Bulgaria tops global rule of law progress, Greece hits bottom

Good morning from Brussels,

European Union member states continue to lead the way globally in the rule of law, with Bulgaria and Slovakia making the most positive progress in 2023. But it is not all good news as with the rule of law falling globally, Greece and Belgium registered big declines according to a new report by the World Justice Project. Read more.

THE HAGUE

The Dutch upstart anti-establishment party New Social Contract (NSC), which is currently leading the polls ahead of the upcoming general election, has vowed to oppose further EU integration in its election manifesto published on Tuesday while putting the option of negotiating opt-outs from EU policies on the table. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany’s Habeck calls for ‘Zeitenwende’ on industrial subsidies. In a plea to coalition partners and the European Commission, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) called for more subsidies to secure industrial production and jobs. Read more.

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PARIS

Macron proposes ‘international coalition’ against Hamas. During a visit to Israel, French President Emmanuel Macron floated the idea of a coalition to fight Hamas modelled on the one that already exists against Daesh while also accepting Palestinians’ right to a territory. Read more.

ROME

Inspired by the ‘Hungarian model’, the Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has approved a new budget earmarking €1 billion to encourage an increase in birth rates and introduce a new range of measures to support families and women as a worrying downward trend threatens to undermine the national welfare system. Read more.

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MADRID

PSOE and Sumar sign coalition agreement, omit key point for Catalan backing. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and progressive Socialist leader and acting Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz overcame their disagreement over extending the working week and signed a coalition agreement on Tuesday which fails to mention the introduction of an amnesty law for those involved in the 2017 secessionist attempt in Catalonia despite it being essential for the Socialist candidate’s return to power. Read more.

PRAGUE

Any speculation that Crimea could be traded off with Russia for peace is unsound and dangerous, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said during the Crimean Platform parliamentary summit in Prague on Tuesday. Read more.

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WARSAW

Tusk to discuss unblocking EU funds for Poland. Opposition leader and potential future prime minister Donald Tusk set off to Brussels to discuss the chance to launch the nation’s recovery money, which was frozen due to the rule of law concerns in Poland. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Social media ‘unresponsive’ to disinformation requests ahead of Slovak election: report. Requests by the Slovak authorities for Meta to remove misleading and deceptive content ahead of elections at the end of September were met with an inadequate and ineffective response, according to a report on disinformation, which also calls for an EU-wide solution to force Telegram to comply with similar requests, published by the Interior Ministry’s Centre for Combating Hybrid Threats. Read more.

SOFIA

LGBTQI activists in Bulgaria win harassment lawsuit against nationalist party. Bulgaria’s nationalist VMRO was found to have harassed the LGBTQI community in one of its Facebook statuses, with an administrative court ruling condemning the act of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania should invest 3% of GDP until 2050 to develop decarbonised energy sector: report. Substantial investments of around €335 billion – about 3% of the country’s GDP – are required until 2050 to develop a decarbonised energy sector in Romania, according to the World Bank’s Country Report on Climate and Development for Romania (RTCD), which was unveiled during a climate change conference on Tuesday. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Serbia, Kosovo spar at UN Security Council. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, shared their perspectives on the situation in Kosovo at the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Read more.

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PRISTINA

EU to propose Serb association model as Kosovo digs in heels over Serb attack. The European Commission is set to present a new proposal for the Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo following recent meetings in Pristina and Belgrade, while Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti has remained firm that Kosovo’s territory must remain intact. Read more.

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TIRANA

Berisha refuses to attend court as legal wrangles intensify. Former Albanian Prime Minster and President Sali Berisha did not attend court on Tuesday despite being ordered to appear on charges of corruption related to the privatisation of a former state-owned sports complex. Read more.

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