Renault boss: War of the future will be over critical raw materials

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:

PARIS

Europe is facing a Chinese electric vehicles tsunami following the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel-powered combustion engine cars from 2035, Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said at an economic conference on Saturday, adding that competition from China exposes EU vulnerabilities in the all-electric market. Read more.

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MEP CORNER

MEP: EPP does everything to make von der Leyen look ‘stupid’. The European Parliament will adopt the EU nature restoration law on Wednesday despite the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) attempt to boycott it, Tiemo Wölkern, a leading lawmaker of the socialist S&D group, told EURACTIV in an interview, adding the EPP is trying to make Commission President Ursula von der Leyen look stupid. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Von der Leyen pressures to unlock Italy’s third recovery plan payment, sources. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is pushing to rubber stamp the deadlocked third tranche of the post-COVID recovery fund to Italy, whose leadership will be pivotal to her re-election, EURACTIV has learned from several sources. Read more.

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BERLIN

EPP chief Weber declares far-right AfD as ‘main enemy’. The head of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, wants to put the fight against the far-right AfD at the centre of the EU election campaign next year, calling them the main enemy. Read more.

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VIENNA

Key figures in Austria’s two government parties spar in media. Key politicians of Austria’s government coalition have traded barbs in the press, with Vice-Chancellor Wern Kogler of the co-ruling Greens accusing the centre-right ÖVP of adopting pre-facist terminology, with high-level members of the conservatives firing back, calling his comments careless. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Netherlands: agrarian party ahead in polls. The Dutch government of Prime Minister and European Council member Mark Rutte from the liberal VVD (Renew Europe Group in the EU Parliament) party resigned due to a dispute over migration policy, and elections will be held earlier than planned, now likely in the autumn of this year. Read more.

Three in four Dutch oppose new cabinet under Rutte. The idea of now former prime minister Mark Rutte (VVD/Renew) taking the reins of a new government after the former one collapsed under his helm does not bode well with about 72% of Dutch people, a recent survey has found. Read more.

UK & IRELAND

LONDON

British scientists can request grants if the UK rejoins Horizon Europe. Scientists and academic researchers will be able to reapply to the European Research Council (ERC) for grants if the UK rejoins Horizon Europe, according to reports on Sunday. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ATHENS

Athens on alert as Turkey brings F-16 jets into Sweden’s NATO talks. The Greek government is closely following the discussion over Turkey’s stance toward Sweden’s NATO membership as it suspects that Ankara’s request to Washington to upgrade its F-16 fighter jet fleet may be part of the “bazaar”. Read more.

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ROME

Rumours swirl that Italian government is under attack from judiciary. Rumours are swirling from sources within the government that the Italian judiciary is trying to bring down the Italian government, as several leading figures in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government are under investigation. Read more.

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MADRID

Sánchez to face opposition leader in first TV debate before Spanish general elections. Spanish acting Prime Minister and Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez will face centre-right opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo in their first TV debate on Monday night in a highly polarised political campaign, two weeks before the country’s general elections. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s prosecutor general slams EU Commission’s rule of law report. Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka, involved in high-level corruption cases, will not bow to the EU Commission’s ‘pressure’ or ‘doubt’ after the recent Rule of Law report that mentioned limiting his power to overrule the decisions of subordinate prosecutors. Read more.

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WARSAW

Poland, Ukraine pay joint homage to Polish victims of WWII’s UPA massacre. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, jointly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the 1943 UPA massacre in Volhynia, when the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) members massacred thousands of Poles, a longtime bone of contention between Warsaw and Kyiv. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechs believe government is not doing enough to fight disinformation. About 63% of Czechs believe the government’s efforts to tackle conspiracies and disinformation are insufficient, according to the survey results of a study conducted by the Median Agency for Czech Radio. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Pro-Russian party denied Bulgarian Eurozone membership referendum. The pro-European majority Bulgarian parliament rejected the pro-Russian radical Vazrazhdane party’s proposal for a referendum on a 20-year postponement of Bulgaria’s membership in the Eurozone on Friday, but the issue will now be referred to the Constitutional Court. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Protestors in Belgrade march for murdered trans teen. The murder of Noa Milivojev, an 18-year-old trans woman whose body was found in an apartment in downtown Belgrade on Thursday, prompted protests in Belgrade, with demonstrators carrying banners with the words “Her name was Noa”, “Stop killing women”, “Trans lives matter” and the number 22, as this is the 22nd femicide in Serbia this year. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Vucic targets British MP over Orthodox church smuggling claims. Comments by a British MP Alicia Kearns have caused controversy in Kosovo, leading to Serbian President Aleksander Vucic threatening an investigation into her and calls from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for both sides to defuse tensions. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania pledges to reach 2% NATO spending target by 2024. Albania is set to reach the target of spending 2% of the GDP on defence, as required by NATO, by 2024, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama, who spoke ahead of the alliance’s Vilnius Summit set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: General Affairs Council convenes to discuss Spanish Presidency priorities, EU’s long-term budget, rule of law, and more;
Informal meeting of environment ministers to focus on biodiversity, air quality, pollution prevention, water management, and more;
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds back to back meetings with Chair of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats García-Pérez, Chair of the European People’s Party Group Manfred Weber, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Co-Chairs of the Greens/EFA Group Terry Reintke and Philippe Lamberts, Chair of the Renew Europe Group Stéphane Séjourné, Co-Chairs of The Left Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan;
Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni meets with U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo; Participates in the 11h Recovery and Resilience Dialogue with ECON and BUDG committees of the European Parliament;
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; Defense Minister Boris Pistorius makes joint statement with French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu;
Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization gives update on record temperatures;
Lithuania: Swedish Prime Minister meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in new bid to end NATO membership impasse;
UN: Security Council holds meeting on Yemen;