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:
The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) overtook the main right-wing opposition party in the polls on Monday ahead of the parliamentary elections on 11 September.
Sweden’s parliament currently sports four left-leaning and four right-leaning parties, increasing the likelihood of the future executive’s reliance on deal-making with far-right forces. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian PM says ‘prepare for the worst’ as energy prices reach record highs. Belgians should brace for the worst, said Prime Minister Alexander de Croo on Monday, as fuel prices and electricity bills are expected to reach record highs soon. Read more.
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BERLIN
Trudeau: Gas turbine return to Germany ‘removed’ excuses for Putin. Canada’s decision last month to return a turbine required for the maintenance of gas pipeline Nord Stream 1 to Germany was taken to expose Russia’s strategy of weaponising energy policy, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria’s public satisfaction with democracy remains low. Only 61% of surveyed Austrians believe democracy functions very well or rather well, and public desire for structural renewal has solidified, researchers say. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch ruling party divided over asylum policy. Two dozen local factions from of the right-leaning VVD party have demanded that the government change the recently introduced process of forcing municipalities to accept asylum seeker. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Ireland reopens Kyiv embassy. Ireland has reopened its embassy in Kyiv, ending the remote operation that had been in place since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen’s dream of being carbon neutral by 2025 goes up in smoke. The Danish capital city will not be able to reach its ambitious climate goal of carbon neutrality after its iconic incinerator failed to meet CO2 capture requirements for state funding. Read more.
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HELSINKI
No Nordic bloc within NATO, says FM Pekka Haavisto. Finland and Sweden will strengthen the Northern dimension of the NATO alliance and enable the deepening of defence cooperation with the Baltic States, but there will be no Nordic bloc, said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto at the annual meeting of Finnish ambassadors on Monday. Read more.
Rosatom launches legal counteroffensive against Finnish energy company. Over the weekend Fennovoima, a Finnish energy company, announced it would launch legal proceedings against Russian nuclear giant Rosatom following the collapse of a nuclear power plant project in Finland. “As of today, Rosatom has filed six lawsuits totalling USD 3 billion,” Rosatom told EURACTIV in emailed comments on Monday. For its part, Fennovoima is seeking compensation amounting to €2 billion.
Fennovoima purchased the estimated €7 billion Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant from a Rosatom subsidiary in 2013 but terminated the project in May after claims of delays, which the Russian side denies.
(Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com)
EUROPE’S SOUTH
LISBON
Portugal to declare state of calamity in fire-damaged Serra da Estrela. The government will declare a state of calamity to meet the needs of the region of the burned area of Serra da Estrela, Cabinet Office minister Mariana Vieira da Silva announced on Monday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Leading Slovak aluminium factory shuts down amid record electricity prices. Slovak aluminium producer Slovalco will halt production until electricity prices reach affordable levels after the government refused to compensate for rising expenses. Read more.
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WARSAW
Justice minister accuses Germany of ‘deceiving Poland’ on recovery money. Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro accused Germany of blocking the funds for Poland from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, pointing to the nationality of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Hungary replies to Commission’s rule of law concerns. The Hungarian government has replied to the European Commission on the budget conditionality procedure, Justice Minister Judit Varga confirmed on social media on Monday, Telex reported. Read more
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PRAGUE
Czechs want to take lead on Ukraine reconstruction. Czechia would like to be a leader in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, and the key task is to secure European finances for this purpose, Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela said on Monday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
ZAGREB
Croatia warns Serbia to drop war crimes cases, hints at Belgrade’s EU talks. Croatia may tighten the screws on neighbouring Serbia’s EU accession talks if Belgrade presses on with war-time indictments against Croatian officials for alleged crimes against Serb civilians, Croatia’s parliament speaker said on Monday. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgarian Gazprom talks likely to fail due to Russian upper hand, expert. Talks between Bulgaria and Russia over resuming the supply of gas from Gazprom will likely fail due to a slap in the face from Moscow and their current geopolitical advantage, according to a leading energy expert. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Former information commissioner top contender in Slovenia’s presidential race. Nataša Pirc Musar, a prominent lawyer and former information commissioner, has emerged as the top contender, with polls showing she would defeat the candidates of the two largest parties two months before Slovenians elect a new president. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbian ministry protests ‘censorship’ of embassy Twitter accounts. The Twitter accounts of Serbian embassies in a number of states had been suspended with no explanation, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Monday, describing the suspension as unacceptable censorship of the diplomatic offices of a democratic state that is under no sanctions. Read more.
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TIRANA
Government subsidies – too little too late for Albania’s wheat industry? Albanian farmers who grow wheat on their land will receive financial assistance to the tune of 30,000 ALL (€256) per hectare in a bid to stimulate local production as prices rise, causing many bakeries to shutter. Read more.
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Agenda
- EU: European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen participates via videoconference in the online Summit of the Crimea platform.
- EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell directs the course ‘Quo Vadis Europea’ at the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander.
- Germany: Foreign minister Baerbock meets with Icelandic counterpart Gylfadóttir for talks in Berlin. Chancellor Scholz and Vice-Chancellor Habeck conclude their visit to Canada.
- Spain: Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, begins Tuesday 23 August an official trip to Colombia, Ecuador and Honduras.
- Italy: Far-right Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni opens election campaign.
- Belgium: Press conference in support of filmmaker Thierry Michel, on trial for ‘copyright infringement’ in DR Congo over a documentary.
- Ukraine: Crimea online conference hosted by Ukraine, German, Japanese, Canadian leaders and NATO chief join.
- Russia: FM Sergei Lavrov hosts Syrian FM Faisal Mekdad.
- World: International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Eleonora Vasques, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
