Polish minister releases neo-Nazi from prison

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

WARSAW

Eurosceptic Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who also serves as attorney general, has decided to release a 21-year-old far-right activist and neo-Nazi sentenced to three years in prison for attacking a woman at an LGBT event in 2020. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Could Turkey’s EU bid come back from the dead? Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s sudden U-turn on unblocking Sweden’s bid for NATO membership earlier this week came as a pleasant surprise to many. Read more.

EU, Tunisia sign ‘strategic’ deal on migration, economy. The European Union and Tunisia on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” on irregular migration, economic development and renewable energy. Read more.

WESTERN EUROPE

PARIS

Over two-thirds of French groundwater below monthly averages. Droughts are emptying groundwater reserves, which are seriously under the usual monthly average, a trend that continues to lead to wildfires and shortages of freshwater for consumption, the French authority monitoring water resources has found. Read more.

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VIENNA

Tensions rise between Austria’s right, far-right. Ongoing tensions between the centre-right ÖVP and the chief of the far-right FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, have intensified amid accusations that the far-right leader poses a serious security risk and the accused calling for an early election. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch MEP slams EU-Tunisia migration deal. Leading Dutch MEP Sophie In ‘t Veld (Volt) criticised the EU–Tunisia migration deal that was concluded on Sunday, saying outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD/Renew), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (FdI/ECR), and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have no power to make agreements on behalf of the EU. Read more.

UK & IRELAND

LONDON

UK PM clamps down on ‘low-value’ degrees. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will force English universities to limit the number of students taking ‘low-value’ degrees, which critics believe is a move to penalise courses with a high proportion of working-class or minority-ethnic students. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finnish government living on borrowed time. The first four weeks of the right-leaning government have included one ministerial resignation and crisis meetings after the other, but the revelations of old racist writings coming from Finns Party members continue to put the government’s life on the line. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

MADRID

Parties refocus messages before Spanish elections. Prime Minister and Socialist candidate Pedro Sánchez has refocused his messages on the problems of young people and women’s rights, while his rival and leader of the centre-right Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, is trying to woo “disaffected” Socialist voters and those on the fence ahead of the crucial election in just six days. Read more.

Spain: Polls suggest government change. Spain is heading to the polls next Sunday to elect a new national parliament, and one of the EU’s most powerful member states may get a new cabinet, as recent polls suggest that the left-of-centre coalition and their regionalist allies may lose seats necessary for the continuation of the incumbent minority government. Read more.

VISEGRAD

PRAGUE

Czechia opposes new EU anti-corruption directive. The Czech government opposes the proposed EU directive to harmonise penalties for corruption across the EU, with Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek (ODS, ECR) saying his country doubts some of the measures presented in the proposal. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak government divided over EU nature restoration law. Slovakia’s environment and agriculture ministries have different views on the EU’s nature protection law recently approved by the EU Parliament, with one calling it an opportunity while the other believes parts need changing. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

TIRANA

Climate change main challenge for EU hopeful Albania’s agriculture sector. It is not just migration and the mammoth task of aligning with the EU legislation that Albania’s agricultural sector has to cope with: According to Agriculture Minister Frida Krifca, climate change is the biggest challenge. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgarian president accuses Ukraine of not wanting to stop Russian war. Ukraine insists on continuing waging war with Russia, Bulgaria’s pro-Russian President, Rumen Radev, said on Friday – a statement that saw a quick response from the Ukrainian Embassy in Sofia, although they did not mention the president directly. Read more.

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BUCHAREST | BUDAPEST | ZAGREB

Brussels urges Romania, Hungary, Croatia to report on green energy. The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Romania, Hungary, and Croatia for not complying with their reporting obligations regarding their respective energy targets. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Inquiry Committee to look into Serbia’s latest mass shootings. An inquiry Committee, which will look into the circumstances leading up to the two mass shootings in Serbia that took place in early May, will hold its first session on Tuesday. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) join EU leaders in Brussels to discuss enhanced cooperation in multilateral fora, trade, climate change, and more, during EU-CELAC summit;
Informal meeting of agriculture and fisheries ministers to focus on decarbonising the Community fisheries and aquaculture sector, and more;
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Signs Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Argentina on energy cooperation with President of Argentina Alberto Fernández;
International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen hosts Executive President of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) Sergio Diaz-Granados, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Alicia Barcena, President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Ilan Goldfajn, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago Amery Browne;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders meets with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, US Attorney General Merrick Garland, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra in Washington, DC, United States;
EESC President Oliver Röpke meets with UN Secretary General António Guterres at the margins of the ECOSOC high level Political Forum on Sustainable Development;
India: G20 finance ministers meet;
UN: Security Council meets on Ukraine war;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]