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:
Barely 48 hours after adopting the euro, Croatia found itself in the throes of rising prices that angered citizens, consumer protection groups, and the government. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU Commission celebrates 30 years of the Single Market. The European Commission celebrated the 30th anniversary of the EU’s Single Market as a driver for growth that supports Europe’s economic and political power at a global level. Read more.
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PARIS
French unions to ‘prepare for conflict’ against pensions reform. A large-scale pensions reform announced during Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign, which seeks to increase the minimum retirement age to 64 or 65, has enraged trade unions who warn that social unrest is just around the corner. Read more.
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BERLIN
Berlin carefully backs Ukrainian demand to use frozen Russian funds. The German government supports using frozen Russian funds – which amount to billions of euros – to help Ukraine rebuild itself, provided legal questions are addressed, and the action is done in conjunction with other allies. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria strikes migration deal with India. Faced with increasing numbers of Indian migrants, Austria has agreed to cooperate more closely on migration with India, which will take back citizens in exchange for legal avenues of labour market integration. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium wants unified EU COVID approach on travellers from China. Belgium will not impose COVID-19 tests for travellers from China but will do so if it is rolled out across the EU. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
US army travels through Netherlands to reach Eastern Europe. Hundreds of American vehicles will arrive in Vlissingen, southeast of the Netherlands, before they make their way to Eastern Europe to strengthen their military presence in the eastern flank of NATO territory. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Northern Ireland Protocol perhaps ‘too strict’, says new Irish PM. Mistakes were made on all sides in handling Brexit and the resulting trade arrangements in the Northern Ireland protocol were “a little bit too strict”, said new Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finns want right-wing policies with social democratic twist. A survey shows that the Finnish electorate is turning towards more right-wing policies and would prefer a new government base three months before April’s general elections, according to a survey by Maaseudun Tulevaisuus. Read more.
Norwegian company plans one of largest industrial investments in Finnish history. Plans to establish a green steel plant with an integrated hydrogen production facility in Inkoo, Finland, were announced by Norwegian company Blastr Green Steel on Tuesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italy’s right-wing parties mull merging, European families could follow. The three parties comprising the centre-right government in Italy could merge into a single party and, in the run-up to the 2024 European elections, unify the right in Brussels. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain’s unemployment rate hits lowest in 15 years. Spain ended 2022 with the total number of unemployed people at 2.83 million, the lowest unemployment figure since 2007, new data from the country’s Labour Ministry revealed on Tuesday. Read more.
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ATHENS
Privacy watchdog to scrutinise telecoms companies over ‘Greek Watergate’. The Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) has decided to check the records of telecommunications providers for surveillance requests made by Greek secret services. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Minister: EU Presidency showed Czechia, not Hungary’s ‘satellite’. Following Czechia’s stint at the helm of the rotating European Council Presidency, Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek called it a success and proof the country is not just a mere satellite of Hungary. Read more.
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WARSAW
Black Eyed Peas shake Polish government coalition. The outfits of the US hip-hop band the Black Eyed Peas during their performance at the public television’s New Year’s Eve concert caused a split in the Polish governing coalition, with a junior coalition partner accusing the Law and Justice (PiS) party of promoting LGBTQ ideology. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Last Slovak coal mines to close in 2023. Lignite mining in the Slovak Upper Nitra region is coming to an end as the last two coal mines will close by the end of 2023 following the government’s plans to stop subsidies for domestic mining. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgaria signs agreement for the new gas corridor through Turkey. a 13-year deal for the transit of 1.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year from Turkey to Bulgaria was signed by state gas company Bulgargaz and Turkish state energy company BOTAS on Tuesday. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Removal of Serb blockades in north Kosovo continues. KFOR, the international NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, carried out several operations to remove the remaining blockades in north Kosovo following weeks of tensions with neighbouring Serbia. Read more.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
