Poland to hold referendum on EU migration relocation scheme

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

WARSAW

The Polish government wants a referendum on the country’s participation in the EU’s migrant relocation scheme, with voting most likely taking place alongside this autumn’s parliamentary elections, conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed on Monday. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Hungary to push for ‘family policy’ during EU Council Presidency. Hungary wants family policy featured higher on the EU agenda when it takes over the six-month EU Council presidency in the second half of next year, as plummeting population figures push member states to raise the matter on their respective agendas. Read more.

Commission chief: To combat extremist forces, EU must deliver on policy. The European Union must deliver on its policies, and democratic, centrist groups must project a vision on how to tackle the rise of extremism, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a joint press briefing in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday. Read more.

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BERLIN

Finance minister puts Germany back on austerity course. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner will stay true to his goal of reimposing Germany’s debt brake for the first time since 2019 in the budget that is to be approved by the Bundestag on Wednesday. Read more.

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PARIS

France must do more to cut down debt, Court of Auditors chief urges. France’s debt reduction plan must be more ambitious than what’s already been laid out, French Court of Auditors President and former European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told EURACTIV France in an interview, warning that the country’s public finances were in a particularly poor state. Read more.

French government assures of return to order as riots ease. Order is being restored in the country, said French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Monday, after nearly a week of riots and tension sparked by a police officer killing a 17-year-old during a traffic stop. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austrian government wants budget deficit halved. Austria’s budget deficit should be halved to well below 3% of the country’s GDP by 2024, said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner, citing the need to steer Austria onto a ‘sustainable budget path’ as the country’s deficit amounted to almost €6 billion between January and May. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch cabinet to play larger role in domestic energy transition. The Dutch government will play a bigger role in the country’s quest for climate neutrality by 2050, Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten (D66/Renew) stated during a press conference on Monday. Read more.

UK & IRELAND

LONDON

UK government’s small boats bill suffers defeats in House of Lords. The government’s small boats bill had key parts of it shredded by the House of Lords on Monday, as peers voted on a series of topics, including how long children should be detained and deportation destinations. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finland’s new far-right ministers distance themselves from controversial past. New ministers of the nationalist Finns Party have begun distancing themselves from previous stances, as former Economy Minister Vilhelm Junnila’s recent resignation over remarks he made at a far-right event four years ago has sparked renewed interest in the political past of ministers. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Le Pen or liberals? Italy’s right at odds over post EU election alliances. Right-wing Forza Italia Vice-President Antonio Tajani (EPP) and far-right Lega leader Matteo Salvini (Lega/ID) differ widely on how to approach next year’s EU elections, with Tajani closing the door on French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Germany’s far-right party AfD, while Salvini dreams of a united “centre-right” in Brussels is similar to the Italian government. Read more.

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ATHENS

Greeks mulls increasing parliament threshold after ‘far-right’ fiasco. Policymakers in Athens are considering increasing the threshold for a political party to enter the parliament as the presence of two new far-right groups in the current mandate has raised eyebrows. Read more.

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MADRID

Spanish government slams PM-candidate Diaz’s universal inheritance proposal. The proposal for a “universal inheritance” of €20,000 for every citizen who turns 18 presented by Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s Labour Minister and candidate for Prime Minister with the progressive platform Sumar, is “irresponsible”, the government said on Monday. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal’s health minister calls for ‘prudence’ in decriminalisation of synthetic drugs. Portuguese Health Minister Manuel Pizarro called for ‘a lot of prudence’ in the process of decriminalising synthetic drugs to ensure that this ‘good idea’ does not end up disrupting the distinction between consumption and trafficking. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

Slovak far-right with neo-Nazi origins eyes government. The Slovak Nationalist Party and Republika, both coming from a Slovak neo-Nazi movement, are now trying to sanitise their image and may have a shot at forming a government with poll leader Smer. Read more.

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PRAGUE | BUDAPEST

Hungary wants Russia sanctions exemption extended, ensure oil exports to Czechia. Hungary will ask the European Commission to extend the sanction exemption Slovak company Slovnaft – a subsidiary of Hungary’s MOL’s – currently benefits from by another year to ensure exports of refined products made from Russian crude oil arrive in Czechia, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó after meeting his Slovak counterpart Ludovic Ódor on Monday. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgaria to increase its military aid to Ukraine this year. Bulgarian military aid will be increased this year, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev said on state television BNT, adding that the country will send weapons after they finish analysing the needs of the Ukrainian army and how much the Bulgarian armed forces are capable of giving. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Schengen accession may come up at October’s Justice and Home Affairs Council. Bulgaria and Romania’s access to the Schengen may be a talking point during the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) meeting in October, the Spanish ambassador to Romania said during a press conference on Monday. Read more.

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TIRANA

Bill Clinton gets Albanian public gratitude medal, wants end to Kosovo ‘nonsense’. Former US President Bill Clinton was awarded the Great Star of Public Gratitude medal, the highest honour bestowed by an Albanian Prime Minister, during a visit to Tirana on Monday, where he also called for an end to ‘nonsense’ in north Kosovo. Read more.

Uptick in cases, convictions in Albanian justice system amid EU reform. Albania’s Prosecutor General Olsian Cela presented the 2022 annual judicial activity report to parliament on Monday, noting a 162% increase in registered proceedings following the EU and US-backed justice reform, which is still ongoing. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić;
Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans co-chairs high level Environment and Climate Dialogue with Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang; Meets Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol;
Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli gives keynote speech at the official launch of Accessible EULaunch Event;
Transport Commisioner Adina Vălean hosts Union Minister of Civil Aviation of India Jyotiraditya M. Scindia;
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi hosts Moldovan President of the Parliament Igor Grosu, Secretary General of the Organisation of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev; Participates in “Migratory flows and regional challenges: Türkiye’s way forward on migration” event;
Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosts Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Chad Mahamat Saleh Annadif; Receives EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi di Maio;
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson receives CEOs of European gas transmission operators GRTgaz, Enagás, REN and Teréga;
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton meets with Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan Yasutoshi Nishimura;
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addresses the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly; Meets with President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka;
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu;
India: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) virtual leaders’ summit;
Chile: Italian President Sergio Mattarella on official visit;