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.
The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.
In today’s news from the Capitals:
Pro-European voices in Bulgaria will protest at the headquarters of TELUS International Bulgaria, a third-party contractor providing moderation services to the country’s most popular social media platform Facebook, which they say promotes anti-European and pro-Kremlin voices but silences anti-Putin content that favours Ukraine. Read more.
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EDITOR’S TAKE
EU elections: a future for Europe’s Social Democrats? Since the time of Tony Blair and Gerhard Schröder, social democrats in Europe have declined in electoral support. But is this trend reversing? Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Pfizer officials could be excluded from the European Parliament. The European Parliament’s COVI committee on Thursday approved a proposal to ban Pfizer officials from the European Parliament, following the company’s lack of transparency in vaccine purchase contracts during the pandemic. Read more.
Commission tries to calm worries over Ukraine grain influx. The European Commission has stressed it is aware and mindful of the impact that the EU’s so-called solidarity lanes to boost Ukraine’s grain exports have on neighbouring countries such as Romania or Poland. Read more.
Functional equivalence for switching cloud services back on EU Parliament’s text. The obligation for cloud providers to maintain an equivalent level of functionality when a customer changes service has resurfaced in the European Parliament’s leading committee discussion. Read more.
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BERLIN
Thunberg to visit German coal village as police evict activists. Famous climate activist Greta Thunberg announced a visit to the Western German village of Lützerath as police forces start to evict the climate activists currently blocking its demolition. Read more.
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PARIS
Iran threatens Charlie Hebdo, refers to Salman Rushdie. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, has threatened the authors of cartoons recently published in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, advising them to look into the fate of Salman Rushdie – the writer subject to a terrorist attack last summer. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria commits to significant renewables boost. Following a two-day retreat, the government said it wants to accelerate the deployment of renewables in Austria by speeding up permitting, solar PV construction and providing more generous subsidies. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Sinn Fein boycott scuppers UK plans for Brexit talks. The first round of talks launched by the UK government aimed at making further progress on post-Brexit relations were plunged into chaos after a boycott by Sinn Fein and the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour parties. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM
Swedish government frees up legislation on nuclear expansion. Legislation restricting the number of nuclear reactors and their geographic location is being updated by the government, favouring nuclear expansionism. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Greece asks EU to ban fish imports from Turkey. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias sent a letter to EU top diplomat Josep Borrell asking him to take action against Turkey’s illegal fishing activities in Greek waters. Read more.
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ROME
Italy doubles down on fuel price speculation amid disagreement in coalition. New rules to lower skyrocketing petrol prices, targeting price speculation in particular, were introduced by the government on Wednesday, allthough government parter Forza Italia disagrees on the issue. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish farmers clash with government over water redistribution. The government’s plan to redistribute water in the regions of Almería, Alicante and Murcia, where farmers have been struggling to irrigate their crops in the past year, has pushed stakeholders to protest in Madrid on Wednesday. Read more.
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LISBON
More skilled Portuguese nationals are leaving for Nordic, Benelux states. A growing number of Portuguese nationals, particularly the most skilled, are opting for Nordic countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as destinations for work, an Emigration Report, presented on Wednesday in Lisbon, shows. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Italy could replace the US in protecting Slovakia’s airspace. Italy may replace the US in guaranteeing the protection of Slovakia’s air space after the US announced it would remove the battery from its Patriot air defence system in Slovakia, said Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď. Read more.
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WARSAW
Poland promises to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine. German-made Leopard tanks will be sent to Kyiv as part of an international coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced as he met with his Lithuanian and Ukrainian counterparts within the Lublin Triangle format in Lviv Wednesday. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech PM praises EU’s new path, particularly on security. The European Union is undergoing self-reflection and changing in the right way, notably when it comes to security, Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the Czech press on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
PRISTINA | BELGRADE
Serbia says Hungary will vote against Kosovo EU, CoE membership. Hungary will vote against the admission of Kosovo to several European and international organisations, such as the Council of Europe and the EU, according to a declaration made by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić from Budapest. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croatia PM goes for mini cabinet reshuffle. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković sacked two government ministers on Thursday, including the one in charge of EU funds, saying the changes were appropriate and necessary. Read more.
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TIRANA
Divided Albanian opposition in crisis, MPs expelled as elections approach. The leader of one faction of the divided Albanian Democratic Party, Enkelejd Alibeaj has expelled four members from the parliamentary group, further exacerbating the strife within the opposition just four months before local elections. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the visit of the College of Commissioners to mark the start of the Swedish EU Council presidency;
- Parliament President Roberta Metsola attends the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents;
- Parliament’s Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU, including disinformation (INGE 2) holds a debate; Follows the presentation of an in-depth analysis on “Legal Loopholes and the Risk of Foreign Interference”;
- Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) debates report on ongoing interinstitutional negotiations regarding the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms;
- EU Court of Justice rules on homosexuality discrimination in Poland;
- United States: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) publish the 2022 global temperature, climate conditions report;
- Ethiopia: French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock on an official joint visit;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
