Slovakia sees ‘business’ opportunities in Ukraine’s reconstruction

Good morning from Bratislava,

Slovakia’s new government programme confirmed the intention to block some critical EU reforms under discussion, such as on migration or foreign policy, while simultaneously emphasising “business opportunities” for Slovak companies in reconstructing Ukraine. Read more.

BERLIN

German far-left’s top EU candidate vows to fight ‘climate apartheid’. Migration activist Carola Rackete has vowed to fight “climate apartheid” after the far-left Die Linke party formally selected her and GUE/NGL leader Martin Schirdewan on Saturday to be the party’s top candidates alongside MEP Özlem Demirel in next year’s EU elections. Read more.

German farmers: Ukraine membership would spell end of EU farming system. EU membership of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine would result in the ‘death’ of family farming, the German farmers’ union has warned amid growing concerns over the future direction of the EU’s farming subsidies programme. Read more.

///

PARIS

France ready to admit Gaza’s children to its hospitals. France will use all the resources it can mobilise to help evacuate and treat up to 50 children from Gaza in urgent need of care in its hospitals, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Sunday. Read more.

///

VIENNA

Austrian far-right politician reported for overt racism in regional parliament. Burgenland’s far-right leader Johann Tschürtz may be charged with sedition after he read out a list of names of a primary school class in a Vienna suburb to suggest migrants were overrunning the country. Read more.

Today's edition is powered by Equinor

MADRID

Left-wing party Unidas Podemos (The Left) continued to fight fiercely within the progressive Sumar platform on Sunday evening to secure at least the key Ministry of Equality in Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s new coalition government, due to be announced on Monday. Read more.

///

ROME

Italian opposition to work alongside Meloni to fight femicide. The tragic death of young Giulia Cecchettin, killed by her ex-boyfriend, has united Italy’s political parties in combating the growing number of femicides, with Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein calling on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to work together to pass a law on the issue. Read more.

///

ATHENS

Polls: Greek socialists overtake the Left ranking second. The Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) is currently in second position, overtaking for the first time in 11 years the main opposition leftist Syriza party, which is facing deep turmoil, new polls have shown. Read more.

WARSAW

Donald Tusk will not be my prime minister’ reads the title of an upcoming interview with Polish President Andrzej Duda for the right-wing Sieci weekly, which will be published on Monday. Read more.

///

PRAGUE

Czech President warns Democracy is in danger. President Petr Pavel warned of the need to protect democracy and its erosion in countries like the UK and the US during the 34th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution – the event leading to the end of the communist regime in the Czech Republic and its transition to a democratic country – on Friday. Read more.

WESTERN BALKANS

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Sarajevo on Sunday, kicking off a mini tour of four Western Balkan countries, three of which are not members of the military alliance and are seen as posing potential security risks. Read more.

///

SOFIA

Bulgarian government doubts it will collect gas taxes from Putin. The government has decided to withdraw the estimated revenue of €1.2 billion from the new tax on the transfer of Russian gas from the state budget 2024 because the ruling majority doubts that the money can be obtained, Finance Minister Asen Vasilev said on Sunday. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

ALDE vice-president becomes top candidate on USR list for upcoming EU elections. Former Save Romania Union (USR) party leader and current vice-president of ALDE Dan Barna will open the list of candidates for the 2024 European elections, USR party Vice-President Claudiu Năsui told Prima TV on Saturday. Read more.

///

BELGRADE

Serbian government will host a meeting with farmers amid strikes. The government has called farmers – protesting over their unmet demands from the Agriculture Ministry since May – to a meeting on Monday to discuss solutions. Read more.

///

SARAJEVO

Bosnia to meet EU conditions by end of year to open accession talks, says Council of Ministers chairwoman. Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to fulfil the conditions set by the EU Commission to open accession negotiations before the end of the year, the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, told Euractiv exclusive interview. Read more.

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]