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In today’s news from the Capitals:
BRUSSELS
At least €300,000 worth of contracts between the European People’s Party (EPP) and a company allegedly related to Mario Voigt, the EPP digital campaign manager during the 2019 EU election campaign, are on the radar of the German authorities, EURACTIV has learnt.
Although many EPP sources confirmed that EPP chief Manfred Weber was not involved “administratively”, politically, the damage is heavy. Read more.
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SPECIAL REPORT
Migrant workers keep German care system afloat, say experts. The German health and old-age care system is dependent on migrant workers, according to experts, with 690,000 people born in another country working in the sector. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Macron, von der Leyen unlikely to sway China on Ukraine. China’s President Xi Jinping expressed willingness to speak to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but is unlikely to shift his policy towards Moscow after French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Beijing to talk sense to Russia over the war in Ukraine. Read more.
EPP cancels meeting in Warsaw following Belgian police raid. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) has cancelled a meeting of its group scheduled for next week in Warsaw following the turmoil created after the Belgian police raided the party’s headquarters on Tuesday (4 April). Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany’s largest trade union wants 4-day work week. IG Metall, Germany’s largest trade union, has called for introducing a four-day work week – something it will push for as a priority in the upcoming collective bargaining process. Read more.
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PARIS
France signs economic deals with China. France and China signed several economic agreements involving major companies in sectors such as transport, energy, agriculture, culture and science during President Emmanuel Macron’s trip to China, the Elysée said on Thursday. Read more.
French water contains traces of pesticide, study warns. Residues of a fungicide banned in France in 2020 are omnipresent in drinking water, a report by the French National Health Security Agency published on Thursday reads. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria could be fined for not transposing EU energy efficiency law. Austria may be fined for not transposing the original 2018 version of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive due to be transposed at the start of 2021, a turn of events for which the opposition blames the lack of unity within the government. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium to host second North Sea Summit meeting. Belgium will host a number of heads of state and government as well as EU officials for the second North Sea Summit on 24 April to make the sea the EU’s “largest green energy power plant” by 2050. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch to send 150 marines to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of EU mission. Up to 150 marines will be sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a year to reinforce the European Union Force (EUFOR) Althea mission, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra and Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren declared in a letter to parliament on Thursday. Read more.
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LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg’s ban on glyphosate has no legal basis, court rules. Luxembourg’s 2021 ban on glyphosate has no legal basis, an administrative second instance administrative court has ruled. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
People suspected of living illegally in UK to have bank accounts shut down. The UK government will restart banking checks on accounts opened by people suspected to be living in the UK illegally in an effort to deter illegal migration, the Home Office announced on Thursday. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM
Sweden won’t extradite own citizen to Turkey amid NATO row. The government refused to extradite its citizen accused of terrorism by Ankara on Thursday, despite extradition being among Sweden’s earlier promises to overcome Turkey’s block of its NATO bid. Read more.
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HELSINKI
Finnish MPs to get 7.9% pay rise. Finland’s 200 MPs who were elected or re-elected over the weekend will get a 7.9% pay rise to reflect general trends of recent years, a recent decision from parliament’s remuneration committee states. According to the decision, lawmakers who have worked up to four years in parliament will receive a pay rise from the current €6,614 per month to €7,137.
For those who have been in office for twelve years or more, salaries will increase from €7,408 to €7,993 per month. Parliament’s speaker, who is paid as much as the country’s prime minister, will receive a monthly salary of €14,448, while parliament’s vice speaker is to receive €11,266.
Last time lawmakers saw their pay increase was in 2019.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Russian hacker group targets Finnish parliament’s website. Russian hacker group Noname 057(16) carried out a denial-of-service attack on the Finnish parliament’s website, which according to a message it left on Telegram, appearing to coincide with Finland joining the NATO alliance on Tuesday.
“Finland will today become the 31st member state of the Nato military alliance. […] We are sending Finland to Nato, accompanied by denial of service attacks,” the group said on Telegram. Meanwhile, a hacker attack also targeted the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Berlusconi in hospital with leukaemia, condition stable. Three-times former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi was hospitalised in intensive care on Wednesday and despite swirling rumous, his health condition is now stable and has improved since Wednesday, sources told ANSA. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain deploys Nassam missiles to defend NATO airspace in Baltic region. Spain has deployed advanced Norwegian-made Nasam surface-to-air defence missiles in Estonia as part of its commitment to NATO in the Baltic region. Read more.
Administration lawyers’ strike in Spain creates massive case backlog, inspires others. The two-month-long Court lawyers’ strike that ended at the end of March has resulted in 400,000 pending lawsuits and the paralysis of €1.3 billion in due payments – a crisis that is unlikely to abate as other parts of the administration are planning partial strikes for mid-April. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal gets new minorities and migration body. A new Agency for Minorities, Migration and Asylum will replace the Foreigners and Immigration Service (SEF) as well as the High Commission for Migration, the cabinet decided on Thursday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
German ambassador criticised by Polish ruling camp ends mission in Poland. German Ambassador to Poland Thomas Bagger, known for criticism of Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, will end his mission in the coming months, Polish media reported. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Jourová to push tech giants over disinformation. Czech Commissioner Věra Jourová plans to meet with large technology companies in a month to discuss with them, among other things, the implementation of their new obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Hungary slams Finland over anti-LGBTQ+ law, NATO membership. Finland lacks integrity and turns its back on Hungary by joining the European Commission’s lawsuit against the Hungarian anti-LGBTQ+ child protection law right after Hungary voted in favour of Finland’s accession to NATO, Hungarian Secretary of State Tamás Menczer said on Wednesday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Russians may have sabotaged Slovak fighter jets, says defence minister. Russian technicians may have been intentionally sabotaging the operation of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets owned by the Slovak army, said Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgaria risks €10 billion over coal addiction. Bulgaria risks losing €10 billion as politicians continue to be reluctant to carry out reforms for the Green Transition, a move that would ensure Bulgaria continues to produce polluting and expensive electricity from coal and stays uncompetitive. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia joins EU action against Hungary over anti-LGBT law. The Slovenian government has decided to join the European Commission’s lawsuit against Hungary over the latter’s anti-LGBT law, backed by a number of EU member states and the EU Parliament. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Belgrade’s public transport faces drastic changes. The city of Belgrade will replace its public transport ticketing system with one that includes new zoning rules and different timing options in May, Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Šapić has announced. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania extends protection for Ukrainian, Afghan refugees. Albania has decided to extend the protection deadline for Afghan refugees in the country until 24 August, and Ukrainian refugees until September of this year. Read more.
Albanian minister accused in ammunitions depot disaster to face trial. The case of former minister of defence Fatmir Mediu who is accused about the Gerdec tragedy of 2008, where the controlled detonation of obsolete ammunition went wrong and cost the lives of 26 people, has been passed for trial. Read more.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
