French elections: Diplomats want to be ‘forgotten’

Good morning from Paris,

With the far-right Rassemblement national (RN) inching closer than ever towards taking power in France, many diplomats fear what having to serve under a far-right government might bring.

France, which has one of the densest diplomatic networks in the world, will vote on Sunday for the second round of the legislative elections.

“Everyone is wondering what to do if the far right comes to power. Some hope to be forgotten in small embassies, but others are in exposed positions and will receive daily instructions from Paris. And they will have to apply them,” a French civil servant working in a European country told Euractiv.

Reporting from Paris, Laurent Geslin has the whole story.

The UK Labour Party at 6 am CET on 5 July passed the threshold of 326 seats, officially winning the 4 July general election, ending 14 years of rule by the right-wing Conservative Party.
"The EU and Britain are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens," commented on X European Council President Charles Michel.

Euractiv’s Chris Powers, who followed the election process throughout the night, has the full story.

A return to pre-Brexit integration is not on the table. But Brussels-based experts told Euractiv earlier this week that a Labour win would help restore some trust between London and Brussels, a necessary element to resolve trade-related issues. Policy divergence is still a far-fetched objective as the UK’s “cherry-picking” approach won’t please EU partners.

To have a deeper view of what’s coming up in London, read the stories below:

Everything indicates the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group is set to collapse in favour of the newly created ‘Patriots for Europe’, which aims to gather all radical right forces beyond the Conservatives (ECR) group.

“Le Pen, Orbán, and other delegations reached a deal before last Sunday that ID would cease to exist to create the new one,” a well-informed MEP confirmed to Euractiv, pointing out that the package of high-level jobs within the group has already been divided between national delegations.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s trip to Moscow, days after visiting Kyiv, has irritated Brussels. Hungary, which holds the EU rotating presidency, did not inform anyone about the trip, Euractiv has learnt.

Last but not least, China’s commerce ministry urged the EU to “meet halfway” to resolve the ongoing trade dispute over electric vehicles.

BERLIN

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz, the favourite to become chancellor next year, said his government would collaborate with a French cabinet led by the far-right Rassemblement national, which might materialise after this week’s French elections, taking heart from the RN’s harsh stance on the German AfD. Read more.

German pressure on EU-China trade outcomes piles up as Commission tariffs kick in. Pressure from Germany to reconsider trade tariffs on China-made electric cars is set to intensify in the coming weeks as member states start negotiating their official stance on the issue, after the Commission confirmed on Thursday that provisional duties kick in from Friday. Read more.

ROME

EU Left admits Italy’s M5S on probationary basis. Italy’s Five Star Movement (M5S) has officially joined the European left-wing group, but total acceptance in the group will depend on a six-month probation period of “mutual engagement”. Read more.

Three former prime ministers of Italy say Biden should drop re-election bid. US President Joe Biden must drop his re-election bid or Donald Trump is sure to return to the White House, former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said on Wednesday. His views were echoed by two other former Italian prime ministers. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain’s PP suggests deploying army to curb irregular migration. The Spanish government should curb the massive influx of illegal migrants with all the means at its disposal, including the deployment of the military and navy to better control its borders, Miguel Tellado, parliamentary spokesman for the main opposition force, the right-wing Partido Popular (PP/EPP) has said. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese government imposes 15% minimum tax on large multinationals. Portugal’s government is moving ahead with a minimum 15% taxation mechanism for multinational and national groups, according to the package of measures approved at Thursday’s cabinet meeting. Read more.

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ATHENS

Poll confirms Greece’s political system is in crisis. A new poll broadcast on Thursday evening showed that an all-time high abstention rate in the recent EU elections was not a coincidence, as Greek citizens feel increasingly disappointed or indifferent about the Mediterranean country’s political system. Read more.

Meanwhile, the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell is going to Greece on Friday and he is expected to visit the EUNAVFOR headquarters in Larissa – the base for the European military operation in response to Houthi engagements with international shipping in the Red Sea.

Greek diplomatic sources said Borell will hold a meeting both with Foreign Affairs Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, and Defernce Minister Nikos Dendias. On Saturday, Borell and Dendias are expected on board the Greek frigate “Psara”, which participates in the European Operation ASPIDES and is currently sailing in Djibouti.

WARSAW

Poland’s PiS MEPs have turned down an offer from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to join his new Patriots of Europe group, deciding instead to accept Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s offer to remain in her hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR). Read more.
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BUDAPEST

Hungary’s Orbán travels to Moscow, days after Kyiv trip. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán travelled to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, only a few days after his visit to Kyiv, on a trip that earned him stern rebukes from EU officials and diplomats. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria pays €142 million to companies that jumped in after Gazprom cut-off. The Bulgarian government decided on Thursday to compensate natural gas traders who helped fill the state-owned Chiren gas storage facility with 278 million leva (€142 million) after the sudden cut-off of Russian gas supplies in late April 2022. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romanian presidential elections postponed until year’s end. Romania’s governing coalition concluded discussions on the electoral calendar for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on Thursday, according to a press release from the Social Democrats and Liberals. Read more.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor]