US offers Warsaw 96 Apache helicopters, as Polish leaders visit Washington

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

WARSAW

President of the United States Joe Biden has pledged a $2 billion loan for Poland to bolster its security and defence while also offering to sell the country 96 Apache attack helicopters, following a visit from Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk to Washington on Tuesday. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany mulls reintroducing conscription. Germany should return to conscription starting in 2025, the country’s armed forces commissioner said on Tuesday, as the defence ministry is working on a new model inspired by Nordic countries. Read more.

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PARIS

French MPs vote in favour of Franco-Ukrainian security deal, RN, LFI oppose it. In a non-binding vote on Tuesday, a majority French MPs supported the bilateral security agreement between Paris and Kyiv. Far-left winged La France Insoumise (LFI, The Left) voted against, while the far-right party Rassemblement National (RN, ID) abstained. Read more.

EU elections: French far-right exceeds 30%, widens gap with Macron’s Renaissance – polls. France’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) surpassed 30% in the latest polls for the European elections, moving further away from its main rival – President Emmanuel Macron’s fading Renaissance party – while its far-right rival Reconquête! slipped and the Socialists clawed back some ground. Read more.

French parliament split ahead of EU-Canada trade agreement vote. French parliamentarians are sharply divided on whether or not to ratify the EU-Canada free trade agreement, following farming protestors’ heavy condemnation of trade measures that they argue create unfair competition. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Swedish liberals want defence spending beyond 2% NATO target. The liberal Centre Party called on Tuesday for Sweden to increase its defence spending from the NATO-recommended 2% to 3% of the country’s GDP less than a week after joining the alliance. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

MADRID

Madrid regional president’s partner faces tax fraud probe. Spanish tax authorities are investigating Alberto González Amador, the partner of the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, for alleged fraud. The accusations involved false invoices and front companies being used for medical supplies and equipment during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Read more.

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LISBON

Outgoing Portuguese PM calls for stability of legislatures. The next government should serve its term to the end, said outgoing Prime Minister António Costa, calling for ‘legislative stability.’ Read more.

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ATHENS

EU Parliament rejects Kaili’s immunity defence in Qatargate probe. The European Parliament legal affairs committee (JURI) unanimously decided that Eva Kaili’s immunity defence is inadmissible in the context of the Qatargate investigation, because everything was done ‘by the book’, a note from the parliamentary committee, seen by Euractiv, states. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

PRAGUE

Ammunition bought under Czech initiative could reach Ukraine in June. Ammunition bought in non-EU countries under the Czech initiative could reach Ukrainian battlefields as early as June, Tomas Pojar, the Czech national security adviser and the prime minister’s advisor, said on Tuesday. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

Romanian president announces bid for NATO job. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Tuesday his decision to enter the race for the role of NATO secretary-general, adding that Romania needs to take on “even greater responsibility” within the alliance. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatian MEP awaits opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia. Croatian MEP Željana Zovko, who was Bosnia’s ambassador to Italy, France, and Spain, believes that the European Council will make a positive decision on Bosnia’s desire to join the EU, he told Euractiv ahead of the European Council’s meeting next week. Read more.

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PRISTINA

US official Escobar underlines dialogue commitment ahead of Pristina visit. The US State Department’s Special Representative to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, stated that the US is committed to continuing dialogue on normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations ahead of his visit to Pristina. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Parliament’s plenary votes on European Media Freedom Act, European Media Freedom Act, European cross-border associations, and more;
Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič participates online in Ukraine-Slovakia Kosice Forum;
Vice President Dubravka Suica delivers Commission statement at Parliament’s Plenary on the “Creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children”; Delivers Commission statement on “Need to address the urgent concerns surrounding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia”; Attends “This is Europe” debate, with Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides participates in videoconference of G20 Health Ministers;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in trilogue on updating digital company law;
Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni meets with President of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) Herrero Sánchez, in Madrid, Spain; Meets with Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez Pérez-Castejón;
Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli meets with Brazilian Minister of Women of Brazil Cida Gonçalves, in New York, United States;
International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen visits Vientiane, Lao; Holds meetings with the government and civil society representatives;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]