Italy’s president: Not welcoming Afghans is against EU values

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

ROME

The statements made by some EU politicians expressing great solidarity with the Afghans who lose their freedoms and rights, but say they have to stay there, “does not live up to the values ​​of the EU,” said Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday, the 80th anniversary of the Ventotene Manifesto, which laid out a vision for a united Europe. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Taliban official: EU should support Afghanistan’s reconstruction. EU member states should take part in the group of countries that will help Afghanistan recover, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said in an interview. Read more.

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BERLIN

First German election debate shows divide on climate protection policy. Only four weeks ahead of the German election the three lead candidates met to debate the future of Europe’s biggest economy on Sunday (30 August). While the most contested issue in the debate was climate policy, there was one topic that was almost missing completely from the agenda: the EU. Read the full story.

In other news, Germany seeks cooperation with Afghan neighbours to boost evacuation efforts. “Germany’s commitment does not end with the conclusion of the military evacuation mission,” said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas ahead of his trip to Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Qatar with whom he hopes to reach agreements to funnel local staff and asylum seekers into their countries so they can be flown to Germany.

“We are very grateful to Turkey for making an offer to continue operating Kabul airport,” said Maas during a press conference late on Sunday, noting that the Taliban guaranteeing the safety of Kabul airport was paramount to Turkey operating it. (Nikolaus J. Kurmayer  | EURACTIV.de)

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PARIS

France not ready to leave Iraq in case of US withdrawal. France would not leave Iraq in the event of an American withdrawal, French President Emmanuel Macron told TF1 on Sunday evening from the city of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Read more.

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VIENNA

Former vice-chancellor Strache sentenced to prison in corruption probe. The former leader of the populist Freedom Party and vice-chancellor under Kurz’ first administration, Heinz-Christian Strache, was sentenced to a suspended prison term of 15 months over a party donations scandal last week. Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

LONDON 

‘We need a (public) holiday’. Workers in England and Wales should have an additional four public holidays per year to bring them in line with the EU average, the trades union congress (TUC) has proposed.

The TUC says that the eight public holidays a year is a “stingy” number and is demanding a public debate on the issue. Workers in Scotland and Northern Ireland have nine and 10 public holidays per year, though that is still below the EU average of 12.8. The government has refused to be drawn on the matter, though it has come under pressure to create a public holiday to honour the work of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com)

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI | BERLIN

Finnish, German defence forces test cooperation between manned, unmanned aircraft. The Finnish and German defence administrations are together investigating the cooperation of manned and unmanned weapons systems and platforms in various situations. The first tests and flight demonstrations carried out by the two countries’ armed forces took place in the Finnish Lapland at the end of August. Read more.

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TALLINN

Estonia to elect new president. Estonia on Monday is set to elect a new president to succeed Kersti Kaljulaid, who has been in office for the last five years. Presidential candidates are selected by political parties in the 101-seat parliament, Riigikogu. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ATHENS

Greek PM eyes government reshuffle amid growing anger. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to announce a government reshuffle on Monday amid growing public anger over wildfires that destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares and properties earlier this month. Read more.

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MADRID

Japan detects no health risks in withdrawn Moderna vaccine doses from Spain. Japan has not registered for the moment any health problems in patients inoculated with the Moderna vaccine related to the contamination detected in a batch of doses from Spain, according to sources from the county’s health ministry quoted by EURACTIV’s partner EFE. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW | MINSK

Activists cut fence at Polish-Belarusian border to protest government policy.  Police and border guards detained 13 people – 12 Polish citizens and one Dutch – at the Polish-Belarusian border in Usnarz Górny, who attempted to destroy a barbed wire fence being constructed as part of the government’s response to the ongoing migration situation. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech government to discuss giving booster shots to vulnerable groups. The Czech government will discuss approving booster COVID-19 shots to certain groups of the population, including adults over 65, at-risk populations and essential workers, on Monday. These target groups could start receiving the booster shots by mid-September, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said in an interview for Prima TV on Sunday. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Opposition-led capital eyes vetoing world championship over Chinese university. Budapest city council will look at withdrawing the capital’s consent for the World Athletics Championship on Wednesday as opposition mayor Gergely Karácsony claimed Orbán’s government broke the Student City deal with plans for a Chinese university campus. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s police chief charged for abuse of power, obstructing justice. Slovakia’s police president Peter Kovařík faces prosecution for the crime of abuse of power by a public official as well as the crime of obstructing justice, making him the third police chief in a row to face charges. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SARAJEVO | ANKARA

Erdogan, godfather to daughter of Bosniak SDA party leader. Before the official part of his Bosnia and Herzegovina visit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived at the wedding of the daughter of Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of the biggest Bosniak SDA party.

While Izetbegović was previously a guest at the Turkish leader’s wedding, Erdoğan was also the godfather to the Bosniak SDA leader’s daughter during the marriage in a religious institution and in the registry office. Read more.

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SOFIA

Political crisis in Bulgaria to lead to third parliamentary elections this year. Bulgaria will hold its third parliamentary election in just one year as parliament will be dismissed in mid-September and the president must schedule early elections in late October or early November. At the same time, the country will also hold presidential elections, in which current President Rumen Radev is set to be the absolute favourite. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania to boost slow vaccination campaign ahead of new school year. With the new school year set to start in just two weeks and the country struggling with one of Europe’s lowest vaccination rates, the government is planning to open vaccination centres on university campuses and send mobile vaccination teams to administer the vaccine to both teachers and students, as well as their families. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatia takes in 19 Afghan nationals. Croatia would decide in talks with partners whether to receive more Afghans, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Sunday as nineteen Afghan nationals, who worked as support staff for the EU Delegation in Kabul, arrived at Zagreb Airport over the weekend. Read more.

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BELGRADE 

Serbian Chamber of Commerce opens office in Israel. An Office of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce has started operating in the Israeli city of Jerusalem, with the primary goal of reinforcing bilateral ties in the areas of business, trade and science, the chamber announced over the weekend. Read more.

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SKOPJE | ATHENS

Dendias to visit Skopje, evaluate Prespa Agreement implementation. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is set to visit North Macedonia at the end of the month, during which the implementation of the Prespa Agreement obligations will be evaluated, and Athens’ support for the country’s European integration will be discussed, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani has announced, SkopjeDiem reported.

Osmani also pointed out that a working group has been established in the foreign affairs ministry to monitor the implementation of the Prespa Agreement, and includes a coordinator. The country’s obligations are now being monitored on a weekly basis. (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)

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PODGORICA | ANKARA

Turkey among Montenegro’s top 10 investors. Turkey very well understands a deficit of stability in the Western Balkans and thus insists on an open-door policy of NATO and the EU for this region, Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović said in Podgorica on Saturday after receiving his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the first Turkish head of state to visit Montenegro.

“I have notified the guest about what is the reality of political life in Montenegro and informed him that Montenegro is a stable country,” Đukanović also said, recalling that in 1879, the first Turkish embassy was opened in the Montenegrin capital city of Cetinje and that in 1885 a celebration was held to mark the Ottoman Empire’s Day.

Erdoğan, for his part, said Turkey was among the top 10 countries considering investments in Montenegro, hopeful that the country would soon become an EU member state. The president also reiterated Ankara’s support for Montenegro’s NATO membership bid. (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)

AGENDA:

• Germany: Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to visit Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries Uzbekistan, Pakistan und Tajikistan to talk about Afghan refugees
• Poland: The Polish government will discuss health preparations for the new school year.
• Czechia: The Czech government will discuss approving booster shots for a number of target groups.
• Estonia: Parliament holds extraordinary session to elect the country’s new president
• Croatia: Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to visit Sisak-Moslavina County to chair a meeting of the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December 2020 earthquake.
• Serbia: Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to meet with the new head of the International Monetary Fund’s Mission to Serbia, Yulia Ustyugova.

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[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Josie Le Blond]

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