Czechia’s Babiš questions country’s assistance to NATO allies

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

Presidential candidate Andrej Babiš caused an uproar when he questioned his country’s possible assistance to its closest NATO allies in a live broadcast debate ahead of the country’s second round of presidential elections. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Source: Panzeri cannot take a step back now on Qatar-gate. Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged mastermind behind the Qatargate, must tell the whole truth to Belgian justice authorities and hide nothing. If he doesn’t, he not only “breaks the deal” but will also be accused of “perverting the course of justice”, a source close to the matter told EURACTIV. Read more.

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LEAK: EU Commission to propose mandatory measures to accelerate network rollout. Access to public buildings, coordination of civil works, streamlining of permit procedures and single information points are at the centre of the EU executive’s legislation to fast-track the deployment of high-capacity networks like 5G, according to an undated draft obtained by EURACTIV. Read more.

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MONACO

Monaco’s anti-money laundering system inadequate, risks name-and-shame. A Council of Europe report published on Monday and seen by EURACTIV highlights key vulnerabilities in Monaco’s measures against money laundering and the country risks being placed under intense scrutiny by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) watchdog. Read more.

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BERLIN|PARIS

France, Germany attempt to show unity after recent rifts. France and Germany tried to display unity during joint government consultations on Sunday after the Franco-German engine considerably lost steam in recent months. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria registers highest spike in asylum application in EU. Asylum applications tripled in Austria last year, making it the EU country with the sharpest increase in applications across the bloc, a European Commission report leaked by die Welt shows. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Netherlands to send Patriot air defence to Ukraine. The Dutch will provide Ukraine with two Patriot missile launchers, an undisclosed number of missiles, and training for Ukrainian soldiers to operate the air defence equipment, Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra wrote in a letter to the lower house of parliament. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finland’s interest payments take a ‘giant leap’. Interest payments are approaching record highs in Finland, taking a “giant” three-fold leap compared to last year because of the pandemic and increased government borrowing, the Ministry of Finance’s Director General Mika Niemelä said in a recent interview. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Italy on North Africa mission to seal energy supply deal. To boost its supply of energy and make Italy an energy hub for Europe, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni went to Algeria, while Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani visited Egypt. Read more.

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MADRID

Right-wing protesters demand Sanchez’s resignation in Madrid. Protestors, who took part in the right-wing and far-right backed “anti-Sanchez” demonstration in Madrid on Saturday called for the immediate resignation of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose government they say threatens democracy while being the “worst” in the country’s recent history. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

Poland eager to deliver modern tanks to Ukraine if Germany doesn’t. Poland will try to form a smaller coalition of countries eager to deliver German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if Germany does not give its needed seal of approval, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said after Western Allies failed to agree on the matter Friday. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak politicians angry at Belgium dropping charges in Charleroi death case. The Prosecution Office in Charleroi said it would not press charges against the police officers responsible for Slovak citizen who died after he was held in custody at Charleroi airport in 2018. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor says Kremlin targeted EU in hybrid attack. Bulgarian chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev has accused the Russian authorities of carrying out a hybrid attack against the European Union after the Crimean bridge was blown up. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

Slovenia plans €3.5 billion investment in power distribution system. Slovenia plans to pour €3.5 billion into its power distribution system over the next 10 years to make it withstand the increased demand for electricity it expects will come with the green transition. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Divergence of priorities clear after Kosovo-internationals meetings. After a meeting with key US and EU stakeholders, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the topics of non-recognisers and membership to international institutions were the most crucial, while the US envoy to the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue said that if Kurti were not to cooperate on key agreements, internationals would implement them anyway. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania struggles with heavy rains, snow. Albania has been ravaged by bad weather over the last week, resulting in significant flooding and snowfall of up to a metre in the north leading to the mobilisation of some military forces to assist citizens. Read more.

AGENDA

EU: The Foreign Affairs Council, chaired by the EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell convenes to discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Sahel and coastal countries of West Africa, and more; Commissioners Olivér Várhelyi and Jutta Urpilainen participate; EU foreign ministers hold an informal meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh;
The Swedish EU Council Presidency organises a conference on the impact of EU platform regulation on democratic discourse and media policy, with Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand meeting Commission Vice-President Vĕra Jourová;
European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans visits Brazil to prepare for COP28, 2023’s UN Climate Change Conference;
Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis meets Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and National Bank Governor Boris Vujčić, following the transition to the euro currency;
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas participates in the EPP Foreign Affairs ministers meeting;
EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi receives High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Christian Schmidt; Receives Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh; Participates in meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi;
European Space Agency Director Josef Aschbacher holds a press conference;
European Parliament holds a public hearing on cohesion policy investments and Next Generation EU recovery fund: state of play of the monitoring and controls;
President Roberta Metsola Remote addresses the conference of the presidents of German-speaking regional parliaments;
The European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) to follow a presentation of the new proposal on the European Media Freedom Act;
ECB Executive Board Member Fabio Panetta addresses the European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) on the digital euro;
France: Cabinet meeting presentation on pension reform;
Bulgaria: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer visits the Bulgarian-Turkish border;
Argentina: Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit;