EU to discuss Israel’s behaviour for the first time

Good morning from Brussels.

EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss a controversial proposal by the EU's departing foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, on suspending political talks with Israel over its human rights violations in Gaza.

It’s the first time that EU member states will discuss severing political ties with Israel.

Diplomats told Euractiv’s Nicholas Wallace that, given member states’ clear division over the matter, there is no unanimity for such a proposal, meaning it is unlikely to pass.

In Prague, Czechia’s FM already said Borrell’s proposal “does not make sense” and accused the Spanish diplomat of “inconsistency”.

However, others explained that Borrell’s move is rather “symbolic” and may align the EU with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in July ruled that Israel's military presence in Gaza and the West Bank violates international law.

Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine will also be on the agenda against the backdrop of a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In Warsaw, Poland’s Donald Tusk initially praised Scholz but then criticised him.

Spain's centre-right opposition Partido Popular (PP) will not support the future European Commission if the current Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera (PSOE/S&D) is part of the lineup, the party's spokeswoman in the European Parliament, Dolors Montserrat, warned on Sunday.

The talks this week in Brussels will determine whether the European Parliament can vote to approve the new executive as a whole on 27 November so it can take office on 1 December.
Meanwhile in EU fisheries policy, France, Spain and Italy will seek to oppose the Commission’s desire to further reduce fishing efforts in the Mediterranean at Monday’s Agrifish Council.

PARIS

As expected, France will not sign the free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur in its current form, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday from Argentina as French farmers launched a major protest over the weekend. Read more.
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BERLIN

German vice-chancellor eyes 'sovereignty transfer to Brussels' as he becomes Green lead candidate. The German Greens confirmed Robert Habeck as their candidate for chancellor at their annual party conference as the economy minister promised to champion 'a sovereignty transfer to Brussels' in a new government. Read more.
Negotiations on first British-German treaty on ice, future uncertain. German snap elections leaves ratification of treaty with “little prospect of success”, Euractiv learns from government sources.
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VIENNA
Russia resells more gas in Europe after cutting off Austria. A source said gas was still cheaper from Russia than from many other sources, so Austrian volumes had quickly been resold to other European clients. Read more.

MADRID | PARIS

The new Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest in the European Parliament, elected Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's far-right Vox party, as its president at the group's first general assembly in Paris on Saturday. Read more.

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ROME

Italy’s controversial ban on surrogacy tourism becomes law. An Italian law that declares surrogacy a "universal crime", both in Italy - where it is already illegal - and for Italians who engage in the practice where it is legal abroad, will come into force on Monday when it is published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese waters increasingly crossed by Russian navy ships. Portuguese waters have seen an increase in the traffic of Russian ships, with a vessel specialising in espionage recently passing through, the Portuguese navy's chief of staff has said. Read more.

WARSAW

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed satisfaction before the weekend that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had conveyed Poland's position on the war in Ukraine in his phone call to Putin, only to suggest on Sunday that phone calls with the Russian leader were useless. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech FM firmly opposes Borrell’s proposal to suspend political dialogue with Israel. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has opposed a proposal by the EU's outgoing top diplomat, Josep Borrell, to suspend political dialogue with Israel over human rights violations in Gaza, which EU foreign ministers are due to discuss in Brussels on Monday. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s Fico says his party must prepare for possible snap elections. There is a need for realism, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told the Smer-SD (NI) party congress, saying that while he hoped his government would serve its full term, it was important to prepare for "other alternatives of political development". Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgarian parliament paralysed as political crisis drags on. Bulgaria's new parliament has been unable to muster a majority to elect a speaker for the past week, blocking its work and increasing the risk of another early general election. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romanian government publishes reasons for Ukraine banning far-right leader. The Romanian government published Ukraine's explanation as to why the leader of the far-right AUR party, George Simion, was banned from entering the country, with Simion saying the document revealed his ban was due to his "pro-Romanian" activities. Read more.

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