Metsola irritates far-right Salvini ahead of EU elections

Good morning from Brussels,

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola’s comment that a pro-EU coalition will be needed after the June 2024 elections irritated Italy’s far-right leader Matteo Salvini, who accused her of attempting to “cheat again” by partnering left parties against his ambitions for a “centre-right” coalition. Read more.

BERLIN

Germany’s plans to legalise cannabis appear to be in limbo after the Social Democratic Party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition announced on Tuesday that the law will not be passed this year as initially planned. Read more.

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PARIS

Bill Gates: No fairness in climate change fight without innovation. A socially equitable green transition ought to rely heavily on technological innovation, American tech mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates told a high-level ‘Growth and Climate’ conference in Paris on Tuesday. Read more.

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STOCKHOLM | COPENHAGEN

Danish union joins Swedish colleagues in tug of war with Tesla. Danish transport union 3F Transport has joined the dispute between Swedish union IF Metall and Elon Musk’s Tesla over the latter’s refusal to sign a collective agreement. Read more.

LONDON

UK inks new Rwanda asylum treaty, describes it as model for EU states. The UK moved on Tuesday to salvage its cash for asylum seekers’ agreement with Rwanda by signing a new treaty with the East African country, while ministers hope that the revised pact will be a model for collaboration on migration control with EU states. Read more.

VALLETTA

Eurobarometer: Maltese fear standard of living decline, believe in EU democracy more than their own. The majority of Maltese are unhappy with how things are going in the country, fear a decline in their standard of living, and see democracy and the rule of law as key matters that need addressing, according to the Eurobarometer survey results published Wednesday. Read more.

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MADRID

Vox leader urges Sánchez to apologise for questioning Israeli offensive on Hamas. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE/S&D) should apologise to Israel for questioning Tel Aviv’s military response to the Hamas attack on 7 October, the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, said on Tuesday during a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz. Read more.

BRATISLAVA

Slovakia could lose access to EU funds under the rule of law conditionality mechanism as the EU’s public prosecutor cites a lack of “effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal sanctions” to punish offences against the EU budget. Read more.

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WARSAW

EU law to protect Poland’s bank chief against new Tusk government. Polish Central Bank Governor Adam Glapiński will be protected by EU law from unlawful prosecution by the future government, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday. Read more.

New registered HIV infections in Poland reach record high. Poland has seen an increase in HIV infections during 2023, as revealed by the latest data from the National Institute of Public Health – National Research Institute. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech STAN party explores new alliance with Renew ahead of 2024 elections. Leading candidates from the Czech political party STAN, which has close links with the conservative EPP, met Renew Europe President Stéphane Séjourné in Paris to discuss possible cooperation ahead of the EU elections next June. Read more.

SOFIA

Lukoil considers sale of Bulgarian refinery. Russian oil company Lukoil is considering all possible options for the future of its Bulgarian business, including the sale of the Balkans’ largest refinery, Neftochim Burgas, and its vast network of petrol stations and oil depots in the country, the Russian company announced on Tuesday. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Planet’s sustainability becoming less important to Romanians: study. Following this year’s continued cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation levels, Romanians are showing less concern about sustainability, a barometer published by Reveal Marketing Research reads. Read more.

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BELGRADE

North Kosovo Serbs attempt to oust Albanian mayors. Citizens’ representatives of four municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija – Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zvečan and Zubin Potok – have submitted requests for the initiation of the petition to dismiss mayors as per the process laid down by the government to call new elections. Read more.

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