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In today’s news from The Capitals:
MADRID
Sumar platform leader and Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz will travel to Palestine to sign several bilateral agreements, demand a ceasefire, and condemn the “hypocrisy” of the international community in the Middle East conflict, official sources confirmed on Wednesday. Read more.
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BERLIN
German economy doing ‘dramatically bad’, economy minister says as government prepares to slash GDP forecast. The German economy is performing “dramatically bad”, the country’s economy minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said at a trade fair in Leipzig on Wednesday, with the government now only expecting a 0.2% growth rate for 2024. Read more.
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PARIS
Former top Macron aide held economic ties with Putin’s Russia, police found. French police found that Alexandre Benalla, a former top aide to Emmanuel Macron, was involved in businesses that struck private security deals with Russian oligarchs and personally benefitted from some of the proceeds – including when he still worked at the Elysée. Read more.
France’s Sarkozy guilty – again – of illegal campaign financing. France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal campaign financing by the Paris Court of Appeal on Wednesday, and given a one-year prison sentence. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Wilders seeks new troubleshooter to end Dutch coalition deadlock. Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said Wednesday he has asked a new official to revive talks on forming a Dutch government, almost three months since the election. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Ireland, Spain ask EU for ‘urgent review’ of Israel trade over Gaza human rights compliance. Ireland and Spain are seeking an “urgent review” of whether Israel is complying with human rights obligations under its trade agreement with the EU, according to a joint letter seen by Euractiv. Read more.
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LISBON
Brussels promises fast approval of Portugal’s national CAP plan changes. The European Commission has promised to speed up the approval of the reprogramming of Portugal’s National Strategic Plan for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), said the Portuguese Farmers’ Confederation, which met with Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on Wednesday, but noted that the ball is now in the government’s court. Read more.
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ATHENS
Greek Orthodox Church asks for roll-call vote on same-sex marriage bill. The Greek Orthodox Church asked lawmakers on Wednesday to hold a roll-call vote on the same-sex marriage bill, a sensitive issue that has sparked an intense debate in the country and divided the ruling conservative New Democracy party. Read more.
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NICOSIA
Cyprus could produce first natural gas as soon as 2026, minister says. Cyprus could start producing its first natural gas as soon as 2026, and plans to participate in a high-powered electricity cable project linking the eastern Mediterranean to continental Europe, its energy minister told Reuters. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
WARSAW
Poland, Brussels struggle to reach agreement on recovery fund timeline. Poland is expected to face further delays in receiving the first tranche of €6 million allocated under the Recovery and Resilience Plan as the government and the European Commission struggle with unresolved issues, Polish media reported. Read more.
Ukraine’s trade representative slams Poland over food import row. Kyiv won’t be intimidated by Poland’s “attempts to stigmatise” their food production amid tensions at the border and further blockades planned by Polish farmers, Ukraine’s trade representative Taras Kachka said on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgaria is looking for a strategic buyer for Lukoil Neftochim in the US. The “need to find a strategic buyer” for the Lukoil Neftochim refinery in Burgas and possibilities of reducing dependence on Russian gas and oil in the Balkan region were discussed by a Bulgarian government delegation during its visit to the US, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romanian far-right party to welcome social-democratic and liberal politicians. Several social-democratic and liberal politicians will eventually join the AUR party, party leader George Simion announced on Wednesday, adding that they have not officially joined the party yet due to the potential risk of losing their current political mandates. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croatian farmers pause protests to see if the government will meet demands. Croatian farmers are holding off on protests until they know the outcome of next week’s EU farmers’ meeting, and are organising another round of negotiations with the government to see if it will meet their demands, according to the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture’s (HPK) press release on Wednesday. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas delivers keynote speech at opening of Munich Cyber Security Conference; Meets with US Deputy National Security Advisor for cyber and emerging technology Anne Neuberger;
- Vice President Dubravka Suica participates in EESC plenary session debate on civil dialogue;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Yiva Johansson gives opening address at the CEPOL “EU4Security” project kick off event, in Chisinau, Moldova; Delivers opening remarks at Child Safety Online Forum; Gives opening address at 9th meeting of EU Support Hub for Internal Security and Border Management in Moldova;
- Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness speaks at high level conference on “Ending Financial Discrimination Against Cancer Survivors”;
- Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola on official visit to Warsaw, Poland: holds meetings with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Marshal of the Senate of Poland Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Szymon Hołownia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with Euractiv
Romanian far-right party to welcome social-democratic and liberal politiciansSeveral social-democratic and liberal politicians will eventually join the AUR party, party leader George Simion announced on Wednesday, adding that they have not officially joined the party yet due to the potential risk of losing their current political mandates.
Source: euractiv.com
