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In today’s news from The Capitals:
BERLIN
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said over the weekend that more Ukrainian refugees in Germany should take up work, promising that this would secure their right to stay as fewer than two in 10 are currently employed. Read more.
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PARIS
Manon Aubry slams French left division in the face of rising far-right in EU elections. Manon Aubry, the top candidate of La France insoumise (LFI, The Left) for the 2024 EU elections, strongly criticised a divided left in the face of a far-right at the top of the polls during an exclusive interview for Euractiv. Read more.
French nuclear safety authority greenlights commissioning of Flamanville power plant. After a 12-year construction delay, France’s first ‘EPR’ power plant has been approved for operation by the French nuclear safety authority (ASN). The decision will enable project owner EDF to begin loading nuclear fuel into the reactor, to produce 1,600 megawatts by the end of 2024. Read more.
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BERN
Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza protests. Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmö, beating runner-up Croatia, after having been among bookmakers’ top-three to win the competition. Read more. Read more.
NORDICS & BALTICS
VILNIUS
Lithuania’s Nausėda wins first round of presidential election. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda appeared on track to secure his second and final term in office after the first round of voting on Sunday, following a campaign focusing on security concerns across the Baltics amid Russia’s war against Ukraine. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Socialist candidate wins election in Catalonia; not sure to lead the executive. The leader of Catalonia’s socialist party (PSC) and former health minister, Salvador Illa, won Sunday’s elections, followed by the separatist JxCat formation of former regional president Carles Puigdemont and the left-wing pro-independence ERC party, but the socialist candidate is not certain to govern. Read more.
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ROME
The Italian government is divided over Salvini’s plans to reintroduce conscription. Lega leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced his party’s plans to reintroduce universal conscription at the recent Alpini parade in Vicenza, but Fratelli d’Italia Defence Minister Guido Crosetto—who was also present—voiced scepticism over the idea. Read more.
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VALLETTA
Maltese PM ‘proud’ of deputy PM, EU commissioner candidate charged with defrauding government. Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela said he and the country are proud of the work done by former deputy prime minister and minister for European Funds and the country’s EU commissioner candidate Chris Fearne, who resigned after he was charged with defrauding the government through deceit and misappropriation of funds. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
WARSAW
Polish PiS leader presents alternative euro exchange rate, defends zloty. The leader of Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, offered an alternative euro-to-zloty exchange rate as proof that Warsaw should not join the eurozone. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovak parties largely united against scrapping the EU veto. Slovakia’s three main parliamentary parties reiterated their opposition to the possible abolition of the EU member states’ right of veto, saying it is crucial for Slovak sovereignty, candidates in the EU elections from the ruling Smer, Hlas and opposition SaS parties said in a televised debate on Sunday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
EU ambassadors in Sofia met with political leader sanctioned for corruption. Belgian Ambassador to Bulgaria Frédéric Meurice brought together EU ambassadors and DPS leader Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by the US under the Global Magnitsky Act and by the UK – again for corruption. Read more.
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SKOPJE
North Macedonia president stokes controversy at inauguration. North Macedonia’s first woman president was inaugurated on Sunday, with the new nationalist leader angering Greece after a speech that did not acknowledge her country’s new name. Read more.
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PRISTINA | BELGRADE
Fresh start for Belgrade-Pristina after the elections? What seemed like a breakthrough a year ago is now facing a stalemate: Neither Belgrade nor Pristina are ready to implement the Ohrid agreement that the EU negotiated with them last March and instead are pinning their hopes on leadership changes in Europe and the US to reignite the dialogue. Read more.
AGENDA:
EU: Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council convenes to discuss european and international policy agendas for children, youth and children’s rights, Artificial Intelligence, influencers as a part of EU media ecosystem, self-organised sport, and more;
Eurogroup expected to focus on macroeconomic and budgetary situation, including briefing on international meetings, reporting on banking union, euro area competitiveness, and more;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides delivers keynote speech at Mental Health Europe event on “Co-creating Mental Health: Shaping Europe’s Future Together”;
Sweden: Nordic Council Security Summit takes place, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends;
Lebanon: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gives televised speech;
UN: Security Council meets on Yemen; Negotiations on intellectual property (WIPO) on biopiracy;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Sofia Mandilara]
