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:
A potential alliance between the rightist European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) and the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) is off the table for the German conservatives, a senior centre-right party official in Berlin told EURACTIV. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria ready to send soldiers to reinforce peace in Kosovo. Vienna stands ready to send additional soldiers to support the NATO-led peace forces in Kosovo (KFOR) to reinforce the mission, should it become necessary. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany’s Habeck backs Polish Leopard tank shipments, mounts pressure. Green Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has come out in favour of green-lighting the shipment of Leopard 2 battle tanks from Poland to Ukraine, increasing the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to agree. Read more.
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PARIS
French army hails Ukraine’s cyber defence ‘revolution’. Ukraine has managed to carry out “a real revolution by moving upmarket in its defensive cyber fight” while suffering from high-level cyber attacks, the head of France’s Cyber Defence Command (COMCYBER), General Aymeric Bonnemaison, said on Thursday. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch foreign minister touts ‘good relations’ with Qatar’s Emir. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, sat down with Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, where they discussed Ukraine, global energy security, and regional developments, Hoekstra tweeted on Thursday. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finnish family planning was stalled by climate anxiety, Ukraine war. The population of Finland is ageing fast and worries about climate change and the war nearby are having an impact on the willingness to reproduce, according to a survey published by the Family Federation of Finland on Thursday. Read more.
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STOCKHOLM
Human Rights Watch criticises Sweden’s reconciliation with Turkey. Sweden was sharply criticised for the way it is approaching Turkey in negotiations to join NATO by Human Rights Watch Director Tirana Hassan on Thursday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Qatar-gate: MEP Eva Kaili makes new release request. Former vice-president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili, who has been arrested as part of the Qatar-gate scandal, will have a new hearing with the Belgian justice authorities on 19 January about her request to be released. Read more.
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ROME
European Mediterranean states to establish large marine protected areas. An agreement to establish a large marine protected area in the Mediterranean is in the pipeline between Italy, France, Spain, and Cyprus to meet EU targets on the protection of the sea and biodiversity, Italy’s environment minister said on Thursday. Read more.
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MADRID
Puigdemont’s sedition charges dropped after the penal code change. Charges of sedition against the former leader of the Catalonia region were dropped by a Spanish Supreme Court judge on Thursday after Spain’s government scrubbed the crime from the country’s penal code. Read more.
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LISBON
TAP chief to testify in Portuguese parliament at request of right-wing Chega. The CEO of Portugal’s national flag carrier, Christine Ourmières-Widener, will testify in parliament next Wednesday, following a mandatory request from the conservative Chega party over a controversial golden handshake. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Czech government to face another no-confidence vote. Between the first and second rounds of the upcoming presidential election, in which former Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš is running, his ANO party will call a vote of no-confidence in the government. Read more.
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WARSAW
Poland to host German troops, receive Patriot anti-aircraft systems. Authorities have given permission for several hundred German soldiers to be stationed in the country, who will arrive with Patriot systems. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
V4 capitals team up for Ukrainian city reconstruction. Mayors of Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, where they discussed a plan to set up a platform for long-term aid and reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and towns. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian parliament floats EU COVID recovery plan renegotiation. Bulgaria should start renegotiations for the Recovery Plan, specifically the part about reducing carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, which should be allowed to operate until 2038, a huge multi-party majority in the parliament decided on Thursday. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian power, gas providers to be compensated for capped prices. The government has decided to help out all electricity and natural gas providers with compensation for having to sell energy at capped prices, in a measure estimated at around €350 million annually. Read more.
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PRISTINA
EU Parliament committee approves Kosovo visa liberalisation. The European Parliament Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) approved the liberalisation of visas for Kosovo citizens on Thursday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania set to open embassy in Ukraine. Thirty years after establishing diplomatic relations between Albania and Ukraine, the former announced it would open an embassy in Kyiv. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hold joint press conference to mark the start of the Swedish EU Council presidency, in Kiruna, Sweden;
- The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) holds a hearing on the Commission’s Strategic Foresight Report (SFR) 2022;
- Sweden: Satellite launch centre inaugurated;
- Italy: Ex-PM Giuseppe Conte, and ex-FM Luigi Di Maio testify in a trial against Matteo Salvini, accused of blocking migrant rescue ships;
- Spain: Trial against journalist Ignacio Cembrero, prosecuted by Morocco for accusing Rabat of spying on his phone using Pegasus software;
- Czech Republic: Presidential election, first round;
- UN: Security Council meeting on Ukraine;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
