Powered by META Good morning from Brussels. Many in Brussels fear that Donald Trump will try to undermine EU unity by making bilateral deals with member states and selectively using tariffs to obtain political concessions. But the EU does have trade tools to cope with Trump’s “divide and deal” strategy, writes Euractiv’s Thomas Moller-Nielsen. Buying more American LNG could be a political option to calm Trump down, although Jasper Steinlein reports that Europe doesn’t need it. It would increase Europe’s dependencies and climate concerns at a time when the current gas market reality has increased the EU’s negotiating position. While Greenland’s future continues to cause headaches following Trump’s mention of military force to obtain it, Magnus Lund Nielsen reports on the ground that Nuuk is bracing for a tourist “invasion” from “Yankees”. |
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Why the EU’s new crisis force won’t be deployed just yet
In this episode, host Giada Santana talks to defence editor Aurelie Pugnet about the operability of the new EU's force, and where it might be headed. Listen here. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [NurPhoto/Getty Images] |
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| One of the last files inherited from the Green Deal, the green claims directive, heads for trilogue negotiations on Tuesday, testing the extent of remaining support for eco-friendly rules in the EU. The new competitiveness-centred agenda may impact the directive. Moreover, read an analysis of the EU sanctions against Russia in light of Hungary’s threat to veto their renewal by the end of the month. |
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| Today's edition is powered by META |
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| Meta’s EU Innovation Day 2025 in Brussels
Meta’s EU Innovation Day on February 4 will convene policymakers, leaders, and businesses for panels, demos, and an interview with Joel Kaplan on how to drive Europe's competitiveness and growth through cooperation and open source innovation. Register your interest. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Omer Messinger/Getty Images] |
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| BERLIN Germany's election campaign reached a fever pitch over the weekend in the wake of frontrunner Friedrich Merz's signal he would accept far-right support to ram a crackdown on migration through parliament, a move many fear would mark the destruction of the country's postwar cordon sanitaire. Read more. Germans would rather shiver than pay more for heat. Despite a stabilisation of oil and gas prices in the wake of Russia's full-bore invasion of Ukraine, Germans remain hesitant to turn up their heating. The energy crisis persists in their minds, a new report finds, and on the political agenda. Read more. Robert Habeck’s #GreenToo moment. Not even Robert Habeck can escape the Green Party's ghosts of elections past. Read more. /// PARIS Without EU backing, French plans to start a 'visa war' with Algeria look set to fail. With diplomatic relations between France and Algeria reaching "historic lows," Interior minister Bruno Retailleau's threat to cut back on visas granted to nationals from the North African country may not work without EU backing. Read more. |
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| NUUK Howdy 'Nuuk York'! Yankees set to flood Greenland. Greenland’s capital is bracing for an imminent invasion of American tourists in the wake of Donald Trump's pledge to seize control of the Arctic island. Read more. /// RIGA | STOCKHOLM Von der Leyen pledges solidarity after Latvia-Sweden undersea cable damage. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen reiterated her pledges to improve the security of the bloc's critical infrastructure following reports that an undersea Baltic cable had been damaged. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [EPA-EFE/JUANJO MARTIN] |
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| MADRID As Spain struggles to shake off Trump's criticism of its NATO spending, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is set to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Madrid with the issue sure to be high on the agenda. Read more. /// ROME Italian judiciary protest against Meloni-backed constitutional bill. Protests over the draft constitutional law on how judiciary members can define their career paths have reignited tensions between Italy's judiciary and the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Robert Nemeti/Anadolu via Getty Images] |
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| BRATISLAVA As the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico faces mass demonstrations over its pro-Russian policies, the coalition crisis has reached a breaking point, with four MPs withdrawing support "for now", leaving the government without a parliamentary majority. Read more. Thousands of Slovaks take to the streets against PM Fico's pro-Russian stance. The streets of Bratislava turned into a sea of dissent on Friday as tens of thousands rallied in Freedom Square against Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian and anti-Western stance. Read more.
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WARSAW
Tusk slams Musk for ‘sinister’ words at AfD rally. Prime Minister Donald Tusk lashed out at the "Greater Germany" rhetoric and trivialisation of German guilt for historical crimes voiced by key AfD figures and echoed by Elon Musk during his appearance at an AfD rally on Saturday. Read more. |
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| SOFIA Bulgarian government tries to calm fears аfter Black Sea oil spill. Following a significant oil spill in the Kerch Strait, Sofia is trying to allay fears about the risks to the summer tourist season, claiming that the fuel oil spill from the crashed Russian tankers will not reach Bulgarian shores. Read more. /// BUCHAREST Romanian Liberals pick Antonescu as their presidential candidate. The National Council of the National Liberal Party (PNL), which met in Bucharest on Sunday morning, approved Crin Antonescu's candidacy for the presidential elections, but a number of steps remain before final confirmation. Read more. Romanian minister warns of Green Deal's negative impact on energy sector. Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja announced plans to submit a detailed report to the government on the negative impact of the European Union's Green Deal policy on Romania's energy sector. Read more. |
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| EU: Foreign Affairs Council convenes to discuss EU-USA relations, russian war against Ukraine, Middle East, and more; Agriculture and Fisheries Council expected to address unfair trading practices and strengthening farmers in the food supply chain, polish presidency program, and more; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in College of Commissioners solemn undertaking at the EU Court of Justice; Meets with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden; Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath holds meetings with EU Court of Justice President Koen Lenaerts, Chief Prosecutor of EU Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) Codruța Kövesi; Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Šefčovič receives European Steel Association (EUROFER) representatives. |
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| *** [Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor-Braçe] |
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