‘Compromise solution’ on Sofia-Skopje stalemate floated

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at the article Commission set to propose alternatives to COVID vaccine IP waiver, by Giedre Peseckyte.

The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.

 In today’s news from the Capitals:

BRUSSELS | SOFIA | SKOPJE

EU officials will arrive on Friday in Sofia with a compromise solution to overcome the Bulgarian veto against North Macedonia starting accession negotiations, former Bulgarian foreign minister Ekaterina Zaharieva announced, warning that their proposal is against the Bulgarian interest. Read more.

At the same time, Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic on Thursday said North Macedonia has fulfilled all the democratic conditions to open EU accession talks, but it is constantly being “kicked” around, after Sofia criticised his statements about Bulgaria’s policy on that EU membership aspirant. Read more.

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EU PRESIDENCY

Conclusion of CAP reform a ‘priority’, Portuguese agriculture minister says. Portuguese Agriculture Minister Maria do Céu Antunes has reiterated that the goal of completing the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU to “ensure a greener and more resilient agriculture”. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

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BERLIN

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PARIS

France hops on night train craze, reopens Paris-Nice line. The Paris-Nice night train – which is both cheaper and more environmentally friendly than flying – reopened on Thursday with French Prime Minister Jean Castex on board. Read the full story.

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VIENNA

Austria’s planned ‘green pass’ raises data protection concerns. Multiple data activists, lawyers and civil society groups in Austria have claimed that the so-called “green pass” the government plans to roll out from 4 June to ensure holders are granted access to most restaurants, hotels and cultural facilities, infringes upon data protection rights. Read more.

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LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg’s digital exchange of health information to move forward. Luxembourg’s Minister of Social Security Romain Schneider signed an agreement on Wednesday with the National Health Fund (CNS), the Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD) and the Circle of Doctors and Dentists (CMD). This document will enable the digital exchange of information between nursing staff, insured persons and the CNS.

According to the ministry, the deployment of computer systems has been underway since May. The CNS hopes that at least one in three doctors will be equipped by July, and the government also plans to launch a CNS smartphone application this summer. (Anne Damiani | EURACTIV.fr)

 UK AND IRELAND

LONDON | BELFAST 

Johnson needs to ‘deal with’ NI Protocol, says outgoing DUP leader. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson “needs to deal with” the Northern Irish Protocol, outgoing DUP leader Arlene Foster told the media outside Downing Street after she met with Johnson for the last time before she is set to step down from her role in June, the Irish Times reported. Read more. 

                                                        NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI | OSLO

Arctic Ocean rail plans to be redrafted. The Regional Council of Lapland has decided on Wednesday to ditch the existing plans for a 550-kilometre Arctic Ocean rail line worth €2.9 billion between Finland’s Rovaniemi and Norway’s Kirkenes, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE reported. With planning having to start almost from scratch, the delay may even mean the end of the mammoth project due to doubt over its profitability. 

The indigenous Sámi people welcomed the decision to ditch plans for the rail line, which overturned the prior decision of April 2019. The now-scrapped rail line was feared to disturb reindeer husbandry and pose a threat to Sámi culture.

Lapland is the northernmost point of the EU at the heart of the Barents area. The 100,366 square kilometre area of Lapland, almost one-third of Finland, has about 180,000 inhabitants, some 10,000 of them Sámi people. The Regional Council of Lapland, which turned down the project, represents the area’s 21 municipalities. (Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)

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VILNIUS

Right of reply. In a previous story on 26 March, LRT reported in The Capitals that after an alleged incident at the Belarusian nuclear plant in Ostrovets, radiation monitoring stations across the country went dark, making the publicly accessible radiation monitoring data in Belarus disappear for several hours, according to Lithuanian officials said.

Following the article, the Russian company Rosatom reacted with the right of reply.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Italian PM to raise issue of migrant reallocation at the next EU summit.  Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, said that, “The mechanism for reallocating migrants in European discussions has been put to sleep for some time: I will propose it again at the European Council on Monday.” Read more.

In other news, the Italian Economy Minister Daniele Franco said that the brand of the state airline Alitalia “will be maintained” by the newco Ita, which, according to the EU Commission, should use different branding as a sign of discontinuity with the previous management. “We are close to an agreement with the commission for the start-up of the new airline”, Franco said, adding that “immediately afterwards the question of possible partners will arise”: Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Delta are in contention. (Daniele Lettig | EURACTIV.it)

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MADRID

Spain sets 2050 target for a circular, carbon-neutral economy. Spain will aim to achieve a circular and carbon-neutral economy by 2050 to minimise its environmental impact, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced. EURACTIV’s partner EFE has the full story.

 VISEGRAD

WARSAW

Report: Poland remains most homophobic EU country. For a second consecutive year running, Poland is reported to be the least LGBTI-friendly EU country,  ranking in a lower place then the previous year, according to the newest Rainbow Europe Index published this week by the advocacy group ILGA-Europe. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech FM shows solidarity with Israel. Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday for a one-day visit, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his strong support for Israel hours before the country agreed a ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Hungary to block EU’s Africa-Pacific trade and development deal. Budapest cannot approve a new European Union trade and development accord with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries because it would bring more migrants into the bloc, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s representatives discuss investigation of corruption. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Eduard Heger held a secret meeting with ten of Slovakia’s top-ranking state representatives at the headquarters of the Slovak Secret Service (SIS), to discuss the possibility that the investigation of major corruption cases could be manipulated. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian secret services suspected of eavesdropping opposition politicians. Bulgarian security services wiretapped 32 politicians in opposition before parliamentary elections in April, opposition politician Atanas Atanasov said on Thursday. Read more. 

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BUCHAREST

Romania’s vaccination campaign starting to lose steam. Romania’s vaccination campaign appears to be losing steam in recent days with a downward trend in daily vaccinations falling below 88,000 on Thursday after a record high of almost 120,000 was reached Saturday.

One-quarter of the people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, which amounts to slightly four million people have so far received at least one dose.

The number of fully vaccinated people has reached three million or 19.2% of the population eligible for the jab. This means that almost 75% of Romanian citizens aged over 16 have not received a single dose, yet, according to the country’s authorities, about 16.1 million are eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccine. (Bogdan Neagu | EURACTIV.ro)

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ZAGREB

Croatia to buy Rafale fighter jets from France. The Croatian government has decided to buy 12 used French F3R Rafale fighter jets, EURACTIV’s partner Jutarnji list has learned unofficially from well-informed sources. Read more.

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BELGRADE 

Military exercise with Russia underway in Serbia. The Serbian Defence Ministry announced on 20 May that a joint training exercise of special units of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces, dubbed Joint Response 2021, was currently underway. Read more.

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SARAJEVO

Cyrillic script returns to Sarajevo’s landmark Bistrik Railway Station. As part of the renovation of Sarajevo’s Bistrik station, which began last October during the mandate of former Mayor Abdulah Skaka, the Cyrillic inscription of Bistrik has reappeared at the railway station after locals noticed that the new sign marking the station was only in Latin. Skaka said during his time in office that the city plans to return the authentic appearance of the building so it opens its doors to visitors and presents its rich cultural and historical value. 

Cyrillic letters, being associated with Serb aggression, are mainly avoided in parts of BiH and Croatia that were victims of war. But, as in the Croatian city of Vukovar, this issue can be politicised for the benefit of the radical right.  (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)

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TIRANA

Former Albanian President to sue US State Secretary Antony Blinken. Former Albanian President Sali Berisha is set to sue the current US Secretary Antony Blinken for defamation after Blinken accused the former president of corrupt acts that undermined democracy in Albania. Read more.

Agenda:

• Germany: EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides joins the Bundestag Health Committee.
• France: Europe Minister Clément Beaune will visit the Netherlands this weekend.
• Spain: Pro-Independence Catalan leader Pere Aragonès to be officially appointed in Barcelona as the regional government’s new president.
• Czechia: The government will hold an extraordinary meeting at 11 am to discuss the pandemic situation. 
• Bulgaria: Foreign Ministers Svetlan Stoev will receive his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi for a working visit on Friday.
• Czech Republic: There will be an extraordinary government meeting to discuss the current pandemic situation.
• Croatia: The award for Best Young Farmer will be given out while the agriculture ministry, EURACTIV’s partner Jutarnji List daily and MEP Sunčana Glavak will organise an agricultural conference. Parliament will meanwhile discuss a proposal on the country’s low carbon development strategy.
• Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi and President of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will preside in Rome the Global Health Summit, organised together by Italy (rotating president of the G20) and EU Commission.

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[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Daniel Eck, Paula Kenny, Josie Le Blond]

Read more with Euractiv

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