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In today’s news from the Capitals:
WARSAW
Poland’s recovery plan will not get EU approval anytime soon, experts believe, despite media reports that the European Commission may give a green light next week for payments from the fund allocated to Poland. Read more.
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BERLIN I VIENNA
Germany, Austria urge for EU admission of Albania and North Macedonia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Austrian counterpart Karl Nehammer emphasised the need to accelerate membership negotiations of Western Balkan countries amid looming threats from Russia in a press briefing on Thursday. Read more.
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PARIS
French military intel chief dismissed over failed Ukraine war prediction. General Eric Vidaud, France’s military intelligence chief, has been dismissed due to his department poorly analysing the run-up to Russia’s invasion and failing to predict the war correctly, AFP has reported. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Zelenskyy urges Dutch lawmakers to drop Russian gas, mentions MH17 flight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to MPs in Dutch parliament on Thursday, calling on the Netherlands to immediately stop buying Russian gas and referring to the shooting down of the MH17 plane in 2014 that killed many Dutch people. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Irish government rejects proposal to change constitution on military neutrality. A proposal to hold a referendum on codifying the principle of military neutrality into the Irish constitution was rejected this week after government parties voted against the motion. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM
Sweden open to NATO membership, could reconsider non-alignment policy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the security situation, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said, adding that there may now be a reason to reconsider Sweden’s non-alignment policy. Read more.
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HELSINKI
Finnish president says NATO referendum no longer necessary. Sufficient evidence now shows that most Finns want to join the NATO alliance, President Sauli Niinistö told Swedish-speaking broadcaster YLE on Wednesday after he had called for a broad survey for membership just one week ago. Read more.
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COPENHAGEN
Two more Danish companies leave Russia. Construction company Aarsleff and window manufacturer Velux on Thursday announced their withdrawal from the Russian and Belarussian market, adding to the other Danish companies, like Carlsberg, that have already left. Read more.
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TALLINN | HELSINKI
Ex-Finnish president angers Estonians over Soviet Union-NATO comparison. Former Finnish president Tarja Halonen’s comments comparing the collective security system Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were part of during the Soviet era to when the countries joined the NATO alliance in 2004 has angered Estonians. Read more.
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VILNIUS | COPENHAGEN
Lithuanian, Danish PMs unified on tightening Russia sanctions. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and her Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, agreed that more sanctions are needed against Russia and Belarus during a meeting in Vilnius. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID | LISBON
Spain, Portugal propose to cap gas prices for thermal power plants. The governments of Spain and Portugal have submitted a joint proposal to the European Commission setting a reference price for gas of €30 per megawatt (MWh) for thermal power plants to lower the cost of electricity, EURACTIV’s partners EFE and El País reported. Read more.
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ROME
Italy ends COVID-19 state of emergency. Italy is preparing for a return to normality from 1 April as the state of COVID-19 emergency in the country came to an end on Thursday. Read more.
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LISBON
President has no indication Costa will leave mid-legislature. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday he has no indication that Prime Minister António Costa is thinking of leaving his post in the middle of the legislature, denying any “irritation” between the two. Read more.
EDP buys Polish solar energy company Soon Energy. Portuguese company EDP has announced on Thursday that it will acquire Polish solar energy company Soon Energy, which has more than 25 megawatt-peak (MWp) installed in projects across Poland, without disclosing the value of the deal. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BUDAPEST
Burnt Hungarian election ballots in Romania cause uproar. A sack filled with thrown out and partially burnt Hungarian completed election ballots was found at a landfill near Târgu Mureș, Romania, Telex’s Transylvanian partner, Transtelex reported on Wednesday. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech EP election reform may help populists. It is worth testing the transnational electoral lists during the next EP election because the current model is a “hybrid”. Still, the danger lies in empowering populists, a former influential Czech MEP warned. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
NATO’s eastern flank stresses unity over Ukraine at Bratislava ministerial. Discussing further aid for Ukraine, strengthening defence and deterrence, and how to strategically coordinate between NATO and the EU, ministers confirmed their “unity” over the response to the war. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Progress is Sofia’s talks with Skopje despite census debate. There has been significant progress in negotiations with the joint historical commission with North Macedonia. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced on Thursday. Read more.
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ZAGREB
President Milanović: No war atrocities committed in Ukraine. Croatian President Zoran Milanović said he did not wish to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman has called a war criminal. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Fuel price regulation in Slovenia extends to wholesale prices. The Slovenian government has capped the wholesale price of regular petrol and diesel in a move that came just weeks after retail prices were brought back under government control. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Electoral silence begins as Serbia’s triple vote looms. Election silence started at midnight on 31 March, as parliamentary, presidential and local elections in Belgrade, the city of Bor and 10 other municipalities are taking place in Serbia on Sunday. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Serb ministers in BiH block sanctions against Russia. Serb ministers in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers blocked a decision to deny access for Russia and Belarus to funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Presidency member Milorad Dodik announced strengthening energy cooperation with Russia. Read more.
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US Secretary of State thanks Macedonian PM for Ukraine and Afghanistan assistance. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski via phone and thanked him for his support for Ukraine as well as Afghan refugees. Read more.
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PODGORICA
Average Montenegro salary in February amounts to €706. The average salary without taxes and contributions in February amounted to €706, which is 2.9% more than in January, according to Monstat.
The average net salary in February increased by 33.5% compared to the previous year. The average gross salary in February was €875. “If we keep in mind that consumer prices in February compared to January increased by 1.5%, it follows that real wages for the same period recorded an increase of 1.4%,” the statement said. (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)
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PRISTINA
Kosovo to receive grant for development by US. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has signed an amendment to the country’s grant agreement with the United States which provides for another $32 million in development grant money. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian MP finally arrested in government scandal. Authorities in Tirana have now arrested Alqi Bllako, a former socialist member of parliament, for his alleged involvement in a €430 million government scandal. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: EU-China virtual summit with EU being represented by Von der Leyen, Michel and Borrell / European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visits Kyiv.
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with the main business associations in Berlin.
- Spain: Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, starts on Friday 1 April, an official visit to Morocco.
- Moldova: European Parliament‘s Committee on Foreign Affairs/Subcommittee on Security and Defence delegation visits.
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[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
