Good morning from Paris, Economic and business ministers from France, Germany and Italy are set to sketch out plans for a sweeping ‘omnibus’ law to cut red tape and regulatory requirements for businesses on Monday, turbo-charging industrialists’ demand for a European Industrial deal. The ministers’ meeting will be under the motto of “competitiveness, productivity, and green technologies,” a spokesperson of the German economics ministry told Euractiv but did not want to give any details on what might be agreed. Jonathan Packroff and Paul Messad have all the details. In other news from the EU capitals, eurosceptics won this weekend's elections in Poland and Slovakia. According to exit polls, the conservative opposition PiS party leads in Sunday’s local elections in Warsaw, shaking Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s power. In Bratislava, Ukraine-sceptic government ally Peter Pellegrini won Slovakia’s presidential election on Saturday. Meanwhile, the results of the Slovak elections have raised eyebrows in Brussels and Berlin. Charles Szumski, Natália Silenská and Nick Alipour have the story. |
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Poland confronted with its Eurosceptic past
In today's episode of Today in the EU, Giada Santana take a look at the consequences of political polarisation in Poland. Listen here. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis] |
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| Launching her EU campaign in Athens at the 50th anniversary of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party (EPP) event, EU Commission chief and centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) candidate for the EU Elections, Ursula von der Leyen, vowed to “fight back” far-right “Putin’s friends” who wish to “hijack” Europe’s future. “While you are there, maybe ask a few questions about the democratic rule of law? Just a reminder that the European Commission must enforce EU laws and Treaties”, Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld commented. On the foreign policy front, the bloc’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, told Euractiv in an interview that a future Israel-Palestine peace deal can only come as part of concerted international efforts, which is why the EU should not aim to act as a ‘neutral actor’. Last but not least, look at an interview with the CEO of the Volvo Group who said the implementation of the EU’s carbon pricing scheme for road transport is crucial to drive the business case for electric and hydrogen trucks. |
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Conference: Mandatory Due Diligence in the supply chain - leveraging EU legislation to make a positive impact for small scale producers.
Join us in Düsseldorf for our discussion on navigating EU legislation to support small-scale producers in supply chains, addressing the challenges faced by companies in complying with EU laws.
Find out more → |
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| BERLIN Germany’s Scholz warns of ‘threat to EU prosperity’ through far-right election triumph. Right-wing populist parties would “destroy” the EU’s prosperity and values, warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, S&D), seemingly switching to campaign mode at a European Socialists event in Bucharest this weekend. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv] |
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| ATHENS Greek socialist Pasok (S&D) and leftist Syriza (EU Left) need to end their “hegemony” approach and with other progressive forces, agree on an alternative governance plan to overthrow conservative New Democracy (EPP), the leader of New Left Alexis Charitsis told Euractiv in an interview. Read more. /// ROME Italy’s healthcare system under threat, experts warn. Italy’s national healthcare system faces intense scrutiny from regional authorities, scientists, and a Nobel laureate, who challenge the government’s handling of the system in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Read more. /// MADRID Puigdemont sets up political ‘headquarters’ in France. Former Catalan president and separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, in self-imposed exile in Belgium for the past six years, has moved to southern France’s Vallespir region to lead his party’s campaign ahead of the regional snap election on 12 May and prepare to return to Spain. Read more. Far-left close to victory in Basque election. The far-left Basque party EH-Bildu, branded by the right and far-right as the “political arm” of the now-defunct terrorist group ETA, could come first in the regional elections on 21 April. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [Shutterstock/DarSzach] |
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| WARSAW Conservative opposition PiS party leads in Sunday’s local elections in Poland, according to exit polls, but Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition took most of the big cities in the first test of public support after the hotly contested national elections last October. Read more.
/// BRATISLAVA Orbán or EU: Slovakia at a crossroads. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s coalition partner Peter Pellegrini emerged victorious in the closely contested Slovakian presidential elections, signalling continued unity with the government but raising concerns in Bratislava, Brussels and Berlin about the future of Slovak democracy within the EU. Read more. /// BUDAPEST Tens of thousands march in Budapest against Orbán. Tens of thousands protested against the government of Viktor Orbán in downtown Budapest on Saturday (6 April), led by a lawyer formerly close to the administration who recently launched a political movement that aims to challenge the prime minister. Read more. |
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| SOFIA Relatively unknown Bulgarian diplomat gets foreign minister job. Ivaylo Tsenov, while relatively unknown in diplomatic circles, has been nominated as foreign minister in the future caretaker government in Sofia, with his contacts in the Austrian government cited as a reason for his nomination. Read more. |
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| EU: Informal meeting of agriculture ministers discusses strategic autonomy in proteins, and more; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers opening speech at Clean Transition Dialogue on Mobility; Commission Vice Presidents Valdis Dombrovskis and Vera Jourova participate in meeting with Director at NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence Jānis Sārts, in Riga, Latvia; Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson holds meeting with Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King, in Canberra; Delivers address to National Press Club of Australia; Meets with Australian Energy Producers; Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in conference on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), in Lausanne, Switzerland; Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson meets with Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Security, Internal Policy, European, and Foreign Affairs Aleksa Bečić and Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović; Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs debates European Ombudsman inquiry into Frontex’s role in search and rescue operations; Parliament Committee on Budgets debates climate and biodiversity mainstreaming in the EU budget; |
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| *** [Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Liene Lūsīte, Alice Taylor] |
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| The Capitals is brought to you by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Daniel Eck and Charles Szumski. |
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