| | | This week's European news |
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| Letter n°1076 of Tuesday 16th July 2024 |
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| Agenda | Other issues | Contact |
| ■ Front page! :
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| | | In praise of coalitions | | Jean-Dominique Giuliani writes: "A coalition, to form or support a government, is the first step in overcoming obstacles, the beginning of wisdom, and sometimes the guarantee of effectiveness". He suggests that French politicians should draw inspiration from "an almost unanimous European practice, which respects citizens' and democratic rules when it is transparent and assumed". Read more |
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| ■ Foundation :
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| | | The Schuman Network, ideas in Europe | | The Schuman Network is a Foundation initiative which works to promote the pooling of ideas on a European scale. With 21 members from 13 European countries, the Schuman Network is a place where research on current European issues can be shared. Since its launch, over 110 studies have been published. Read more |
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| | | European recovery plans: figures and priorities | | In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund. On 11 July, the Commission made the first payment of €324 million to Ireland. The Foundation offers you an interactive map of the plans country by country, so you can check the amounts and timetables. Read more |
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| | | Publication of the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2024 | | The Foundation has just published the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2024". Eminent representatives from the worlds of politics, business, research and diplomacy paint a portrait of a Union that is tracing the contours of environmental and digital sovereignty and projecting itself into a new geopolitical era, full of new challenges, particularly for its industry and defence. The book is available in French and English, in paper and digital versions. Order your copy now! Read more - Other link |
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| ■ Commission :
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| | | Preliminary findings at X | | On 12 July, the Commission informed X of its preliminary opinion that the US company was in breach of legislation on digital services in areas relating to fake interfaces, transparency of advertising and access to data for researchers. Transparency and accountability in content moderation and advertising are at the heart of this legislation. The Commission has found that X misleads users with its verified account interface, lacks advertising transparency by making it difficult to access a reliable advertising register, and prevents researchers from accessing public data in accordance with the legislation on digital services. Read more |
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| | | Apple's commitments | | On 11 July, the Commission made Apple's commitments legally binding so as to comply with European rules on anti-competitive practices. These commitments aim to remedy concerns about Apple's refusal to allow its competitors access to the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology used for contactless payments with iPhone. Read more |
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| | | Resignation of two Commissioners | | On 15 July, Adina Vălean, responsible for transport, and Virginijus Sinkevičius, responsible for the environment, oceans and fisheries, resigned from the Commission so that they could take their seats in the European Parliament, where they were elected on 9 June and which opens on 16 July. To ensure the continuity of the Commission's work, the responsibilities for the environment, oceans and fisheries were taken over by Maros Šefčovič, and those for transport by Wopke Hoekstra, until the end of the Commission's term of office. Read more |
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| ■ Parliament :
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| | | Creation of two new groups | | On 8 July, a new group, Patriots for Europe (PFE), was formed at the initiative of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Jordan Bardella (RN) was elected chairman. The Spanish Vox party left the ECR group to join this radical right group, making it the third largest group in the European Parliament with 84 MEPs, compared to 78 for the ECR. On 10 July, a new, more right-wing political group was formed, called "Europe of Sovereign Nations" (ESN), with the German party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). This group has 25 MEPs. Read more |
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| ■ European Agencies :
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| | | Ariane-6 puts a dozen satellites into orbit | | On 9 July, Europe's Ariane-6 rocket, ArianeGroup's new heavy launcher under the European Space Agency (ESA) programme, successfully completed its maiden flight from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou. It put a dozen satellites and scientific experiments into orbit. The programme will now have to offer attractive prices and win new orders in the face of competition from SpaceX and its Falcon 9 launcher, a promising success for the future of the European space sector... Read more - Other link |
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| | | Decline in irregular border crossings | | In the first half of 2024, irregular border crossings in the European Union fell by 30% to around 94,000, according to preliminary data from Frontex on 11 July. The Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean Sea routes saw significant decreases, while the West African and Eastern Land Border routes saw substantial increases. Despite an overall decrease, the Central Mediterranean remained the most active migration route, with almost 26,000 detections. The most frequent nationalities among migrants were Syrian, Malian and Afghan. Read more |
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| ■ Belgium :
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| | | Bart de Wever called to form a government | | On 10 July, King Philippe appointed Bart De Wever, chairman of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party, to form the next Belgian government. He is now in charge of leading negotiations between his party, the Mouvement Réformateur (MR), the Engagés and the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) with a view to forming a government by 20 September. Read more |
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| ■ Spain :
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| | | End of the alliance with Vox in the governments of 5 regions | | On 11 July, the Spanish Vox party announced that it was withdrawing from the governments of the 5 regions where it was in coalition with the Popular Party (PP). This decision follows a disagreement between the two parties over the distribution of foreign minors across the country. Read more |
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| ■ Finland :
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| | | Tighter controls at the Russian border | | On 12 July, the Finnish parliament passed a bill allowing border guards to turn back asylum seekers from Russia. This is a temporary measure designed to strengthen Finland's ability to combat Russian instrumentalisation of migrant border crossings and attempts at destabilisation and hybrid warfare. The law was passed by 167 votes to 31. Read more - Other link |
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| ■ France :
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| | | Speech to the Armed Forces | | French President Emmanuel Macron gave his traditional speech at the Hôtel de Brienne on 13 July, in which he paid tribute to the armed forces and their contribution to the unity of the Nation. This year, the head of state reaffirmed France's support for Ukraine, the role the country has to play in preventing the Middle East from flaring up, and the military programming law that is taking the country into a war economy. Read more - Other link |
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| ■ Georgia :
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| | | Freeze on the EU accession process and financial support | | As a direct consequence of the adoption of Georgia's Russian-inspired law on "agents of foreign influence", the European Union's ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, announced on 9 July that the process of Georgia's accession to the European Union and the €30 million in financial support provided under the European Peace Facility would be frozen. Read more - Other link |
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| ■ Switzerland :
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| | | Expansion of sanctions against Russia | | Switzerland extended its sanctions against Russia on 8 July, taking up the 14th package of sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to the military aggression in Ukraine. The sanctions, which came into force on 9 July, now affect a further 69 people and 47 companies, including businessmen, propagandists, members of the Russian army and arms companies. Four Russian media outlets have also been banned from advertising in Switzerland for their role in propaganda and disinformation. Read more |
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| ■ Ukraine :
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| | | Aid from Portugal renewed | | On 9 July, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced that Portugal's aid to Ukraine will rise to more than €220 million in 2024, with a similar amount planned for 2025. At the NATO summit in Washington, he also formalised Portugal's commitment to invest 2% of its GDP in security and defence by 2029. This investment, including significant support for Ukraine, will focus on military technology and equipment, as well as the recruitment and retention of military personnel. Read more - Other link |
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| | | Norway donates F-16s | | On 10 July, Norway announced that it was donating six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2024 to bolster its defence against Russian air attacks. This donation is part of the Air Force Capability Coalition (AFCC) led by Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States. Norway has also pledged to supply Ukraine with the weapons and munitions needed for the F-16s and to continue its training activities for Ukrainian fighter pilots, which it has been running in Denmark since 2023. Read more - Other link |
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| | | Agreements with Poland, Luxembourg and Romania | | On 8 July, during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Warsaw, Poland and Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement. Over a ten-year period, Poland undertakes to support Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO, to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces and to contribute to the mutual development of their defence industries. On 10 July, during his visit to the NATO summit in Washington, the Ukrainian President signed security agreements with Romania and Luxembourg. Read more - Other link - Other link |
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| ■ NATO :
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| | | Washington Summit | | From 9 to 11 July, the NATO summit was held in Washington to mark the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. In the declaration issued at the end of the summit, NATO reaffirmed its commitment to intensify its support for Ukraine over the long term, in particular through a training and security assistance programme (NSATU) and €40 billion in aid between now and the end of the year. NATO reiterated its determination to continue increasing military budgets so as to reach and even exceed the minimum 2% of GDP required to be allocated to defence. The Alliance has identified China, Iran, Russia and North Korea as threats to global stability that are cooperating more and more closely, and is determined to strengthen its deterrence and defence capabilities against them. Read more - Other link |
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| ■ Studies/Reports :
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| | | Europe is innovating better | | On 8 July, the European Commission published the European Innovation Scoreboard 2024. This report provides a comparative assessment of Member States' innovation performance. This year, while innovation performance fell in eleven countries, in fifteen there was an increase in efficiency, and the level rose by 0.5% for the Union as a whole. With Denmark and Sweden in the lead since 2017, the ranking of States is relatively stable. Read more |
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| | | Use of cohesion funds | | On 8 July, the European Court of Auditors published a report on cohesion spending over the 2014-2020 period, indicating that around €15 billion of the €317 billion in cohesion funds paid out may have been used in a way that did not comply with European rules. The auditors noted that the "assurance framework" - a set of measures designed to "lower the overall level of error" in spending compared to previous budgets - had helped to reduce this level from 6% to 4.8%. However, this figure is still above the 2% threshold set by European legislation. Read more |
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| | | Survey on confidence in public institutions | | The survey conducted by the OECD as part of the "Strengthening Democracy" initiative between October and November 2023 in 30 OECD member countries reveals that 44% of respondents say they have little or no confidence in their national government, a higher proportion than the 39% of respondents who say they have high or moderate confidence in their national government. This biennial survey, published on 10 July, confirms the findings of the previous survey that socio-economic factors play an important role in this perception. For example, 36% of women said they had a high or moderate level of confidence in institutions, compared with 43% of men. Read more |
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| | | Anti-Semitism on the rise in Europe | | Antisemitism has increased in Europe since the conflict between Hamas and Israel, according to a study by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published on 11 July. 96% of European Jews claim to have encountered antisemitism online or in their daily lives in the 12 months preceding the survey. 76% of them said that they "occasionally hide their identity", a figure that has risen to 83% for French Jews. Stereotypes persist, according to the findings of the survey, and 60% of those polled believe that their government is not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism. Read more |
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| ■ Culture :
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| | | "Democracy" in Athens | | The National Gallery of Athens is organising the exhibition "Democracy" until 2 February 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of Metapolítefsi, the Greek democratic transition. The exhibition explores the relationship between art and democracy in Southern Europe, covering the period of transition from totalitarian regimes to democratic states in Greece, Portugal and Spain. It presents 140 works by 55 artists involved in the art of resistance during the 60s and 70s. Read more - Other link |
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| | | Miro-Matisse in Nice | | The Matisse Museum in Nice, in partnership with the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, is presenting an exhibition devoted to the relationship between Matisse and Miró. Running until 29 September, the exhibition explores the links between the works of the two artists, as well as the differences between their approaches and aesthetics. The exhibition starts from a biographical perspective, tracing the moments when the paths of the two men crossed, their shared practices and the face-to-face confrontation between some of their major works. Read more |
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| | | Andy Warhol & Keith Haring in München | | The exhibition "Andy Warhol & Keith Haring. Party of Life" will be on show at the Brandhorst Museum in Munich until 26 January 2025. Tracing the path of friendship between these two artists, it highlights the many differences and convergences that unite them and immerses visitors in the world of nightclubs and graffiti of the 1980s. The exhibition features 120 works, painted individually or in collaboration by Warhol and Haring. Read more |
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| | | "Impressionist Women" in Dublin | | The National Gallery of Ireland is exhibiting "Impressionist Women" until 6 October, to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition, held in Paris in 1874. The exhibition features works by four major artists: Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883), Marie Bracquemond (1860-1914) and Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). Visitors can explore how these four women managed to navigate the artistic world of the 19th and 20th centuries. Read more |
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| | | Turner in Monaco | | The Grimaldi Forum Monaco, in collaboration with the Tate, is devoting an exhibition to the British painter Turner, until 1 September. The exhibition is an invitation to travel through the artist's works, his representations of the world and his landscapes, in which light and the particular atmosphere are central elements. The artist's influence and legacy are also represented, with works by him in dialogue with those of some thirty modern and contemporary artists. Read more |
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| | | Yoshitomo Nara in Bilbao | | The exhibition dedicated to Yoshitomo Nara will be on at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao until 3 November. This contemporary artist, whose works are inspired by his childhood memories, punk music and his travels, tackles themes such as solitude, community and the environment. The retrospective, organised by theme, highlights his stylistic evolution and the diversity of formats he uses. Read more |
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| | | Wincenty Wodzinowski in Krakow | | The Krakow Museum is exhibiting "Wincenty Wodzinowski. A sensitive observer (1866-1940)". Visitors can explore the works of this activist, soldier for Polish independence and figure of modernism. His paintings reveal his fascination with the cultural diversity of Krakow's surrounding countryside. Read more |
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| | | Baden-Baden Summer Festival | | "Summer Capital" is the title of the festival taking place in the town of Baden-Baden until 21 July. Visitors are invited to explore a host of performances, including a staging of Beethoven's "Imperial Concerto", conducted by conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Read more |
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| | | Verbier Festival | | The Verbier Festival is being held in the Swiss mountain resort until 4 August. This international classical music event is renowned for showcasing the world's most talented musicians. The eclectic programme includes operas, chamber music and poetry. Read more |
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| | | Salzburg Summer Festival | | Until 31 August, Mozart's birthplace is hosting the Salzburger Festspiele. This event is an opportunity to take part in and marvel at the operas, admire the performances of the actors in the theatres, and attend the many concerts on offer. Read more |
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| | | 60th Opera Festival of Macerata | | The Macerata Opera Festival will run until 11 August at the Arena Sferisterio in the Marche region. For this 60th edition, the festival offers an eclectic programme, including operas by the greatest Italian composers, such as Giacomo Puccini and Vincenzo Bellini. Ballet will also be making its return thanks to a collaboration with the Fondazione Nazionale della Danza. Read more |
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| | | La Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival | | The La Roque d'Anthéron international piano festival runs until 20 August. The 44th edition offers a unique experience in the heart of nature, in Provence and at the Château de Florans, accompanied by a wide variety of musical creations: classical music, piano recitals, concertos and symphonies, contemporary music and jazz. Read more |
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| ■ Sport :
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| | | Spain at its best | | Spain has enjoyed a historic sporting moment, winning Wimbledon, Euro 2024 and Season 4 of SailGP. On 14 July, Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Đoković in the final of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, becoming the youngest player to achieve the French Open - Wimbledon double. Spain also won the Euro 2024 football final against England (2-1) in Berlin. Finally, Diego Botin's crew triumphed in San Francisco Bay, winning the SailGP season 4 championship by beating Australia and New Zealand. Read more - Other link - Other link |
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| | | First plenary session of the 10th legislature of the European Parliament (Brussels) | | |
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| | | Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Brussels) | | |
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| | | Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Brussels) | | |
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| | | Meeting of the European Political Community (UK) | | |
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| | | Foreign Affairs Council (Brussels) |
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| | The Letter n°1076 | | PDF | | in English -- Edition of Tuesday 16th July 2024 |
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| The Letter is also available in: |
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| The Letter's Editorial Team : Stefanie Buzmaniuk, Helen Levy ; Juliette Bachschmidt, Charles Devoud, Aiti Syiemlieh, Thomas Richomme, Elena Kuntel N° ISSN: 2729-6482 A question, a suggestion ? Contact us! [email protected] | Editors-in-chief : Elise Bernard, Stefanie Buzmaniuk Publishing Director : Pascale Joannin |
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