Poland to build coalition against EU migration pact

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

WARSAW

Poland will attempt to block the migration and asylum pact that the Council of the EU adopted last week and build a coalition of opponents, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government spokesman, Piotr Müller, told TVP Info on Sunday. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Companies switching from Europe to US amid high energy costs. Companies are moving to the US as they face administrative burdens and high energy costs in Europe, Stefano Mallia, the head of the Employers Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, told EURACTIV.cz in an interview. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Nord Stream sabotage: CIA suspects Ukraine, tells Belgian secret services. Shortly after mysterious explosions hit the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Denmark, resulting in leakage in September last year, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) allegedly told Belgian secret services that Ukraine could be responsible. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany, France celebrate friendship with free train tickets. German and French governments are giving away free train tickets to 60,000 young people on a first-come, first served basis to celebrate their 60-year friendship treaty. Read more.

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PARIS

Macron calls on Iran to end support to Russia in war against Ukraine. Macron asked Iran to stop supporting Russia in the invasion of Ukraine by ceasing to send them drones during a 90-minute call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi on Saturday, the Elysée announced in a press release. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria’s new centre-left to ‘reevaluate’ relationship with conservatives. The new leader of Austria’s social-democrat SPÖ, the small-town Mayor Andreas Babler, will meet the political top brass of the country, ÖVP chief and Chancellor Karl Nehammer, amid his drive to revitalise the party by making it more democratic. Read more.

UK & IRELAND

LONDON

UK gives £150 million to help Ukrainian refugees into new homes. Ukrainians living in the UK will now be helped into their own homes under a new funding scheme, with money going to councils across the country to help Ukrainians secure rental accommodation and find work, according to a press release from the UK government published on Saturday. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finnish Greens broaden political agenda by leaning right. The image of the Greens as an arrogant and hermetic party must be altered, and there is no correct way to support and vote for them, Sofia Virta, who will succeed former chair Maria Ohisalo, told MTV3 News in her first interview as party leader. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

MADRID

Spanish left-wing bloc is finally born. Spanish left-wing groups have finally managed to form a united bloc, more than 50 years since the transition to democracy in the late 1970s, and they have a common goal to stop the surge of the far right. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

Slovak election campaign starts with small parties risking vote waste. As the window to merge in Slovakia’s September snap election closed on 9 June, at least five political parties are straining to secure a 5% quorum and risk becoming wasted votes. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

Hungarian minority party in Romania complicates PM switch. The social democrats (PSD) want to continue their collaboration with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) within the future Government, but the Hungarian minority party is not playing ball. Read more.

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SOFIA

Pro-Russian nationalist party sabotage ‘Sofia Pride’ film screening. Nationalists from the Vazrazhdane party invaded a cinema in Sofia on Saturday night and sabotaged a film screening from the “Sofia Pride Film Fest” program, Read more.

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BELGRADE

Demonstrators to block Serbia if demands are not met. The anti-government “Serbia against violence” show no sign of abating, with organisers threatening to block highways and large roads around the country if their demands are not met by the end of the week. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Kurti: Removal of criminal gangs from north Kosovo only way forward. On the 24th anniversary of the withdrawal of the Serbian military from Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti reiterated that the only way to ensure peace in the country and with neighbouring Serbia is to ensure the removal of criminal gangs in the north. Read more.

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TIRANA | PRISTINA

Pristina opens up on Albania’s Serb association plan. After remaining tight-lipped, the European Commission and the Kosovo government have started to open up about the draft for the Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, presented by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama last week with a meeting set to take place between Rama and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Wednesday. Read more.

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PODGORICA

Montenegro’s pro-EU Europe Now Movement claims victory in snap vote. Montenegro’s Europe Now Movement (PES) won 25.6% of votes in a snap election on Sunday, the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI) pollster said on the basis of a projection of results from a sample of polling stations. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council convenes (12-13 June 2023) to discuss platform workers directive, equality bodies to assure a minimum level of protection EU-wide, antimicrobial resistance, and more;
Informal meeting of agriculture ministers organised by the Swedish Presidency to address forestry and agricultural sector potential in contributing to sustainable transition; Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski attends;
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Delivers speech at the National Industry Confederation of Brazil;
Commission Vice President takes part in events and meetings as part of COP28 preparations;
Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič delivers a keynote speech at the EU-UK Forum Annual Conference 2023;
Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosts Pakistani Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar;
Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira discusses with mayors at the Brussels Urban Summit organised by Eurocities;
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson gives an opening speech at Energy Infrastructure Forum;
European Parliament holds plenary session; Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) debates recent developments regarding the rule-of-law situation in Poland;
Germany: President Emmanuel Macron hosts Polish President Andrzej Duda, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz;
France: First court hearing of civil lawsuit against BionTech over adverse effects allegedly caused by its Covid-19 vaccine;
UN: Security Council meeting on Yemen;