Schinas: ‘Opportunity’ to discuss mandatory vaccination at EU summit

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The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.

In today’s news from the Capitals:

BRUSSELS

There is no better opportunity to discuss the issue of mandatory vaccination across Europe at the next EU Council on 16-17 December, European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said on Thursday at the annual meeting of EURACTIV Network in Brussels. Read more.

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EU PRESIDENCY

Slovenia’s Hojs warns of emerging migration crisis in Cyprus. While the situation on the Belarusian border is stabilising, the focus should shift to other hot spots such as Cyprus, Slovenian’s interior minister Aleš Hojs warned as EU home affairs ministers met in Brussels on Thursday (10 December). Read more.

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BERLIN

Volkswagen chief Diess clings to power. Plans to axe up to 30,000 Volkswagen jobs amid business model transformation have exposed CEO Herbert Diess to multiple enemies, potentially weakening his position in the process. Read more.

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PARIS

Macron presents France’s EU Council presidency priorities. Reforming Schengen, setting up a new European defence system, and a new Europen model were just some of the priorities of the upcoming French EU Council Presidency, according to President Emmanuel Macron, Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

LONDON

Vote Leave chief to oversee civil service appointments. Brexit campaigner Gisela Stuart, the former Labour politician who led the successful Vote Leave campaign with Boris Johnson, has been appointed to oversee civil service appointments, a move which has been criticised as potentially politicising the civil service. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

LISBON

Portuguese PM: France must increase power interconnections. There must be an increase in energy interconnections between Portugal and Spain and the Iberian Peninsula and France, Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa said on Thursday, stressing that France must fulfil its commitments in this regard. Read more.

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ROME

Italy sees rise in COVID-19 cases as anti-vaxxers cost country €50 million. COVID-19 cases rose 22.4% over the last seven days in Italy, an increase of 22.4%, according to the Gimbe Foundation. A 12% increase in deaths and 16.3% of hospitalisations were also recorded. Read more.

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MADRID

Scientists suggest eruption on La Palma could subside by late 2021. As the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma approaches its third month of activity, authorities said they are hopeful the eruption will subside before 2022, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

Schinas: EU approach to Poland eyes results, ‘nuclear option’ not on the table. The EU stance toward Poland over the rule of law row aims to bring tangible results as the “nuclear option” in the past did not work, EU Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said at the annual event of EURACTIV’s Network. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech MEP: Changes in energy taxation could trigger massive resistance. If the EU were to implement too vigorous changes in energy taxation, it could trigger massive resistance both from citizens and companies, Ondřej Kovařík, the Czech MEP of Renew Europe group, has warned. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia not ready for dramatic changes in automotive industry. Slovakia’s automotive industry is facing the biggest transformation in history. While other European countries are rolling out support programmes for electromobility and preparing reskilling policies for employees, Slovakia has no transformation plan and is not ready to meet the European targets in the sector. Hope is driven only by private investments, but experts warn that this may not be enough. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Budapest green mayor promises 1 million HUF for those who identify graft. In a video message posted on social media on Thursday, the Hungarian capital’s opposition mayor Gergely Karácsony said that he would offer €2,700 (HUF 1 million) from his salary to anyone who can prove any corruption in Budapest’s public tenders, Telex reported.

On International Anti-Corruption Day, Karácsony, elected on a green, anti-corruption platform, spoke about the importance of fighting graft in front of a commercial space sold for the price of a small apartment.

Karácsony said he offered the bounty “to anyone who sees any signs of abuse in the public tenders for the use of the capital’s property, if they can prove that any of the open tenders would be restrictive of competition or personalised”.

(Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com with Telex)

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

ZAGREB

Croatian PM clashes with president over visit to Ukraine. President Zoran Milanović called Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s visit to Ukraine amid high tensions with Russia “plain charlatanism”, adding that Plenković would “flee to Brussels if things get rough.” Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgarians want Skopje to solve problems with Sofia first. Most Bulgarian citizens oppose concessions to Skopje and lifting the veto before bilateral issues are resolved. According to a Gallup International Balkan poll conducted from 25 November to 3 December, 71% of Bulgarians consider the settlement of Skopje’s relations with Sofia a priority, but they are not so concerned with North Macedonia’s path to the EU. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

Slovenia’s poorest households expected to obtain energy vouchers soon. The poorest households in Slovenia will soon receive energy vouchers to help them cope with soaring pric. This planat comes after the government has been criticised for not taking action other than bringing the price of heating oil under state control. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Vucic at Summit for democracy: Serbia ready to be reliable partner. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated at the Summit for Democracy on Thursday that Serbia was ready to be a reliable partner of the US in efforts to strengthen democracy. Read more.

Serbia, Russia sign agreement to build centre for nuclear technologies. The Serbian government and Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom have signed agreements to build a Centre for Nuclear Technologies and found a joint company to realise the project in Serbia, a statement released on Thursday said. Read more.

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SARAJEVO

US Ambassador: expect more names to be released under Magnistky Act. More names can be expected to be added to the US list sanctioning individuals suspected of corruption, US Ambassador to BiH Eric Nelson said, N1 reported. Read more.

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SKOPJE

North Macedonia minister welcomes NATO air policing mission. Defence Minister Radmila Škerinska welcomed the fly-over of NATO aircraft, including a US AWACS plane, over North Macedonia. According to the minister, this form of air policing keeps the country safe and better protected.

Spanish General Fernando de la Cruz Caravaca, who commands the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejon, said that the fly-over is proof of NATO military units that “guarantee our peace, stability and prosperity”.

(Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)

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TIRANA

Opposition renews call for political vetting in Albania. All politicians should undergo a comprehensive vetting process, said the leader of Albania’s main opposition party, Lulzim Basha on the International Day against Corruption. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: EU justice and home affairs ministers meet in Brussels / High-level conference on migration and asylum co-organized by the European Parliament and the Slovenian National Assembly takes place.
Germany: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel in preparation of the EU summit plus NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in the evening.
France: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visits Paris, meets French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
UK: G7 foreign and development ministers meet in Liverpool, EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell attends.
Italy: Final session of European Citizens’ Panels for the Conference on the Future of Europe begins in Florence, Italy.
Poland: New German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock visits Warsaw.
Croatia: A conference on technological development as the basis for Croatia’s competitiveness is organised by the Croatian Employers’ Association and newspaper publisher Hanza Media. The Večernji List newspaper is organising a conference under the title “Croatia as part of the euro area”.
Serbia: Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to speak at the International Export Forum in Moscow, titled “Made in Russia.” After the forum, she is scheduled to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Republika Srpska, Serb entity’s Assembly, debates BiH’s Presidency member Milorad Dodik’s motion to repeal the state-level laws on defence, customs and the judiciary as well as all decisions made by the international community’s high representatives to the country since 1997.