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In today’s news from the Capitals:
MADRID
Prime Ministers of Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece meet on Friday at a mini “Mediterranean summit” in Rome to find a consensus on reforming European energy markets and reducing energy prices, official sources told EURACTIV’s partner EFE. Read more.
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PARIS
Macron presents sovereignty-focused programme. French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently confirmed his re-election bid, has presented the election programme that he hopes will create “an independent nation in a stronger Europe”. Read more.
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BERLIN
German parliament criticised for ignoring Zelenskyy address. The Bundestag was criticised for awkwardly moving on to daily business right after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an emotional speech. Read more.
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VIENNA
Putin’s €50,000 earrings for former Austrian FM spark controversy. Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted €50,000 sapphire earrings to Austria’s former far-right Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who hosted the Russian strongman at her wedding in 2018, a report by daily newspaper Krone has revealed. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finland to amend law to address hybrid attacks. Finland is launching legislative changes to enable swift application processes at the border to anticipate possible hybrid influence activities exploiting migration. Read more.
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STOCKHOLM
Sweden raises funds to vaccinate incoming refugees. The Swedish government will allocate 21 million SEK (over €2 million) to every region to vaccinate refugees from Ukraine against COVID-19, Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren announced at a press conference on Thursday. Read more.
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COPENHAGEN
Danish government expects ‘significant’ number of Ukrainians to arrive. A total of 5,000 Ukrainian refugees have applied for residence permits under a new law adopted Wednesday that gives Ukrainian refugees a two-year residence permit without having to seek asylum. Read more.
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VILNIUS
Lithuania votes to increase defence budget. Lithuania’s parliament unanimously voted to increase the defence budget by almost €300 million and a resolution calling for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italian cabinet approves end of almost all COVID-19 restrictions. Italy’s cabinet has approved the end of almost all COVID-19 restrictions, though Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the government is ready to “adapt based on the epidemiological curve”. Read more.
Italian lawmakers approve measures to send arms to Kyiv. The Chamber of Deputies approved a decree on Ukraine that provides for aid and measures to assist refugees and send weapons and equipment. The measure was approved with 367 votes in favour, 25 against and five abstentions. 231 MPs did not take part in the vote.(Simona Zecchi | EURACTIV.it)
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LISBON
Companies filed 23,000 job offers for Ukrainian refugees on Portuguese platform. The Portuguese government has received about 23,000 job offers for Ukrainian refugees and about 11,800 Ukrainians having requested temporary protection, Labour, Solidarity, and Social Security Minister Ana Mendes Godinho said in Madrid on Thursday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Dispatch from Slovak border: ‘We don’t understand why Putin is doing this to us’. As war rages on in neighbouring Ukraine, Slovakia is dealing with the biggest refugee crisis in its history, but the welcoming response of its people and the government is in stark contrast with the last migrant crisis in 2015. Read more.
Fit-for-55 package key for Slovakia’s energy independence. Slovakia fully supports the goals and the measures areas of the Fit for 55 package, Michal Kiča, the State Secretary at the environment ministry, said at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. Read more.
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WARSAW
Mass of Ukrainian children enrolled in Polish schools. Seven hundred thousand Ukrainian children have arrived in Poland in recent weeks, according to the Polish Ministry of Education, and many are already enrolled in school. Read more
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PRAGUE
Czech company launches long-awaited nuclear tender process. Czech power company ČEZ launched on Thursday a tender process to select a builder for a new nuclear unit at the Dukovany power plant. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Many Fidesz voters blame Ukraine for the war. Sixty four per cent of Hungarians consider the Russian invasion of Ukraine an act of aggression but the governing party’s voters are split on the issue, a recent survey by the Publicus Institute has shown, Telex reported. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian ex-PM Borissov arrested after EU Prosecutor’s office probe. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, his former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, former parliamentary finance committee chief Menda Stoyanova and GERB party spokeswoman Sevdelina Arnaudova were arrested during a large-scale operation by the European Prosecutor’s Office and the Bulgarian police Thursday night. Read more.
Russia loses Bulgarian supporters due to Ukraine war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made 40% of Bulgarians view Russia in a negative light compared to just 3% who now view Russia positively, a survey by sociological agency Trend shows. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania against no-fly zone in Ukraine. Enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could become the basis for expanding the conflict in Ukraine, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Thursday, adding that NATO does not want a military conflict with Russia. Read more.
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ZAGREB | MADRID
Scientists from Croatia, Spain to look into fusion to power EU power plant. Croatian and Spanish scientists will look at the materials needed to build an EU power plant where electricity will be produced by fusion in two to three weeks. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Ukraine denies sending crashed drone to Croatia. Ukraine is investigating the incident with the unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in Zagreb last week and did not launch it towards Croatia, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Thursday. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovak government makes second attempt to pass e-communications bill. The Slovenian government confirmed Wednesday that it presented a new version of the electronic communications bill after parliament voted down the previous version in early February. Read more.
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BELGRADE | VIENNA
Austria to remain a bridge between EU and Serbia, Western Balkans. Austria will continue to be a bridge between the EU and Serbia, and other Western Balkan countries, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in Belgrade on Thursday. Read more.
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ZAGREB | SARAJEVO
Croatia to back BiH’s NATO membership if Croats treated equally. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic integration is in Croatia’s national interest. It cannot be achieved without the equality of Croats in that country, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman said on Thursday. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Election law agreement ‘historic opportunity’ for BiH to get closer to EU membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) should reach an agreement on the election law, said the managing director for Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst, adding that this would be a “historic opportunity” for the country to get closer to “EU candidate status”. Read more.
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SKOPJE | PARIS
France backs start of EU negotiations for North Macedonia. France gave clear and unequivocal messages of support for North Macedonia’s readiness to start EU membership negotiations, said North Macedonia Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani following a call with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian who also highlighted France’s role in the process. Read more.
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TIRANA
EU Commission supports Albanians’ right to assembly amid ongoing protests. Citizens in Albania and beyond have legitimate concerns over rising prices, the European Commission has said. Read more.
Albania sends military aid to Ukraine. Albania has sent military vehicles to help Ukraine’s fight against Russia, the government announced Thursday while its troops are located in Latvia, and now also in Kosovo.
“The NATO alliance has never been more united than today. There are no differences anymore among allies, they are all in unison, ready and convinced that we must strengthen our defence by supporting Ukraine,” the minister stated.
Albania became a NATO member in April 2009. The Alliance is upgrading a military airport in the former Stalin City in south-central Albania, now called Kucove, and is turning it into its first airbase in the Western Balkans. (Exit.al)
AGENDA:
- EU: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola participate in EU Cohesion Forum
- France: EU tourism ministers meet in Dijon.
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Berlin.
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi hosts Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and Portugal’s António Costa, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joining virtually.
- Greece: Trial hearing for Dimitris Lignadis, former artistic director of the National Theatre, accused of raping minors.
- Bulgaria: US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin visits.
- Romania: Government to hold a meeting during which a new decision on energy prices is expected.
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[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
