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The European news you deserve to read. welcome to The capitals by EURACTIV.
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In today’s Capitals news:
SOFIA
The Party of European Socialists (PES) is ready to take all necessary measures against its local member in Bulgaria, which has announced its intention to form a broad coalition with pro-Russian nationalist parties, said PES general secretary Giacomo Filibeck , at EURACTIV.
Meanwhile, in Sofia, experts say Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is behind the nationalist surge and that the EU should prepare for an Orbán-style government ready to take advantage of the country’s growing “fatigue.” ‘Ukraine. Learn more.
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PARIS
France: Officials must abandon popular messaging services and are urged to switch to French technology. French ministers will have to stop using WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal as messaging services from December 8 over security concerns, with the government already urging them to switch to a new French messaging app called Olvid. Learn more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
“Confident” leaders of the EPP Secretary General will support von der Leyen’s second term. Thanasis Bakolas, secretary general of the center-right European People’s Party, said he was confident that the party’s national leaders would “do the right thing” and support Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as head of the European Commission, regardless warning against possible “disruptors” of other political parties. Learn more.
Two MEPs and two foreigners are joining the race for the top of the Green list in the European elections. Greens leader and MEP Terry Reintke (Germany), GroenLinks MEP Bas Eickhout (Netherlands), former Latvian presidential candidate Elīna Pinto and European Young Greens spokesperson Benedetta Scuderi (Italy) , present themselves as one of the two European Greens. “the main candidates in the European elections. Learn more.
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BERLIN
German climate policy insufficient, court rules. The German government must present emergency programs to improve its climate policy in the transport and building sectors, a Berlin court ruled on Thursday after the country repeatedly failed to meet its emissions reduction targets. Learn more.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
ROME
Draghi: The EU must become a state. The European Union is at a critical juncture and it now needs to unite to “become a state”, said former Prime Minister and ECB Governor Mario Draghi while presenting a book. Learn more.
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LISBON
Portugal has so far recorded a budget surplus of 6.2 billion euros for 2023. Portugal recorded a budget surplus in its public accounts of 6.2 billion euros for the year in October, 3.4 billion euros more than for the same period last year, it announced on Thursday the Portuguese Ministry of Finance. Learn more.
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ATHENS
Greece will test postal voting for the first time during the European elections. The center-right New Democracy party (EPP) announced on Thursday that it would allow for the first time the possibility of postal voting in the European elections in June 2024. Learn more.
EASTERN EUROPE
WARSAW
Most Poles oppose reform of the European treaty (survey). More than one in two Poles expect their government to oppose EU treaty reforms proposed by the European Parliament, according to a survey by United Surveys. Learn more.
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PRAGUE
Czech MP: The composition of the European Parliament after the 2024 elections is very unclear. It is unclear what the composition of the European Parliament will look like after next year’s European elections, Czech MEP Evžen Tošenovský of the ruling ODS party told Euractiv, while expressing fears that the party’s shift from the ECR to the EPP could weaken its voice. Learn more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia will re-use money from fighting hoaxes to repair the roof. Projects aimed at combating disinformation and strengthening media literacy will not be funded, with Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová deciding to reallocate EU funding worth €300,000 to repairing the roof of the Slovak Philharmonic and supporting libraries. Learn more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BUCHAREST
Romania aims to recycle 7 billion PET per year. Romania’s guaranteed return system for plastic, glass and metal packaging went live on Thursday, with an ambitious target of recycling around 7 billion pieces of reusable PET plastic each year to massively increase the current rate of selective collection in the country, around 12 to 13%. Learn more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian inflation falls below 5%. Slovenia’s annual inflation rate fell to 4.9% in November, the lowest in two years and two percentage points lower than the previous month, although it remains among the highest in the EU , according to new data from the country’s statistics office. Learn more.
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BELGRADE
Spyware used against Serbian civil society ahead of early parliamentary elections. Advanced spyware, likely Pegasus, was used against Serbian civil society just weeks before snap parliamentary elections, human rights organization Amnesty International confirmed on Tuesday. Learn more.
AGENDA:
- COP28 global climate action summit takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Council President Charles Michel, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to represent the EU; The Spanish Presidency’s action plan to implement the pillars of the Paris Agreement focuses on four areas: accelerating the energy transition, addressing climate financing, placing nature, people, life and the means of livelihood at the heart of climate action, supporting everything in a fully inclusive way;
- EU: Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson holds meetings with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama, Tokyo; Meets with the Parliamentary Association for the Promotion of Energy Production by Nuclear Fusion of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan;
- Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton meets by videoconference with high-level representatives of the solar industry and Member States, under the aegis of Solar Alliance;
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(Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara)
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