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.
Today’s edition is powered by META
Firefighters will save time with the metaverse
With the metaverse, firefighters will one day use augmented reality to navigate dark, smoke-filled buildings. The result is that crucial seconds will be saved when lives are on the line. The impact of the metaverse will be real.
Learn more about the metaverse >>
In today’s news from the Capitals:
PARIS
The political crisis French President Emmanuel Macron and his government face after pushing through a highly unpopular pension reform has provoked reactions from politicians in neighbouring Italy and Germany, with some suggesting that France should review elements of its constitution, while others believe reform was legitimate and necessary. Read more.
///
EUROPEAN SPECIAL REPORT
Italy urged to address almost €1 billion rise in generics’ production cost. The sharp rise of generic drugs’ production costs on the back of high inflation has caused the Italian government severe headaches, while the industry describes an “unsustainable” situation which could negatively impact patients. Read more.
///
BERLIN
German liberals push for petrol price hike instead of combustion ban. Germany’s free-market FDP party, currently blocking the EU-wide phase-out of internal combustion engines for cars, has proposed tackling road transport carbon by increasing the price of petrol and diesel through national carbon pricing and giving the money back to citizens via a per-capita direct payment. Read more.
///
THE HAGUE
Dutch agrarian party leader to talk nitrogen with Timmermans. EU Climate Chief Frans Timmermans signalled his willingness to speak about the much-debated Dutch nitrogen policy with Caroline van der Plas, leader of the Dutch agrarian interest party BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) – a party that recently made huge gains in regional elections. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
UK opens inquiry into alleged extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan. Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, who is investigating allegations of more than fifty summary killings by Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers in Afghanistan, issued a call for anyone with evidence to come forward. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM
Swedish parliament approves NATO membership. Lawmakers in the Riksdag voted largely in favour of Sweden joining NATO despite Green and far-left opposition on Wednesday, with Foreign Minister Tobias Billström now saying he expects his country to officially join in July. Read more.
///
HELSINKI
Finnish region could produce 10% of EU’s zero-emission hydrogen. Finland’s North Ostrobothnia region should be able to produce ‘at least’ one-tenth of the EU’s zero-emission hydrogen in 2030, a study published by the Technical Research Centre of Finland on Wednesday reads. Read more.
Finland’s Fortum bands with Rolls-Royce to explore modular reactors. State-owned energy company Fortum and Rolls-Royce signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the opportunities for deploying small modular reactors (SMR) in Finland and Sweden. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
No-confidence motion against Spanish PM fails. Spain’s parliament widely rejected the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that was tabled by the far-right VOX (ECR) on Wednesday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Japan offers Poland special development aid for Ukraine. Japan will offer Poland financial development assistance to support in assisting the neighbouring war-torn Ukraine, announced Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki. Read more.
///
PRAGUE
Czechia to join new Brussels Institute for Geopolitics. Czechia decided to join the new Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, established in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read more.
///
BRATISLAVA
Breton ‘very impressed’ after visiting an ammunition plant in Slovakia. The ammunition plant in the city of Dubnica nad Váhom is ‘very impressive’ and has ‘ironclad’ plan to increase ammunition production two or threefold, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said as part of his 11-EU country Defence Tour to boost ammunition production on Wednesday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SARAJEVO
Hungarian FM slams Russia sanctions, vows to shield Bosnia’s Dodik. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticised the EU’s Russia sanctions as “harmful” on Wednesday, and vowed to protect the Bosnian Serb secessionist leader Milorad Dodik against any sanctions “as long as we are in power in Hungary”. Read more.
///
SOFIA
Bulgaria to extradite top ex-magistrate to Austria over money laundering. Bulgaria will extradite Ivan Dimov, a former member of the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council, to Austria as he is wanted for laundering €170,000, the Court of Appeal in Plovdiv decided on Tuesday. Read more.
///
LJUBLJANA
Slovenia plans extension of electricity, gas price regulation. The government plans to extend the regulation on electricity and gas retail prices for households, small business customers and Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which expires in mid-2023, until the end of the year, with unofficial information indicating price levels will remain the same. Read more.
///
BELGRADE
Internet addiction on the rise in Serbia. People in Serbia are becoming slightly more addicted to social media, electronic devices and video games, Doctor Nikola Jovanović, a psychiatrist at the Institute for Mental Health, told EURACTIV, pointing to the lack of a national strategy to tackle internet addiction. Read more.
///
PRISTINA
Kosovo sanctions Wagner group amid fears it operates in region. Kosovo has implemented US sanctions on the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, de facto designating them a significant transnational criminal organisation, as fears about the group being active in the region remain. Read more.
///
TIRANA
Albanian government bids to stop young doctors, nurses emigrating. The government is preparing a scheme to prevent the emigration of young people, particularly doctors and nurses, through the means of home credit, wage increases, and requirements to practice locally for a set time. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: European Council convenes for a two-day summit in Brussels; Agenda highlights include Russia’s war against Ukraine, competitiveness, energy, and more; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola attend;
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the EPP Summit;
- Vice President Vĕra Jourová participates at the European Economic and Social Committee Plenary debate on “United for democracy: employers’, workers’ and civil society’s organisations working for a sustainable democratic future”;
- Vice President Margaritis Schinas delivers keynote speech at the 10th annual European Cybersecurity Conference;
- Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi hosts the Chair of European Integration Committee of the Albanian Parliament Jorida Tabaku
- Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean delivers keynote speech at European Inland Waterways event;
- Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness holds meetings with the staff of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and its Chair Verena Ross; Meets with the staff of the European Banking Authority (EBA), in Paris, France;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson hosts Interior Minister of Montenegro Filip Adžić;
- Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides receives representatives of Eurogroup for Animals to discuss EU animal welfare rules;
- Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni hosts President of People’s Party of Spain Alberto Nuñez Feijoo;
- European Parliament’s Committee on Ciivil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs votes on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a member state and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a member state;
- Israel: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on official visit;
- NATO: Chief Jens Stoltenberg launches fleet of air-refuelling planes;
- UN: Security Council meeting on Syria;
***
[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
