament elections. Read more.

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WARSAW

US delivers first Abrams tanks to Poland. Washington sent Poland the first batch of Abrams tanks set to replace equipment donated for Ukraine, with another two batches expected later this year. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia against loosening GMO rules cites public concerns. Slovakia will vote against the European Commission’s proposal to loosen EU GMO rules by exempting plants produced using new genomic techniques from the GMO directive as they lower demand for risky pesticides, Slovakia’s Agriculture Ministry announced on Tuesday. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

EU Commission freezes part of Romanian EU recovery funds. Romania will receive part of the funds it requested for the second payment of the EU recovery plan in December, according to Tuesday’s announcement from the European Commission, which said it would freeze €53 million due to two unfulfilled milestones related to the energy sector. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Legacy of 1990s Serbia still alive today, says expert. The legacy of 1990s Serbia, plagued by war and destruction, continues to leave its mark even today, even if many prefer not to be reminded of a very traumatic period, said Professor Dubravka Stojanović. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Explosions, and attacks continue in North Kosovo. A number of explosions and other attacks have been reported in North Kosovo over the last few days, primarily targeting government institutions like police stations and municipal buildings as tensions between ethnic Serbs and Albanians continue to rise. Read more.

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TIRANA

Greek minority mayor-elect remains in prison, misses swearing-in oath. Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himara who was arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of vote buying just before the 2023 Albanian local elections, was not sworn in on Tuesday at the first meeting of the municipal council, putting his mandate into uncertainty. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chairs meeting of the College of Commissioners; Proposal for digital euro expected to be presented; Hosts Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov, Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo;
Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová hosts Member of the Supervisory Board of the ECB Elizabeth McCaul, CEO of the Global Disinformation Index Clare Melford, Deputy Prime Minister of Good Governance of the North Macedonia Slavica Grkovska;
High Representative Josep Borrell, Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen host Latin American and the Caribbean ambassadors;
Vice President Maroš Šefčovič hosts First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf;
Vice President Dubravka Šuica participates in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee dialogue on child guarantee;
Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in the structured dialogue on taxation and US IRA with the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee;
Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness participates in the trilogue on the proposal to establish an anti-money-laundering authority; Meets with representatives of the European Australian Business Council (EABC);
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi hosts Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Giorgi Amilakhvari, Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya;
Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli joins the deposition of the ratification instruments for the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention; Gives online keynote speech for UEFA Respect Forum 2023;
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski hosts the Board of Directors of FoodDrinkEurope and CEOs/Presidents delegation;
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson hosts high level Australian business delegation and the delegates of the European Australian Business Council (EABC);
Parliament President Roberta Metsola gives keynote speech at the European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration 2023; Meets with Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo;
Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy votes on establishing a union certification framework for carbon removals;