Good morning from Berlin.
Europe's fate partly lies in the hands of sixteen Germans. That's how many negotiators will design the future European policy of the continent’s largest and most populous economy, as the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) thrash out a coalition agreement in talks that started yesterday, writes Euractiv's Nick Alipour.
Meanwhile, from EU Parliament’s vice-presidents to committee chairs and delegation leaders, Brussels has its hands in German coalition negotiations. These are the MEPs who will shape Germany’s next government.
Health check. Germany's next health minister will face several challenges and outstanding issues once they take office, writes Magdalena Kensy. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Cesc Maymo/Getty Images] |
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Many fingers in many pies. The EU bubble woke up yesterday morning to the news that Belgian police are investigating Huawei for possible bribery of EU lawmakers – but it was already clear that the Chinese tech giant likes to throw money around. Huawei funds several influential policy associations in Brussels, according to its entry on the EU's Transparency Register, where companies report their lobbying activities, writes Nicholas Wallace.
Maximalist demands. Meanwhile, Ukraine is worried about Russia’s maximalist demands as Trump open to direct talks with Putin, writes Alexandra Brzozowski.
No veto. To avoid any veto from Hungary, the EU has suggested the creation of a fund to send between €20 and €40 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine, including 2 million ammunition rounds, based on voluntary participation, writes Aurélie Pugnet.
Von der Leyen has pitched a new trade pact with South Africa to bolster clean industry. Her visit came to the country with an announcement of €4.7 billion in new investments, including €303 million in grants provided by the EU and its members, writes Nikolaus J. Kurmayer.
Starlink alternatives. A draft of the EU’s White Paper on Defence advocates for the EU to fund solutions for Ukraine “that can be provided by EU-based commercial providers,” writes Théophane Hartmann. |
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| BERLIN Merz’s investment plans remain in limbo as Greens decline compromise offer. German lawmakers clashed over the spending plans of Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as the Greens said his revised offer to jointly pass billions in defence and infrastructure spending was insufficient. Read more. |
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| STOCKHOLM Swedish opposition wants to introduce multi-billion defence fund. The opposition Swedish Social Democrats – the country's biggest party – want to borrow money for a defence fund to support Swedish rearmament that could amount to around SEK 250 billion (€22.7 billion), Swedish media report. According to party leader Magdalena Andersson, the war in Ukraine and the new US stance on the security situation in Europe mean that both Sweden and other European countries must take greater responsibility for their defence. According to the Social Democrats, the fund could help to bring forward investments and facilitate the rapid expansion of both civil and military defence, and could be used for infrastructure, IT security and pharmaceutical stocks. It is difficult to say exactly how the fund - which the Social Democrats wants to finance via loans - will affect the national debt, according to the party's finance spokesman Mikael Damberg. In contrast, the Swedish government has outlined a comprehensive plan to increase defence spending, aiming to raise the defence budget from the current 2.2% of GDP to 2.6% by 2028. This plan includes an additional allocation of SEK 170 billion (around €15.5 billion) over the next five years. For 2025, the government proposes a 10% increase in defence spending to SEK 138 billion (about €12.6 billion), or 2.4% of GDP. (Charles Szumski | Euractiv) /// COPENHAGEN Denmark and Sweden see rise in semisynthetic cannabinoid poisonings. Poisoning from synthetic or semisynthetic substances in puff bars, gummies, and e-cigarettes is on the rise. The Danish health authority has issued a new warning after several young Danes were hospitalised - similar poisonings were reported in Sweden. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [European Parliament] |
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| ROME
The Paragon spyware scandal in Italy erupted after WhatsApp confirmed that Israeli-made spyware Graphite, developed by Paragon Solutions, had been used to target at least 90 individuals, journalists and activists. The revelations sparked outrage, leading to calls for an official investigation and raising concerns about illegal surveillance and press freedom in the country. Read more. Italy seeks common ground with Trump on Ukraine. PM Giorgia Meloni’s party did not support the European Parliament’s resolution on Ukraine on Wednesday "because we do not vote for something that goes against the Americans," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday. For the first time, Fratelli d’Italia (ECR), refrained from supporting a resolution that reaffirmed “unwavering and unconditional” backing for Ukraine. ECR co-president Nicola Procaccini had attempted to delay the vote, citing the resolution's failure to reflect recent diplomatic shifts, including talks of a potential ceasefire. Ultimately, FdI abstained, arguing that backing an outdated resolution would only "unleash hatred toward the U.S. instead of helping Ukraine." Delicate balance: This move highlights the delicate balancing act Meloni is managing: supporting Ukraine while maintaining ties with the US. Meloni has yet to decide whether to attend the summit convened by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday. Sources within her party suggest that if the summit focuses on sending "volunteer" armies to Ukraine for defensive actions in Kiev, Italy will not participate, as the country would only support operations authorized under a UN peacekeeping mandate. (Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it) /// MADRID Sánchez fails to convince center-right opposition and the far-left on plan to increase defence spending. It will be “very difficult” to reach an agreement with Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on measures Madrid should take to increase the Iberian country’s defence spending to 2% of GDP, right-wing opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, lamented on Thursday. Read more. /// LISBON Portugal: President schedules snap election for 18 May. A snap legislative election is to be held in Portugal on 18 May, following the political crisis that led to the resignation of the right-of-centre minority coalition government, the country's president announced on Thursday. Clear debate: In an address to the nation after a meeting of the Council of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called for a "clear, dignified debate" in the 65 days until the election. According to electoral law, in the event of dissolution of parliament, the head of state must set the date for legislative elections at least 55 days in advance. His decision follows the fall of the government on Tuesday as a result of a majority of members of parliament voting aginst a confidence motion tabled by the executive itself. (José Pedro Santos – edited by Pedro Sousa Carvalho | Lusa.pt) /// ATHENS Greece needs a national diabetes strategy, says new LSE study. Greece is fighting diabetes on multiple fronts. A new London School of Economics study shows, that the prevalence of the disease is rising, while essential data remains limited, primary care capabilities are low, and policy misalignment is impeding progress. Read more. /// VALLETTA EU respects Malta's neutrality on defence spending, says minister. EU countries agree that Malta retains the right to opt out of any increased defence obligations placed on the rest of the bloc's member states, Malta's Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told the country's parliament on Wednesday. Respect constitutional obligations: “Just as we respect the position of other member states, we expect other countries to respect our constitutional obligations. Many of the ministers from the member states agree with this concept,” Caruana said, adding that her country does not oppose increased EU defence spending and will even allow collective efforts through joint bonds, as long as the country's neutral position is respected. Last week, the Commission unveiled its ReArm Europe plan, which calls on member states to increase defence spending by an average of 1.5% of GDP. (Bella Zielinski | Euractiv) |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images] |
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| BUDAPEST Hungary has continued its blockage of the EU’s renewal of individual sanctions leaving roughly 48 hours until they expire. Read more. /// WARSAW Former PM says he trusts Trump ‘10 times more than Scholz or Macron’. Highlighting the US as Poland's most important ally, former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Thursday that he has more confidence in Donald Trump than in certain Western European leaders. Interviewed by private broadcaster Radio ZET, Morawiecki, who now serves as the president of the conservative EU group ECR, accused Donald Tusk’s government of “pushing the US out of Poland and Europe and keeping arguing with Washington.” "I don't want that. I want Poland to defend itself thanks to our army and our alliance with the United States," he said, stressing that the US is Poland's most important NATO ally. "I trust Donald Trump ten times more than Olaf Scholz, President Macron or several other Western European leaders," he said, adding that his "greatest trust is in the Polish army, the Polish uniform and the Polish soldiers." (Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl) /// PRAGUE Czech nuclear deal with Korean KHNP faces delays. Czech energy company ČEZ has confirmed that the contract with South Korea’s KHNP for the construction of a new nuclear reactor at the Dukovany power plant will not be signed by the end of March, as originally planned. Fine-tuning: “A number of small details are being fine-tuned, and the most important for the state is the involvement of Czech industry,” ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš confirmed to Czech Radio. EDF steps up efforts: Meanwhile, French energy company EDF, which lost out to KHNP, has stepped up its efforts in Brussels. In a letter, EDF and other nuclear energy companies are urging the European Commission to review the terms of nuclear tenders in the EU. Their letter does not explicitly mention Dukovany, but its timing suggests concerns about the Czech government’s decision. (Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz) /// BRATISLAVA Slovak president, experts and opposition slam official for vaccine hoaxes. Critics are urging Health Minister Kamil Šaško (Hlas-SD/NI) and Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD/NI) to stop Peter Kotlár, the government’s special envoy for reviewing pandemic management, from spreading disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Read more. |
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| SOFIA Another pro-Russian populist party enters Bulgarian parliament. The Bulgarian Constitutional Court has announced a new composition of the Bulgarian parliament due to the numerous violations of the country's last general elections, and the court's decision will bring the populist pro-Russian party Velichye (Greatness) into the National Assembly in Sofia. Velichye will most likely have 10 deputies in the 240-member Bulgarian parliament, but more importantly, the ruling coalition will face very difficult times. Fewer MPs for the ruling coalition: The Constitutional Court's decision leads to a reduction in the number of deputies of the four-party ruling coalition in Sofia from 126 to 121, which is on the very edge of a parliamentary majority. The leader of the leading Bulgarian party GERB, Boyko Borisov (EPP), accused the court of blocking the country's accession to the eurozone, which is expected on January 1, 2026. According to him, Velichie’s entry into parliament will lead to political chaos in the country. At the same time, the Bulgarian court’s decision is an admission of widespread electoral fraud in the poorest country in the EU. In the October 2024 elections, Velichie was expelled from parliament due to a result of 3.999% with an electoral barrier of 4%. The Central Election Commission announced that only 21 votes were not enough for the party to enter the National Assembly in Sofia, which made it easier for GERB to form a four-party ruling coalition in January. After Velichie’s entry into parliament, the populist pro-Russian vote will form over 30% of the votes in the Bulgarian parliament. (Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg) /// BUCHAREST Romanian government greenlights state aid for phased closure of coal mines. The Romanian government has approved a state aid package worth €790 million to support the phased closure of coal mining operations in Valea Jiului region, southwest of the country, between 2025 and 2032. Commission approves: The emergency decree was passed after receiving approval from the European Commission. Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said that over the past two and a half years, the government engaged in “an extensive negotiation process” with the Commission to secure the aid. The gradual phase-out of coal from the energy mix and the closure of coal mines by 2032 are measures aimed at achieving Romania's energy and climate security objectives for 2030. It also aligns with EU’s key objectives and targets outlined in the European Green Deal. (Catalina Mihai | Euractiv.ro) |
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| EU: Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen participates in panel discussion on “The future of agriculture in Europe”, in Bütgenbach, Belgium; Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque delivers keynote speech at “Financing the Future of Europe: The Role of the Banking Sector” conference, organised by Spanish Banking Association, in Madrid, Spain; Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen receives European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH) representatives. |
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| *** [Edited by Vas Panagiotopoulos, Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara] |
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