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.
The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by Euractiv.
In today’s news from the Capitals:
BERLIN
As EU Socialists urge Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to stick to the 2035 ban on new petrol cars, German Transport Minister Volker Wissing warned that refusing to reverse the ban would be a “gigantic electoral fraud”. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EPP optimistic but ‘takes nothing for granted’ on von der Leyen. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) remains optimistic about its candidate Ursula von der Leyen reaching the necessary EU Parliament majority next week to get re-elected at the EU Commission’s helm; However, work is being done to convince the suspected deviants as “nothing can be taken for granted”. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Lobbyist against von der Leyen’s second mandate faces new legal setbacks. The Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected Belgian lobbyist Frédéric Baldan’s attempt to block Ursula von der Leyen from getting a second term as Commission president. Read more.
NORDICS & BALTICS
Baltics, Nordics, Poland to boycott Hungarian presidency. Northern and Eastern European countries will not send any ministers to Hungary during the country’s EU presidency in protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s solo trip to Moscow. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Patriots for Europe group face first rift as RN rejects Lega’s VP pick. Cracks are appearing in the newly formed far-right Patriots for Europe group, with France’s Rassemblement National opposing Italy’s Lega’s proposal for the vice presidency of the group. Read more.
European groups urge Jourová to act on Italian media freedom. European Movement International (EMI) will send a new letter to European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová, along with several other European and journalist organisations, requesting an investigation into the state of press freedom in Italy, Euractiv has learnt. Read more.
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MADRID
VOX breaks regional deals with PP after row over unaccompanied minors. Spain’s far-right VOX party has broken off its coalition agreements with the centre-right Partido Popular (PP/EPP) in five regions, VOX leader Santiago Abascal said on Thursday, after the PP agreed to the government’s proposed measure to take in hundreds of unaccompanied minors, despite VOX previously saying it would not accept it. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
BRATISLAVA
Fico’s Smer will not join new Patriots for Europe group, cites ideological divide. Smer-SD (NI) will not join Viktor Orban’s new Patriots for Europe group, said party leader and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, citing a lack of alignment with left-wing or social-democratic principles while criticising the European Socialists for rejecting Smer’s re-entry. Read more.
EU pressure prompts Slovakia to revise controversial criminal code reform. Following consultations with the European Commission, Robert Fico’s government decided to revise a controversial reform of the penal code, addressing EU concerns that Slovakia’s newly reduced penalties and statutes of limitation, may inadequately protect the EU’s financial interests. Read more.
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WARSAW | BERLIN | PARIS | ROME
Four EU countries agree to co-develop long-range cruise missiles. Poland, Germany, France and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to develop ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometres as they gathered on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
European liberals mull measures against Bulgarian member amid leadership dispute. The Bulgarian party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) could be excluded from the European liberal party ALDE, because of its US and UK-sanctioned Co-Chair, Delyan Peevski, ALDE Secretary General Didrik de Schaetzen told Euractiv Bulgaria on Thursday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romanian government approves artificial intelligence strategy. Romania’s government on Thursday approved a national artificial intelligence strategy for 2024-2027, falling in line with EU ambitions for the bloc to become a global leader in the field. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian anti-government protesters hurl petrol bombs and scuffle with police. Opposition protesters pelted Albania’s government building and a mayor’s office with petrol bombs late on Thursday, accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and demanding his resignation. Read more.
AGENDA:
EU: Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič delivers keynote speech at “Clean technologies as drivers of competitiveness and economic growth” conference, in Zagreb, Croatia;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in Eurojust and U.S. Department of Justice meeting on Stopping Illicit Flow of Sensitive Technology;
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