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:
Italian Prime Minister and President of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Giorgia Meloni met with European People’s Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber in Rome as the two leaders work toward an alliance ahead of the 2024 European elections. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Borrell vows ‘zero tolerance’ for graft as Qatargate darkens Morocco visit. EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell on Thursday vowed “zero tolerance” for graft as he visited Morocco, which has been linked to an influence-trafficking scandal that has rocked the European Parliament over the past weeks. Read more.
Ukraine, EU, US slap down Russia’s Orthodox Christmas ‘ceasefire’ proposal. Ukraine and its Western allies in the EU and US dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calls for a 36-hour Russian Orthodox Christmas ceasefire as a ploy on Thursday, unlikely to slow the war, which has entered its 11th month. Read more.
EU countries ‘encouraged’ to demand Covid tests from China passengers. EU countries are “strongly encouraged” to demand Covid tests from passengers coming from China, a crisis meeting of European Union experts decided Wednesday. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany to deliver Marder combat vehicles to Ukraine after mounting pressure. The government has made a U-turn on support for Ukraine and green-lit the delivery of Marder combat vehicles and patriot systems to the war torn-country after months of hesitation, the government said on Thursday. Read more.
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PARIS
France to invest in justice system improvements. An action plan to increase France’s justice budget and halve the time required for civil proceedings was unveiled by Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti on Thursday, as the country’s justice system ranks poorly among its EU neighbours. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian integration minister: EU asylum system is broken. Integration minister Susanne Raab considers the European asylum system to be broken, with integration structures pushed to the limit by increasing numbers of applicants, which necessitates a common European system. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium to ask travellers from China for negative COVID-19 tests. Travellers from China will need a negative COVID-19 test certificate to enter from Sunday onwards, State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor announced on Thursday. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch health minister asks Senate to reconvene amid China’s COVID wave. Health Minister Ernst Kuipers has called on the Senate to return from their break to reassess COVID-19 laws after China easer their own laws and an outbreak of infections ensued. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
DUBLIN
China lifts ban on Irish beef imports, reopening multimillion-euro market. China has lifted its 2020 ban on the import of Irish beef, putting the longstanding issue to rest and reopening a multimillion-euro market for Irish farmers. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Right-wing rise in polls three months before Finnish elections. The nationalist and populist Finns party has gained almost 20% support in pre-election polls, making it the second most popular party in the rankings, as per a new survey published by the Finnish Broadcasting Company on Thursday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Greece to hold elections from April in ‘toxic’ atmosphere. All dates after April are open to hold national elections, Greek media quoted government sources as saying, but the ongoing “Greek Watergate” scandal means that the elections will be held in a toxic atmosphere. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish experts see no cause for alarm over China’s COVID-19 wave. Experts in immunology and epidemiology see no cause for alarm in the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in China, but countries should remain vigilant in the coming days, they warned. Read more.
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LISBON
December rains caused €175 million worth of damage across Portugal. Heavy rains caused damages of at least €175 million in Lisbon, Portalegre, and Faro districts, according to the final and provisional calculations made by 21 municipalities. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Polish Constitutional Tribunal divided over when head should leave office. One-third of the tribunal appealed to its head, Julia Przyłębska, to call a meeting to elect her successor, but Przyłębska says she is entitled to stay in office until 2024. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Former Czech PM’s Stork’s Nest case enters final phase. The main trial in the EU subsidy fraud case involving former prime minister and current presidential candidate Andrej Babiš has entered its final phase, with a decision expected in a matter of days. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Former Slovak FM Matovič continues attacks on LGBTI+. Former prime minister and Finance Minister Igor Matovič shared an anti-trans post on Facebook, followed by a post widely condemned as transphobic and discriminatory. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
ZAGREB
Serbian foreign minister to pay ‘defrosting’ visit to Croatia. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić will pay a low-key but important visit to Zagreb on Friday after announcing that Belgrade would “defrost” its relations with Croatia this year following a decade of ice-cold ties between the two ex-Yugoslav war foes. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria prepares cross-border operation against migrant trafficking. The Interior Ministry is preparing a major operation against migrant traffickers together with Turkey, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev announced on Thursday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian agri exports to EU and region reach historical highs. Agricultural exports to the Balkan region and the European Union from Albania increased to over €473 million during 2022, the highest value ever, according to Agriculture Minister Frida Krifca. Read more.
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PRISTINA
NATO-led peacekeepers dismantle last barricades in north Kosovo. The NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, dismantled the last remaining roadblocks and barricades in the north of the country on Thursday, bringing a seeming end to weeks of closed roads and border crossing points with 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
