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In today’s news from The Capitals:
BRUSSELS
The Party of European Socialists (PES) wants the European Union to “strengthen” relations with both Washington and Beijing, while it rejects a regulatory “pause” to the Green Deal, a demand of other pro-EU forces such as the centre-right and liberals, an early draft electoral manifesto, seen by Euractiv, states. Read more.
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BERLIN |WARSAW
Germany backs restoration of Poland’s rule of law as Tusk expects EU money. German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann stressed the importance of restoring the rule of law during a visit to Warsaw on Tuesday, as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk currently faces backlash in his efforts to overhaul the country’s legal system. Read more.
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PARIS
France saw record number of asylum applications in 2023. France registered a record number of applications for asylum in 2023, the third-highest number amongst EU countries after Germany and Spain, according to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OPFRA). Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM | BUDAPEST
As Turkey approves Sweden’s NATO bid, Hungary remains sole hurdle. Turkey’s parliament approved Sweden’s accession bid to become the 32nd member of NATO on Tuesday (23 January), leaving Hungary as the final hurdle to overcome on the Nordic country’s way to full membership. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Spanish government paves way for return of self-exiled Puigdemont. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling socialist PSOE party and the Catalan separatist formation JxCat agreed on Tuesday to make some specific terrorist offences part of the future amnesty law, paving the way for the self-exiled former Catalan president Carles Puidgemont to return to Spain. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
BRATISLAVA | BERLIN
German MP warns of Slovak slide towards Orban-style populism. Slovakia is potentially sliding towards an Orban-like model, and Berlin intends to put the rule of law on the table at Wednesday’s meeting between Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the deputy head of the German-Slovak parliamentary group in the Bundestag Jorg Nurnberger said in an interview with Euractiv. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian MPs prepare to seize Russian tourist centre on Black Sea coast. Bulgarian MPs from the ruling majority are preparing a law to free Russian property and give the Bulgarian state control over the huge Russian tourist resort of Kamchia on the Black Sea coast. Read more.
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BUCHAREST | LONDON
UK to further increase military support to Romania. The UK will further increase its military presence and support for Romania as an allied state, the new British Ambassador to Bucharest, Giles Portman, said at his first press conference in Bucharest on Tuesday, adding that the Royal Air Force’s Typhoons will return to Romania this year for an air policing mission. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Bosnia given 6 weeks to adopt EU-requested laws or negotiations won’t start in 2024. Bosnia will miss the chance to start EU accession talks this year if it does not adopt the laws demanded by the EU within the next six weeks, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned during their visit to Sarajevo on Tuesday. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers expected to focus on migration, Artificial Intelligence, organised crime, and more;
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chairs College of Commissioners meeting; Hosts Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini;
- Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová hosts Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant; Holds meeting with Minister of European Integration of Serbia Tanja Miscevic and Minister of Justice of Serbia Maja Popovic;
- Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski speaks at Agriculture Committee of the Croatian Parliament meeting on the revision of the EU Pollinators Initiative;
- Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni delivers closing remarks at EU Sustainable Investment Summit 2024 “Delivering on the green transition”, organised by DG ECFIN;
- Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi holds meetings with Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Otar Shamugia, EUSR for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák, Chairman of the Yad Vashem of Israel Dani Dayan;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson together with the Belgian Presidency hosts the EU Port Alliance official launch event in Antwerp; Participates in event for the handover of the Chairmanship of ICMPD’s Steering Group from Türkiye to Greece;
- Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness delivers keynote speech at “Making it innovative: technology as a driver of the green transition’ at the 3rd EU Sustainable Investment Summit ‘Delivering on the green transition” panel, organised by the Commission;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with Euractiv
LEAK: EU Socialists eye boosted ties with US, China – reject Green Deal ‘pause’The Party of European Socialists (PES) wants the EU to “strengthen” relations with both Washington and Beijing, while it rejects a regulatory “pause” to the Green Deal, a demand of other pro-EU forces such as the centre-right and liberals, an early draft electoral manifesto, seen by Euractiv, states.
Source: euractiv.com
