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In today’s news from the Capitals:
SOFIA | WARSAW | BUDAPEST
Following in the steps of Poland and Hungary, Bulgaria is also preparing to ban the import of Ukrainian grain, Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev announced on Sunday. Meanwhile, a European Commission spokesperson criticised Warsaw and Budapest for breaking the EU line describing their move as “unacceptable”. Read more.
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BERLIN
Bavaria wants to keep nuclear plants running despite federal phase-out plans. Nuclear power plants in Bavaria must be kept running despite the country’s phase-out plans, according to the region’s government, which will need an unlikely green light from the federal government. Read more.
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PARIS
Opposition vows to fight until French pensions reform is abolished. The opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron’s pensions reform, which was adopted on Saturday, is vowing to take to the streets until the legislation is permenently shelves. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian far-right chief insists on leading next government. Far-right leader Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) insists his party should govern at the head of a two-way coalition following the 2024 election for which he is currently leading the opinion polls. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian lobbyist sues von der Leyen over Pfizer contracts. A Belgian lobbyist filed a complaint directly against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before a Belgian court in a case that could have her immunity lifted and text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla examined. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Ukrainian refugees protest living conditions in Dutch village. Ukrainians living in a refugee camp in the Dutch village of Harskamp, in the Gelderland province protested their living conditions in the camp on Saturday, bemoaning the poor education, lack of medical care and the sound of gunshots from the military training in the area. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
UK government scraps new smart motorways. Fourteen new smart motorways will be removed from road-building plans due to cost pressures and a lack of confidence drivers feel, the UK’s Department for Transport. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Finland against EU’s ‘costly’ standard track gauge plans. Finland opposes the European Commission’s proposal to standardise track gauges as part of the Trans-European Transport Network, as it deems such a revamp too expensive. Under the Commission’s proposal to develop the Trans-European Transport Network, track gauges – the distance between two rail tracks – must be a standard 1,435 millimetres.
However, the Commission’s proposal is proving to be a problem for Finland. Adapting Finnish railway lines to such standards would mean a huge overhaul given that the distance between two rails there is 1,524 millimetres. This is because Finland was part of Russia from 1809 to 1917, during which many tracks were laid.
Indeed, according to a new report published in mid-April by the Transport and Communications Ministry, changing the gauge in Finland would not be ”cost-efficient”.
Finnish nuclear reactor begins electricity production. The Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor in southwest Finland started producing electricity after more than a decade of problems and delays on Sunday – the same day Germany closed its reactors.
According to the company TVO estimates, the unit will cover around 14% of the country’s electricity needs. Together with the other two reactors on site, the production of Olkiluoto is said to provide around 30% of electricity needs. Support for nuclear energy has been rising sharply. In a recent poll, 83% of Finns favoured nuclear energy.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Greek opposition asks if government exported ‘Predator’ to Sudan. Greece’s main opposition leftist Syriza party on Sunday asked the government whether it has exported Predator illegal spyware to Sudan, which currently is on the verge of civil war. Read more.
LEAK: Rule of law, press freedom face ‘very serious threats’ in Greece, report says. There are serious concerns about Greece’s democratic credentials, with threats to the rule of law, harassment of officials of independent public bodies, and widespread intimidation of journalists, according to a leaked draft mission report by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Read more.
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ROME
Meloni pushes forward ‘Mattei Plan’ in Ethiopia trip. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed Italy’s so-called Mattei Plan, which focuses on cooperation on energy and curbing migration flows from Africa, as she visited Ethiopia on Friday and Saturday. Read more.
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MADRID
Sánchez: new housing law to help youth, make decent homes accessible. The new housing law will make access to a decent home ‘a right and not a problem’ and offer more emancipation opportunities for the youth, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Slovak president Čaputová expected to announce re-election decision soon. President Zuzana Čaputová is expected to announce whether she will run for reelection in 2024 within the next month, and experts believe she will decide to run again based on previous statements. Read more.
Important Ukraine-ally Slovakia might switch government in September. The incumbent right-of-centre government in Slovakia has been an important ally for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of the country, recently delivering fighter jets to Ukraine. However, this may change after the September national parliament elections. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czechia mulls introducing public-deciding referendum law. Czech opposition parties are pushing for legislation allowing citizens to decide on various matters in public referendums, with one of the proposals opening doors to the potential EU exit referendum. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
TIRANA
Albanians continue fight against hydropower plants. Residents of Miredita in the north of Albania protested on Sunday against the construction of five hydropower plants they say will impact their homes, livelihood and access to the water they need to work the land. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbian government adopts measures to protect Serbs in Kosovo. The rights of Serbs in Kosovo are to be protected through five different measures, which include the urgent formation of the Serbian Municipalities Association, according to a package of measures recently adopted at a meeting in Raška. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Presidium and Federal Board of the conservative CDU in Berlin; Attends the award ceremony of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to former chancellor Angela Merkel;
- Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis participates in the 10th Recovery and Resilience Dialogue with Committees on Budgets and Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament;
- Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in the Recovery and Resilience Dialogue with the ECON and BUDG Committees;
- International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen attends virtually the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum 2023;
- European Parliament Plenary Session debates the revision of the EU emissions trading system, the social climate fund, the implementation of the civil Common Security and Defence Policy, and more;
- Poland: Polish and Ukrainian agriculture ministers will discuss Poland’s unilateral ban on food products from Ukraine;
- Estonia: New government sworn in;
- Brazil: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on an official visit;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
