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In today’s news from the Capitals:
ATHENS. A new long list of journalists and politicians, including a former prime minister, whose phones were reportedly bugged with the Predator illegal spyware published by Documento journal on Sunday has caused a shock in Greece and put the country’s democratic normality to the test.
“The least Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis could do is to resign,” leftist lawmaker and former minister Dimitris Tzanakopoulos told EURACTIV. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
OECD chief calls for phase out of ‘distortive’ farming subsidies globally. Public spending must move away from distortive and environmentally harmful farming subsidies, according to the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria vows to investigate secret Chinese police stations. The Austrian government said it would examine the police stations China has reportedly set up in the country as such activities are prohibited and cannot be tolerated. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany’s SPD wants tight Twitter supervision after Musk takeover. The recent takeover of Twitter by multi-billionaire Elon Musk calls for stricter supervision of the social media giant’s activities in Europe, according to Olaf Scholz’s ruling Social Democrats (SPD). Read more.
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PARIS
French far-right MP excluded from parliament over racist comment. French far-right MP Grégoire de Fournas was sanctioned on Friday with a temporary exclusion from the National Assembly following outrage in the Chamber over a racist comment made to another MP. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium’s age-old criminal code to get ‘modern touch’. The country’s 150-year-old criminal code will be reformed to feature ecocide and the crime of inciting suicide as part of the reform to modernise and simplify it, Belgian news media reported on Saturday. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Dublin to nominate Donohoe for second Eurogroup term. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will be nominated for a second term as Eurogroup president but will represent Ireland at the group’s meetings along with Michael McGrath, the person expected to replace him as finance minister, the government announced. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Spain regrets possible absence of China, India and Russia at COP27. Major CO2 emitters and large economies like China, India and Russia not yet confirming their attendance at this year’s COP27 is regrettable, Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera told EFE in an interview. Read more.
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ROME
Italy calls for redistribution of migrants as 1,000 people wait on board. As of Sunday, four boats with almost 1,000 migrants on board were stationed off the Italian coast, but the government only allowed women and children to disembark while claiming EU laws are being breached and asking for redistribution assistance. Read more.
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VALETTA
Malta to amend restrictive abortion laws. Malta, one of the few European countries to have a blanket ban on abortion, is expected to amend its abortion laws in the coming months, Prime Minister Robert Abela told local media in an interview. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Anti-Kremlin Russians gather in Poland to discuss how to ‘eliminate’ Putin. Anti-Kremlin former Russian politicians gathered in Jabłonna near Warsaw to discuss the future of Russia and draw plans for ousting Vladimir Putin. Read more.
Polish president questions Brussels cooperation over recovery fund. President Andrzej Duda has questioned Brussels’ disbursal of EU funds necessary for Poland to implement its recovery plan, arguing that Poland has already shown too much goodwill in the process. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech parliament adopts 60% windfall tax for energy companies, banks. The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill which, if approved by the Senate and signed by the president, will impose a 60% windfall tax on the profits of energy companies and banks deemed excessive. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia allowed export of goods used for Russian army supplies. Slovak customs officers allowed the export of thousands of items used for the production of supplies for the Russian army since the start of the war in Ukraine in February, Denník N reports. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian court refuses Russian citizen’s extradition to Putin’s regime. The Court of Appeal in Sofia rejected the request of the Russian authorities to extradite a Russian citizen accused of fraud, overturning the lower court’s decision saying he should be extradited to Moscow and detained until he is extradited. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Left-liberal candidate likely to win Slovenian presidential election. Left-liberal lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar looks likely to cruise to a comfortable win against conservative opposition MP Anže Logar in the presidential election run-off this Sunday, according to the latest polls. Read more.
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PRISTINA
War of words between Belgrade, Pristina after Serbs resign from Kosovo institutions. After all ethnic Serb representatives resigned from Kosovo institutions, Prime Minister Albin Kurti decried Serbian President Aleksander Vucic’s threats against the country, calling him a tool of the Kremlin as Serbs rally in the north. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Bosnia prosecutors weigh possible suit against Croatian president. Bosnia’s state prosecutors are looking into a suit filed against Croatian President Zoran Milanović for having allegedly denied the genocide in Srebrenica, Klix.ba reported on Sunday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania to set up anti-corruption register amid continuing issues. The government has announced plans to create an electronic record of all corruption complaints that the anti-corruption unit will manage at the Justice Ministry.
The register will include data on reported cases, names, tax numbers, and complaint status. It will link to the national registry of civil status and various other digital platforms. Data on the platform can be accessed by the prosecution and various anti-corruption structures in the country.
Corruption is one of the key areas the country is expected to work on as a part of its EU accession process. However, in the recent Rule of Law Index for 2022, published by the World Justice Project, Albania ranks 87th among 140 countries, dropping three positions since 2021. (Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
AGENDA
- EU: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference;
- Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič participates in the meeting of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly in London;
- Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis participate in the high-level conference “Towards a legislative framework enabling a digital euro for citizens and businesses” co-organised by the Commission and the ECB;
- Eurogroup meeting takes place in Brussels; Agenda highlights include economic developments in and outlook for the euro area, fiscal policy and update on draft budgetary plans, and budgetary measures to mitigate the impact of high energy prices; Also, the new Italian Economy and Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti presents policy priorities, which is standard practice in the Eurogroup when new governments take office; Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis attends on behalf of the Commission;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visits Auschwitz-Birkenau Camps in Poland and addresses the Dinner of the European Jewish Association;
- Germany: Bundestag President Baerbel Bas and French Parliament President Yael Braun-Pivet give statements ahead of the 8th session of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly;
- Bulgaria: North Macedonia Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani on a two-day visit to Sofia to meet the caretaker prime minister, the foreign minister and leaders of the main parliamentary parties.
- UN: Security Council holds meeting on Syria;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
