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In today’s news from the capitals:
PRAGUE
Several EU leaders concluded that the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague on Thursday had been a success.
However, to make it happen, the castle hosting the event had to get rid of EU flags at the request of the UK, while Brussels-based EU leaders had to make their presence so ‘low key’ as possible. Read more.
Editor’s review
Meloni reshuffles the cards of European politics. Many believe that the results of the Italian elections could have a significant impact on the European political landscape in the complex interplay between European and national politics.
The right-wing Italian coalition obtained a large parliamentary majority with 44% of the vote. The centre-left coalition, Azione-Italia Viva (Renew Europe), and the Five Star Movement (M5S) obtained 48%. The parties that supported the Conte 2 government could have won. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
For the European Political Community, the meeting is the message. As leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered for a new continental forum on Thursday September 6 to bring Europe closer together amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and a looming energy crisis, the question remains as to whether if the format risks becoming a discussion forum. Read more.
Four EU countries establish a “dynamic” price corridor for gas. Several EU countries have proposed to limit gas market volatility by introducing a “dynamic price corridor” to prevent prices from going too high or too low while ensuring that Europe can buy the gas it needs. need in world markets. Read more.
EU states are failing in their commitments to resettle refugees and aiming no higher. EU member states must meet, but also exceed, their pledges to resettle refugees, as only 7,821 had been resettled across the bloc by the end of August, out of the 20,000 pledged this year. Read more.
THE HAGUE
We will not continue to use the Groningen gas field, says Rutte. The Netherlands will not continue to exploit the Groningen gas field due to the resulting earthquakes affecting people in the region, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters in Prague on Thursday. Read more.
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PARIS
Crowded French service stations are suffering from supply “tensions”. The service stations of the TotalEnergies group are suffering from fuel supply tensions, in particular due to the drop in prices at the pump and the strike movements in the refineries. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany repatriates the last imprisoned women, the children of the Islamic State. Seven children, four women and a man smuggled as children have been brought back to Germany from the Roj camp in northern Syria, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on Thursday evening. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria and Hungary guarantee Serbia’s support in border control. Serbia has promised to toughen visa rules for countries from which a particularly large number of migrants are currently entering the EU in return for stronger border protection with North Macedonia. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Two Belgian nuclear reactors fail in one week. Doel 2 nuclear reactor automatically stopped on Thursday after a short circuit in the operating system of the control rods, following the Thiange 3 reactor, which has been shut down since Monday. Read more.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
ROME
Meloni envisions technocrats for key ministries. Italian election winner and likely next prime minister Giorgia Meloni has come under fire for emulating her predecessor Mario Draghi in choosing technocrats for key ministries instead of politicians. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain will support the European Commission’s proposals to combat high energy prices. The European Commission has adopted Madrid’s views on tackling high electricity prices in the European Union, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Thursday. Read more.
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LISBON
Bank of Portugal expects 2022 budget deficit to reach 1.9% target. The central bank said it saw scope for the government to meet its official 2022 target for the public sector budget deficit to gross domestic product of 1.9%, thanks to buoyant tax revenues, despite the spending measures taken to mitigate the impact of inflation on consumers. Read more.
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VALLETTA
Malta must not back down on media freedom, says Strasbourg human rights body. The Maltese government continues to stifle independent journalism and must take action to protect media freedom and step up investigative efforts into the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Council of Europe said on Thursday October 6. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
New survey unmasks Slovak ‘apathy’ towards war in Ukraine. Nearly half of Slovaks want Ukraine to win the war against Russia, and nearly a quarter of people say they “don’t care,” according to a new survey by Globsec. Read more.
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WARSAW
The Polish church fund will receive a record amount of state money. The Polish government plans to increase the amount allocated to the church fund for issues such as clergy pensions. Read more.
BALKAN NEWS
BELGRADE | ZAGREB
The leaders of Serbia and Croatia exchange barbs over the oil embargo. The EU’s decision to ban the transport of Russian oil through its territory to Serbia sparked an angry exchange between the leaders of Serbia and Croatia on the sidelines of an international summit in Prague on Thursday. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria wants to buy 10 Gripen fighter jets. The caretaker government in Bulgaria intends to strike a deal with Sweden for 10 Gripen fighter jets, a Bulgarian newspaper has revealed 24chasa. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania could join the Schengen area by the end of the year, says Iohannis. Romania could soon join the Schengen area, but there is no certainty that a decision will be made by the end of the year, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Three referendums added to two elections in the coming months. Having already voted in the general elections earlier this year and with presidential and local elections to come this month and next, Slovenians will also go to the polls to decide on three government-sponsored laws after the biggest party in opposition has collected enough signatures from voters. Read more.
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TIRANA
Greece and Albania fail to agree on the issue of maritime borders in Prague. Albania and Greece do not agree on the issue of maritime borders between the two countries, despite the meeting of the two prime ministers on the sidelines of the European Political Community in Prague on Thursday. Read more.
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The Albanian government presents a second bill for the legalization of cannabis. The second draft law on the cultivation and processing of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes has been presented by the Albanian government, bringing the plant even closer to at least partial legalization. Read more.
Agenda
- EU: Vice-President Schinas in Belgrade, Serbia: meeting Aleksandar VUČIĆ, President of the Republic of Serbia;
- Vice-President Schinas in Tirana, Albania: meeting Mr. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania;
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the informal meeting of Heads of State or Government;
- Commissioner Johansson in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: participates in a ministerial meeting of the Coalition of European countries in the fight against serious and organized crime organized by the Ministry of Justice and Security of the Netherlands;
- Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in Slovakia; meeting with representatives of producer associations Zeleninarska sro and PD Šenkvice;
- Netherlands: Press conference following a meeting of European ministers and officials on organized crime;
- Spain: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez attends informal EU Council in Prague, focused on energy;
- Greece: Appeal trial of members of neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party resumes;
- Czech Republic: Informal EU Summit;
- Malaysia: The government unveils the national budget;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
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