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In today’s news from the Capitals:
ROME
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has again proposed to exclude military spending from the EU budget rules as Italy still struggles to reach the 2% NATO spending target that has been dragging public debt for years. Read more.
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EUROPEAN SPECIAL REPORT
Adrenaline auto-injectors in public places could save lives, experts say. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can lead to fatality within minutes, requiring rapid access to emergency treatments such as adrenaline auto-injectors, however, there is no EU-wide legislation, with different measures in place across the bloc. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU Parliament seat allocation puzzle faces deadlock. The European Parliament’s recent vote to increase the number of seats will likely be rejected by ministers, with the status quo the most likely outcome as EU member states start negotiations with highly divergent positions. Read more.
Czech former PM Babiš’s far-right shift could ‘move needle’ in EU policymaking. The rightward shift of Czech party ANO 2011, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, is increasingly in conflict with its association with the liberal Renew Europe group at the European Parliament and the ALDE party, political sources told EURACTIV. Read more.
EU spells out ‘homework’ for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia – and for itself. As Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are expected to pick up the pace on reform efforts this summer in their bids for EU membership, the EU is only moving slowly towards its own reform debate. Read more.
EU reform: France, Germany confident on reaching agreement this year. France and Germany are confident that the EU’s partial institutional reform will be possible this year, the French and German ministers of state for Europe, Laurence Boone and Anna Lührmann, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Read more.
No breakthrough at EU crisis talks with Kosovo, Serbia leaders. The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo on Thursday (22 June) in EU-mediated crisis talks in Brussels failed to agree on efforts to end weeks of violence in predominantly Serb areas of northern Kosovo. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany is a ‘sick case’, says former EU Commissioner. Germany is ‘a sick case’ and in dire need of innovation and reform, Günther Oettinger, a former German EU Commissioner, explained at a conference on Thursday. Read more.
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PARIS | LISBON
French farmers ask Macron to ‘stand firm’ on EU-Mercosur agreement. French farmers asked President Emmanuel Macron to continue opposing the EU-Mercosur deal on environmental grounds before meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva on Friday, while the EU Parliament’s chair of the delegation for relations with Brazil expects the deal to be ratified by the end of the year, Lusa reports. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian officials drop controversial charges against journalist. The independent investigative journalist raided for his investigation into possible corruption in Carinthia’s Klagenfurt saw charges against him dropped following an outcry from media organisations. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Netherlands, Morocco to cooperate on extradition of criminals. The Netherlands and Morocco are set to sign an extradition treaty to streamline efforts to persecute and extradite criminals between them, Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (VVD/Renew) wrote in a letter to parliament on Thursday. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
UK National Crime Agency arrests migrant smuggler. A man suspected of masterminding the smuggling of thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean from North Africa into Italy on ‘death trap’ boats was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on Wednesday. Read more.
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DUBLIN
Irish Forum on Neutrality criticised for pro-NATO views. Ireland’s traditionally neutral stance to conflict was meant to be discussed at the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in Cork, though anti-NATO protests and most of the panel expressing pro-NATO views have fed into a growing criticism of the debate. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Meet far-right party VOX’s ‘patriotic’ vision for Spain. The prohibition of political parties, defeating climate religion, battling gender ideology and indoctrination, and dismantling parliaments are among the political goals of far-right Party VOX (ECR), which could enter the Spanish government with right-wing PP (EPP) after national elections on 23 July. Read more.
Opinion: Spain’s Partido Popular banks on summer vibes to oust Sánchez. It’s summer, it’s time for sun and beach, it’s time for a change of government: this is the message Partido Popular (PP/EPP) launched on Thursday as part of its efforts to oust Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whom they blame for calling the snap general election at the “worst possible time” on 23 July, when millions of citizens are on vacation. Read more.
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ATHENS
Greek centre-right eyes absolute majority in second election round. The Greek centre-right New Democracy party is expected to win an absolute majority in the second round of the national elections on Sunday, with the main leftist opposition insisting that voters should avoid having an uncontrollable government with “superpowers”. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Czechia engaged in information war with Russia, says president. Czechia is involved in an information war with Russia, Czech President Petr Pavel noted in his opening speech at the Media and Ukraine conference in Prague on Thursday, as several institutions were targeted by cyberattacks that same day. Read more.
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WARSAW
Russian, Belarusian athletes banned from European Games in Poland. Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in the European Games that began in Krakow, despite the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation that participants from those countries be allowed to compete under the neutral flag. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Hungary anti-asylum bill broke EU law, says top court. Hungary broke EU law by forcing asylum seekers to present themselves at its embassies in Serbia or Ukraine, the EU’s top court ruled on Thursday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovak officials hired to fight farm subsidy fraud arrested for fraud. Police arrested Josef Kiss, head of the Agricultural Paying Agency, and four other people, including high-level agriculture ministry officials, for allegedly mishandling EU and state funds despite being appointed by the anti-corruption party OĽaNO to weed out fraud at the agency. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Ukraine, US condemn Bulgarian media regulator over Bucha comments. The embassies of Ukraine and the US to Bulgaria condemned the comments Sonya Momchilova, chairperson of the Electronic Media Council (EMC), recently made about the Bucha mass killings, saying it was propaganda. Read more.
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BUCHAREST | CHISINAU
Moldova, Romania react to Russia threatening bridge attack. Romania quickly followed Moldova in condemning possible Russian threats to a bridge connecting Moldova and Romania announced by Kherson’s self-proclaimed pro-Russian governor. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Those guilty of war crimes must face justice, Kosovo interior minister says. Those responsible for war crimes in Kosovo must be brought to justice, said Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla following the arrest of an ethnic Serb who was a prison guard during the 1998-1999 Kosovo-Serbia war. Read more.
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TIRANA
Iranian opposition investigation continues with police, resident violence probe. Arrests, investigations and interrogations continue in Albania following a massive police operation that saw hundreds of officers raid the compound of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) this week, resulting in one death, scores of injuries, and a complex web of international relations. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Commission Vice President Dubravka Šuica delivers keynote speech in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 Side Event on Children, organized by the UK & UA governments;
- International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen attends New Global Financing Pact Summit; Delivers speech at “Science and the Fight against poverty: how far have we come in 20 years and what’s next?” Colloquium at the College de France;
- Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with EURACTIV
Moldova, Romania react to Russia threatening bridge attack
Source: euractiv.com
