Berlin eyes 2030 EU enlargement but Poland remains an obstacle

Good morning from Berlin,

Members of Germany’s coalition government support expert recommendations for EU enlargement amidst warnings of geopolitical risks from delaying the admission of new members. But Poland’s opposition to EU reforms, considered by Berlin and Paris essential for the process, may put obstacles in the way, experts estimate. Read more.

THE HAGUE

The Netherlands aims to kickstart research on how to resolve the differences in grocery prices across the bloc, citing the need to ensure a ‘fair market’, outgoing Economy Minister Micky Adriaansens (VVD/Renew) announced on Monday. Read more.

///

PARIS

Macron announces French strategy for climate action, wants more EU funds. France will totally phase out coal by 2027, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday, adding that he hopes for more European climate funding. Read more.

///

VIENNA

Vienna to vote against EU glyphosate re-approval. Austria will vote against the European Commission’s proposal to renew the approval of glyphosate, the country’s agriculture ministry confirmed on Monday. Read more.

///

BRUSSELS

Belgian state sued over climate policy shortcomings. The ASBL ‘Affaire Climat’ and over 70,000 citizens again called on the courts to impose binding emissions reductions on the Belgian government after the last ruling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was largely ignored by the state. Read more.

ROME

Meloni asks Scholz to explain funding of NGO rescue ships. Germany must explain its financing of NGO rescue ships, which the EU border agency Frontex says are a “pull factor” for irregular immigration, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia wrote in a letter to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Read more.

///

MADRID

Spain’s PP leader faces ‘doomed to fail’ investiture. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s centre-right Partido Popular (EPP), is expected to fall short of enough seats to form a majority government as he faces his investiture vote in the parliament on Tuesday. Read more.

Catalonia to distribute free, universally available, reusable menstrual products. Following Scotland’s example, Catalonia will distribute free menstrual cups, period underwear, and cloth sanitary pads via pharmacies to 2.5 million people starting in 2024 to mitigate period poverty, seeking ‘to be an inspiration for Europe’, Catalan Minister of Equality and Feminisms Tània Verge told Euractiv on Monday. Read more.

WARSAW

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau took to social media to respond to a recent statement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on visa bribery allegations, calling on him to respect Poland’s sovereignty on the eve of important national elections. Read more.

Poland may tighten border checks with Slovakia. Poland wants to tighten controls on its border with Slovakia, Polish media reports, as a growing number of migrants are crossing the Polish-Slovak border irregularly via the so-called ‘Balkan route’. Read more.

///

PRAGUE

Czech law amendment to address drug shortages draws criticism. In an effort to combat drug shortages, the Czech health ministry is pushing forward an amendment that significantly changes the role of all players in the pharmaceutical market – though concerns have been raised about additional costs without adequate compensation. Read more.

Russian agents bribed Czech public figures to spread propaganda. Russia directly coordinated the spread of some disinformation in Czechia, and its agents bribed Czech personalities to spread the Russian narrative about the war in Ukraine, Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech Security Information Service (BIS), said. Read more.

///

BRATISLAVA

Slovak crowdfunding campaign funds demining machine for Ukraine. The crowdfunding campaign for a Božena 5 demining machine set a new record in the Slovak crowdfunding landscape, running for136 days, symbolically starting on 8 May in commemoration of the victory over fascism and raising over €650,000. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria and Russia are engaged in a diplomatic spat over the fate of the so-called Russian Church in Sofia and a week after a Russian priest was expelled from the country over threats to national security. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

Ecological coalition emerges ahead of Romania’s 2024 elections. A progressive green coalition – comprised of several small parties – was launched in Bucharest on Monday to participate in the four rounds of elections scheduled in 2024. Read more.

///

PRISTINA

Russia supports Serbia over EU-dubbed ‘terrorist attack’ in north Kosovo. The Russian Foreign Ministry, a government spokesperson and the Russian Embassy in Belgrade have all reacted in support of Serbia over what the European Commission has called a cowardly terrorist attack in the north of Kosovo on Sunday. Read more.

***

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