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In today’s news from the Capitals:
WARSAW
The European Commission sent Poland six formal notices to pay the outstanding daily fine for failing to comply with the EU Court of Justice’s decision obliging Poland to dismantle the newly-established and highly-criticised Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, Polish media reports. Read more.
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BERLIN
German Greens warn of impending government crisis. As the ongoing row between members of Germany’s three-party coalition reached new heights on Wednesday, with the ruling Greens warning of an imminent government crisis because they say trust within the government is now severely damaged. Read more.
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PARIS
Le Pen insists Crimea is ‘Russian’. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen maintained her position that Crimea is Russian, claiming that Crimea’s inhabitants freely voted for the referendum to validate the attachment to Russia in a Wednesday parliamentary hearing. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria has yet to make a clear plan to decouple from Russian gas, Commission says. Austria does not have a clearly defined short-term plan to reduce Russian gas imports, the European Commission said as part of its European Semester review on Wednesday. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian Greens slam De Croo for echoing Macron’s climate law break call. Belgium’s Green Party, including Climate and Environment Minister Zakia Khattabi, criticised Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s call for a regulatory break on EU climate that echoes French President Emmanuel Macron’s call, also condemned by national Greens. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch business associations slam proposed punitive tax on fossil fuels. Business associations, while broadly welcoming the government’s climate package, expressed concern over a proposed energy tax on fossil fuels in a letter to parliament claiming this could lead to a steep rise in costs due to a lack of alternative energy sources. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
OSLO
Oslo hosting world’s largest warship ‘illogical’ show of force, says Russia. Norway hosting the world’s largest warship, the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, in its waters over the next four days, is an illogical and harmful show of force, the Russian Embassy to Oslo said. Read more.
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HELSINKI | COPENHAGEN
Danish investment to increase Finland’s wind power output by one-third. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Finnish wind energy company Myrsky Energia announced a partnership Wednesday that aims to generate some 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind power over the next decade in Finland, a move that would increase the country’s current output by a third. Read more.
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STOCKHOLM | PRAGUE
Czech Republic buys Swedish armoured vehicles for €2 billion. The Czech Republic will buy 246 CV90 combat vehicles from Swedish BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik in a SEK 22 billion (€2 billion) deal, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration revealed on Wednesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italy looks to ‘strategic’ Horn of Africa for continental stability. The Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) continues to work for a greater presence on the African continent, with a particular focus on the Horn of Africa region, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia/EPP) announced at a UN conference in Rome. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish election tainted by postal voting fraud arrests. The Spanish Civil Guard arrested seven people Wednesday and is investigating three for allegedly buying postal votes in Mojácar just four days before Spain’s key regional and municipal elections. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal wants extra €3.3 billion under EU recovery plan. Portugal has expressed its intention to request €3.3 billion in additional loans under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), the European Commission announced on Wednesday, calling for the country to speed up implementation. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Top EU official in Slovakia under fire over ‘broken chromosomes’ comment. Slovakia’s parliament is debating whether to ask the European Commission to fire its Head of Representation in Slovakia, Vladimír Sucha, over comments about Slovakia’s DNA having broken chromosomes when it comes to gender equality. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czechia plans to abstain from EU vote on Istanbul Convention. Czechia will refrain from the Council of the EU vote on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, the Czech government decided on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
EU Commission asks Bulgaria to cut energy subsidies, reduce consumption. The European Commission has asked Bulgaria to suspend the current scheme of state subsidies for the private sector to reduce the budget deficit and implement measures to reduce electricity consumption. Read more.
Bulgaria’s largest party to boycott prosecutor’s office. MPs of the largest Bulgarian party, GERB, will vote against all requests to remove parliamentary immunities until the judicial reform bill is passed, effectively boycotting the prosecutor’s office, the party said after the prosecutor’s office filed a request to lift the immunity of former energy minister and current GERB MP Delyan Dobrev. Read more.
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BUCHAREST | BERLIN
Romanian president pledges ‘no limits’ aid to Ukraine during German visit. Romania will support Ukraine as long as necessary and without time constraints, President Klaus Iohannis said after meeting his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Bucharest Wednesday. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian parliament recognises Holodomor as genocide. Slovenia’s parliament formally recognised Holodomor, the death by starvation of millions of Ukrainians under Soviet leader Josef Stalin in 1932-1933, as genocide, in a declaration supported by most political parties. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Belgrade braces for two large political rallies this weekend. Two large political gatherings will be held in Belgrade at the end of the week, with a mass rally to be held by President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling SNS party on Friday and the anti-government “Serbia against violence” protests spearheaded by the opposition on Saturday. Read more.
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PRISTINA
UK commits to continued NATO support in Kosovo. The United Kingdom has pledged to continue contributing to the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) Mission in Kosovo until at least 2026, Minister for Armed Forces James Heappey said during a visit to Kosovo this week. Read more.
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TIRANA
Freedom House democracy report: Albania improves in corruption, flounders in other areas. Albania registered a slight improvement in the Freedom House Nations in Transit 2023 report, although the accompanying country report reveals serious systemic problems yet to be resolved. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Foreign Affairs Council in its trade configuration convenes to discuss relations with the United States, China, and more;
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers speech at the 15th Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation;
- Vice President Frans Timmermans meets with government representatives, stakeholders and civil society to prepare COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in New Delhi, India;
- Vice President Vĕra Jourová receives President of EU DisinfoLab Diana Wallis; Speaks at the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Annual Conference;
- Vice President Maroš Šefčovič receives members of the UK House of Lords sub-committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland;
- Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in the first World Summit of Business Mediation;
- Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli gives online keynote speech for “Open for Business and Proud at Work” online event;
- Budget and Administration Commissioner Johannes Hahn delivers keynote speech at the “2023 Digital Government Summit”;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson participates in political trilogue on screening;
- Parliament President Roberta Metsola, on official visit in Austria, gives speech at the National Council plenary; Holds meetings with President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the Federal Council Gunther Kovacs, Chief Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer and representatives of the Jewish community;
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides;
- France: ChangeNOW Summit 2023 takes place;
- Italy: French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna on official visit;
- Russia: Eurasian Economic Union Summit takes place; Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev;
- Ethiopia: Organisation of African Unity marks 60th anniversary;
- UN: Security Council discusses peace and security in Africa;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with EURACTIV
Belgrade braces for two large political rallies this weekend
Source: euractiv.com
