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In today’s news from the Capitals:
The war in Ukraine has laid bare EU member states’ Russia ties with little to underscore them more tangibly than diplomatic expulsions accompanied by accusations of espionage.
This is particularly true in bloc members with deeper ties to Russia, where public opinion is often more favourable to Moscow.
However, there are signs that Europe’s intelligence agencies are fighting back, and Russia’s attempt to control the narrative amongst its own is floundering. Read more.
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BERLIN
EU lawmakers call on Germany to ‘do more’ to help Ukraine win. Germany should significantly ramp up arms shipments to help Ukraine win the war, according to an open letter signed by EU lawmakers from different political groups that says negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be counted on. Read more.
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PARIS
French government announces €100 food voucher for low-income households. The government announced an “emergency food aid” of €100 per household and €50 per child, said government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire. Read more.
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VIENNA
Parliamentary mishap delays Austrian government reshuffle. The new Federal Ministries Act to restructure competences could not be passed on Wednesday due to the National Council mistakenly not passing the most up-to-date text of the law in mid-June, further delaying changes in government departments. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch to step up fight for press freedom. The government will propose additional measures to better protect press freedom in the country, two ministers announced in a letter to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
Brussels’ Brexit chief calls for reset of EU-UK relations. In a speech at Bloomberg’s London headquarters on Wednesday European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič accused Britain of adopting a “my way or the highway” approach, adding that relations between London and Brussels are “in a difficult situation, which will most certainly not simply disappear.” Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Three major Finnish companies announce Russian market exit. The three major Finnish companies, KONE, Nokian Tyres and Ponsse, announced their exit from the Russian market on Tuesday after already starting to phase out activities there. Read more.
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HELSINKI | TALLINN
Third submarine cable to soon connect Estonia and Finland. Plans for the launch of a third submarine cable connection between Estonia and Finland have been agreed to by the Estonian and Finnish transmission system operators Elering and Fingrid in a letter of intent signed on Wednesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Greece to ask US for F-35 combat aircraft. The Greek government will soon make a request to Washington to buy twenty F-35 combat aircraft after the US administration threw support behind a potential F-16 sale to Turkey. Read more.
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ROME
Italy ready for second tranche of EU COVID cash, ministry says. Italy met its commitments under the Next Generation EU by reaching all 45 national recovery plan targets for the first half of the year and has already sent the Commission its request for the second tranche of EU pandemic recovery funds worth €24.1 billion. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain reaches record inflation levels, not seen in 37 years. Inflation, fuelled by rising energy and food prices, rose 1.5 points in June and closed at a year-on-year rate of 10.2%, the highest level since 1985, the state-owned National Statistics Institute revealed Wednesday. Read more.
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LISBON
Portuguese president says NATO ‘raised stakes’ against Russia when needed. The North Atlantic Alliance showed it could “raise the stakes” if necessary in response to Russia, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has said. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Latvia, Austria, Slovakia have EU’s largest gas stores. After clinching a deal on mandatory gas storage last month, Latvia, Austria and Slovakia currently have the largest gas stores for next winter compared to annual consumption. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czechia wants to help Ukraine save its cultural heritage. The Czech Republic wants to organise expert teams to help Ukraine with the conservation and reconstruction of its cultural heritage, Culture Minister Martin Baxa told his counterparts at a meeting in Lviv on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BELGRADE
Vučić accuses Pristina of preparing assault on Kosovo’s majority-Serb area. Authorities in Pristina are planning an assault on the north of Kosovo where mostly Serbs reside, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claimed on Wednesday, without providing any evidence. Read more.
Prime ministers usher in new era of Serbia-Montenegro relations. It is time to turn the page in Serbia-Montenegro relations, the prime ministers of Serbia and Montenegro, Ana Brnabić and Dritan Abazović, said after meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania inches closer to access 2021-2027 batch of EU structural funds. The Romanian government on Wednesday approved the latest normative acts needed to complete documentation for the cohesion funds for the 2021-2027 budgetary period. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia’s new left-liberal executive to boost defence spending. The government will craft a roadmap for the implementation of NATO defence spending commitments within six months and plans to reach the alliance’s 2% of GDP target before the current target year of 2030 due to the latest global developments, Prime Minister Robert Golob has announced. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Bosnian Croat leader Covic won’t run for country’s presidency. Dragan Čović, the president of the biggest Bosnian Croat party, HDZ BiH, will not be its candidate for the country’s tripartite presidency in the October general election, Croatia’s state news agency Hina reported. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania’s struggling agricultural sector, full of potential, World Bank says. Albania, of which the dairy sector is struggling with rising costs and decreasing livestock heads, has untapped potential in its agricultural production sector, particularly that of tomatoes which could be a source of significant income for farmers, according to a report by the World Bank. Read more.
Agenda:
- EU: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meet New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
- Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in EU Digital Summit 2022.
- European Parliament committee meetings.
- Belgium: End of EU instrument allowing state financial support for enterprises.
- Austria: OPEC+ ministers meet to assess oil output boost.
- Sweden: Central bank announces key rate decision.
- Czech Republic: Prime Minister Petr Fiala hosts European Council President Charles Michel.
- Russia: Gazprom’s shareholders hold the annual general assembly.
- Belarus: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits.
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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
