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:
Good morning from Prague,
In what would represent the largest military purchase in Czech history, the government has announced plans to almost double the country’s fighter jet fleet by purchasing American-made aircraft.
However, the move upset Prague’s Swedish partners, who are behind the technologies used by Czechia currently, as well as the opposition, which laments increased costs. Read more.
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BERLIN
German economy expected to slow due to gas shortages. German economic growth will slow down considerably, multiple reports have found, with some projections even pointing to a recession in 2023. Read more.
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PARIS
Macron announces huge reforestation project amid wildfire nightmare. French President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan for wide-scale reforestation on Wednesday during his trip to the fire-ravaged region of South-West France. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian agency accused of EU funds misuse. Searches were carried out at the interior and finance ministries on Wednesday due to the suspected misappropriation of about half a million euros in EU funds by an agency. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch will not extend resident permits for non-Ukrainians fleeing war. The Netherlands will not extend resident permits for non-Ukrainians who had a temporary residence permit in Ukraine before they left the country. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
Sunak and Truss face bitter campaign in Tory leadership run-off. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are preparing for six weeks of campaigning in what many observers expect to be a bitter and bruising race to become prime minister and Conservative Party leader. Read more.
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DUBLIN
Irish government urged to take urgent climate action. Days after Ireland recorded its hottest day in more than a century, the government’s climate advisory body said Dublin must take urgent climate action to address current and future extreme weather events. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Trust in government among Finns increases amid pandemic, Ukraine war. Faith in politicians and a functioning democracy has increased in Finland over the past year, a survey based on interviews conducted in spring and published on Wednesday has found. Read more.
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VILNIUS | BUCHAREST
Lithuania, Romania ratify Finland, Sweden’s NATO accession. Lithuania’s and Romania’s legislatives voted to ratify the NATO accession for Sweden and Finland on Wednesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Spain rejects Commission’s plan to reduce gas consumption. The Spanish government on Wednesday rejected the European Commission’s proposal that all EU countries voluntarily reduce their gas consumption by 15% until next spring to prepare for a possible cut in Russian gas supplies. Read more.
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ROME
Italian government on verge of collapse as coalition fails to back Draghi. Centre-right parties and the Five Star Movement, coalition partners in Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s multi-party government, did not vote in the no-confidence vote tabled by Draghi on Wednesday. Read more.
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LISBON
Portuguese forests burn at alarming rates in 2022. Forest fires consumed 57,940 hectares this year, more than twice as much as in the whole of 2021, according to provisional data from the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF). Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Ex-PM Fico slams Commission’s rule of law report on Slovakia. Former three-time Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday slammed the European Commission’s rule of law report on Slovakia, calling it “untrue”. Read more.
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WARSAW
Far-right, pro-Russian Polish MP faces parliamentary immunity vote. A parliamentary committee has backed a motion to waive the immunity of far-right MP Grzegorz Braun after a breach of COVID curbing rules. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BELGRADE
Egypt and Serbia sign strategic partnership deal in Belgrade. The presidents of Serbia and Egypt, Aleksandar Vučić and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, signed a strategic partnership agreement on Wednesday in Belgrade, with el-Sisi’s visit marking the first visit of an Egyptian president to the Serbian capital in 35 years. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria presents mechanism to investigate prosecutor general. The role of prosecutor general and data relating to it could soon be able to be investigated by a supreme judge if there is sufficient evidence they have committed a crime, according to the justice ministry’s recent proposal. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croatia’s air traffic controllers call off planned strike. Croatia’s air traffic controllers called off their strike meant to start on Thursday, saying they would resume negotiations with management, the Jutarnji List reported. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia sets dates for presidential elections. Slovenia will hold the first presidential election round on 23 October to pick its fifth president, with a potential run-off between two candidates likely being set for 13 November. Read more.
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TIRANA
US praises Albania’s efforts to fight human trafficking, more work needed. Albania does not meet the minimum standards required to eliminate human trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, according to the US State Department’s latest report. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Commissioner Janez Lenarčič in Ljubljana, Slovenia, meets the new National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič.
- Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers.
- ECB press conference on eurozone monetary policy in Frankfurt, Germany.
- Ireland: Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin visits Singapore.
- UK: Heathrow Airport refuelling staff strike.
- Switzerland: IUCN publishes its updated Red List of Threatened Species.
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi to address the Chamber of Deputies.
- Bulgaria: Prime Minister Kiril Petkov to visit Baku from 21-22 July and meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Main topics will include energy cooperation and the possibilities for additional supplies of Azeri gas to Bulgaria, beyond those already agreed in connection with the new Greece-Bulgaria interconnector.
- Russia: Journalist Maria Ovsiannikova on trial, accused of ‘discrediting’ the army.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Eleonora Vasques]
Source: euractiv.com
