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Les géants de la tech mettent le paquet pour leur lobbying à Bruxelles
|
Les entreprises américaines de la tech renforcent sensiblement leur lobbying dans la capitale de l’UE avec de plus gros budgets et des équipes plus fournies, selon une étude menée par deux ONG. Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA This article is also available in: English BRUXELLES — Les entreprises de la tech dépensent plus que jamais pour faire du lobbying auprès de l’Union européenne, selon une nouvelle étude, à un moment où elles s’opposent toujours plus à la réglementation européenne en matière de numérique. Les 733 groupes du secteur du numérique enregistrés à Bruxelles dépensent désormais 151 millions d’euros annuels pour défendre leurs intérêts, contre 113 millions il y a deux ans, selon une étude réalisée par deux ONG à partir des informations communiquées au registre de transparence de l’UE. Cette hausse intervient alors que la filière s’attaque à des textes européens, tels que le règlement sur les marchés numériques (DMA) et celui sur les services numériques (DSA) — considérés par l’administration Trump comme discriminatoires envers les entreprises américaines —, et que la Commission européenne se prépare à un effort massif pour assouplir ses règles en matière de numérique. Les dépenses de lobbying sont concentrées entre les mains des géants de la tech, principalement américains, selon l’étude de Corporate Europe Observatory et LobbyControl, deux ONG spécialisées sur les actions d’influence des entreprises. Les 10 entreprises du numérique qui dépensent le plus — parmi lesquelles Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm et Google — ont dépensé plus que les 10 premières entreprises des secteurs pharmaceutique, financier et automobile réunis. Amazon, Microsoft et Meta ont “nettement” augmenté leurs dépenses depuis 2023, de plus de 4 millions d’euros pour Amazon et de 2 millions pour Microsoft et Meta, selon l’étude. L’organisation professionnelle Digital Europe, basée à Bruxelles, qui compte parmi ses membres de nombreux géants américains de la tech, a augmenté de plus de 1 million d’euros son budget de lobbying. Meta, avec un budget de plus de 10 millions d’euros, est l’entreprise qui dépense le plus en lobbying dans l’UE. Il s’agit d’un “moment précaire”, a qualifié Bram Vranken, chercheur au Corporate Observatory Europe, estimant que des années de progrès dans la limitation des effets néfastes de la technologie et du pouvoir des grandes entreprises du secteur risquent d’être réduites à néant. Avec la poussée de déréglementation à Bruxelles et le fort soutien de Washington, “les Big Tech saisissent cette nouvelle réalité politique pour effacer une décennie de progrès dans la réglementation du secteur numérique”, a-t-il relevé. Les entreprises soutiennent que le lobbying ne consiste pas seulement à exercer une influence, mais aussi à veiller à ce que les parlementaires comprennent les réalités complexes du secteur afin d’éclairer leurs décisions sur les règles. “Amazon s’engage sur des questions qui sont importantes pour nos clients, nos vendeurs et les diverses entreprises que nous opérons”, a déclaré un porte-parole de la société américaine dans un communiqué. “Cela signifie que nous travaillons avec des organisations, telles que des organisations professionnelles et des think tanks, et que nous communiquons avec des responsables des institutions européennes.” Ce regain d’activité se traduit non seulement par une augmentation des dépenses, notamment pour les sociétés de conseil et d’expertise engagées pour influencer la politique numérique, mais aussi par une augmentation des effectifs inscrits au registre européen de la transparence. On estime aujourd’hui à 890 le nombre de lobbyistes — calculés en équivalents temps plein — qui travaillent à dessiner les contours de l’agenda politique sur le numérique, contre 699 en 2023. Parmi eux, 437 possèdent un badge leur permettant d’accéder librement au Parlement européen. L’accès à l’institution s’est durci ces dernières années en réaction à une série de scandales de corruption, dont les enquêtes sur Huawei qui ont vu l’entreprise être interdite d’accès au Parlement et de rencontres avec la Commission en mars. Au cours du premier semestre 2025, les représentants des entreprises de la tech ont déclaré 146 réunions avec le personnel de la Commission. L’intelligence artificielle était le principal sujet abordé, notamment le très contesté code de bonnes pratiques. Concernant les parlementaires, les lobbyistes de la tech ont déclaré 232 réunions. Les règles de transparence en matière de déclaration des réunions entre les lobbyistes et les responsables de la Commission et du Parlement se sont élargies ces dernières années, mais les défenseurs de la transparence estiment qu’elles ne sont pas assez fermes et contraignantes. Cet article a d’abord été publié par POLITICO en anglais, puis a été édité en français par Jean-Christophe Catalon. Les deux camps revendiquant chacun d’avoir obtenu gain de cause, Bruxelles devra peut-être faire preuve de prudence lorsqu’elle montrera ses muscles juridiques aux géants américains de la tech. Tous les lobbies associés au géant américain pourraient se voir interdire l’accès au Parlement, dont DigitalEurope, CCIA Europe et ITI. Trump est de retour, et avec lui, le risque que les Etats-Unis débranchent l’Europe du monde numérique. Le président américain veut cibler les cinéastes étrangers, ouvrant ainsi un nouveau front dans la guerre commerciale transatlantique.
|
Mathieu Pollet
|
Les entreprises américaines de la tech renforcent sensiblement leur lobbying dans la capitale de l’UE avec de plus gros budgets et des équipes plus fournies, selon une étude menée par deux ONG.
|
[
"actualité",
"lobbying",
"transparence",
"paris influence"
] |
Tech France
|
[
"Union européenne"
] |
2025-10-29T17:22:12Z
|
2025-10-29T17:22:12Z
|
2025-10-29T17:22:18Z
| 7,412,727
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/les-geants-tech-mettent-paquet-pour-leur-lobbying-bruxelles/
|
France moves to define all nonconsensual sex as rape after Pelicot trial
|
The trial of Gisèle Pélicot’s rapists accelerated the debate on consent in France. PARIS — French lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that introduced the concept of consent in the legal definition of rape following the shocking Gisèle Pelicot trial last year. While advocates have been pushing for years for France to change the definition of rape and sexual assault to outlaw nonconsensual acts, Pelicot’s case, where 51 men were accused of raping her with the help of her now ex-husband, who had drugged her, gave new impetus and got the ball rolling. Until now, French law defined sexual assault — including rape — as acts performed through “violence, coercion, threat, or surprise.” Some of the lawyers in the trial had unsuccessfully centered their defense on the argument that the definition did not explicitly require seeking a partner’s consent, claiming their clients believed they were taking part in a sexual fetish shared by the couple. The newly-written law states that “any non-consensual sexual act … constitutes sexual assault.” Consent must be “free and informed,” given for one specific act prior to it taking place, and it must be “revocable,” it adds. Crucially, it is explicitly stated that consent cannot be “inferred solely from the victim’s silence or lack of reaction.” Véronique Riotton, a centrist lawmaker who coauthored the bill and wrote a report on the issue in 2023, told POLITICO that the bill’s passage was a “positive moment” proving that parliament could still move forward on major issues despite the political gridlock currently crippling France. Several lawmakers had tried to pass similar legislation in recent years, but the issue drew little attention until Pelicot’s case. In 2022, a European Commission proposal to require all member countries to classify any nonconsensual sex as rape was dropped from a wide-ranging draft law on violence against women due to opposition from several countries, including France. French President Emmanuel Macron later clarified that he supports the legal redefinition but does not see it as a European prerogative. The stolen jewels have not yet been found and at least two suspects remain at large. Tiphaine Auzière testified in a cyberbullying trial on Tuesday. A team of thieves accomplished in minutes what museum employees have been trying to do for years: expose the French icon’s fragility due to decades of underfunding. But the French president still thinks the retirement age will need to rise eventually.
|
Victor Goury-Laffont
|
The trial of Gisèle Pélicot’s rapists accelerated the debate on consent in France.
|
[
"french politics",
"gender equality",
"parliament",
"sexual assault"
] |
Politics
|
[
"France"
] |
2025-10-29T16:59:46Z
|
2025-10-29T16:59:46Z
|
2025-10-29T16:59:46Z
| 7,410,531
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-moves-define-all-nonconsensual-sex-rape-after-gisele-pelicot-trial/
|
2 alleged perpetrators in Louvre heist ‘partially’ admit involvement
|
The stolen jewels have not yet been found and at least two suspects remain at large. PARIS — The prosecutor investigating the spectacular heist at the Louvre Museum 10 days ago said Wednesday that two suspects already under arrest have “partially” admitted involvement in the crime. This developing story will be updated. Tiphaine Auzière testified in a cyberbullying trial on Tuesday. A team of thieves accomplished in minutes what museum employees have been trying to do for years: expose the French icon’s fragility due to decades of underfunding. But the French president still thinks the retirement age will need to rise eventually. MEP Marion Maréchal called France the “laughingstock of the world” after the robbery.
|
Victor Goury-Laffont
|
The stolen jewels have not yet been found and at least two suspects remain at large.
|
[
"politics"
] |
Foreign Affairs
|
[] |
2025-10-29T16:22:23Z
|
2025-10-29T16:22:23Z
|
2025-10-29T16:22:31Z
| 7,411,977
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/louvre-heist-suspects-admit-involvement/
|
EU als Hoffnung: Update mit Edi Rama und Vjosa Osmani
|
Listen on Während Kanzler Friedrich Merz in Ankara landet, richtet sich der Blick in dieser Sonderfolge des Berlin Playbook Updates nach Südosten: Auf den Westbalkan, wo Europa für viele kein vergangener Traum, sondern Zukunft bleibt. Gordon Repinski trifft die Präsidentin des Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, und den albanischen Premierminister Edi Rama – zwei Politiker, die zeigen, dass der europäische Gedanke lebt. Osmani spricht über Kosovos Wunsch nach NATO-Mitgliedschaft und wirft Serbien vor, sich politisch an Russland anzulehnen. Rama erklärt, wie Albanien mit künstlicher Intelligenz Korruption bekämpft – und warum seine digitale Ministerin „Diella“ Symbol einer neuen politischen Kultur ist. Zwei Länder, zwei Wege – vereint durch ein Ziel: Europa. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und für alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Unser Berlin Playbook-Newsletter liefert jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Hier gibt es alle Informationen und das kostenlose Playbook-Abo. Mehr von Berlin Playbook-Host und Executive Editor von POLITICO in Deutschland, Gordon Repinski, gibt es auch hier: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.
|
Gordon Repinski
|
[
"der podcast",
"european politics",
"german politics",
"playbook",
"politics"
] |
Playbook
|
[
"Albanien",
"Kosovo"
] |
2025-10-29T16:12:23Z
|
2025-10-29T16:12:23Z
|
2025-10-29T16:12:30Z
| 7,413,309
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/berlin-playbook-podcast/eu-als-hoffnung-update-mit-edi-rama-und-vjosa-osmani/
|
|
EU condemns Belarus balloon incursions after Hungary delays statement
|
Budapest lobbied to remove language blaming the authoritarian government of Alexander Lukashenko. BRUSSELS — The European Union warned Belarus to put a stop to a wave of balloons entering its airspace, though stopped short of blaming the country’s authoritarian government after objections from Hungary. In a statement issued Wednesday by the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on behalf of all 27 member countries, the EU said it “strongly condemns Belarus’ persistent and provocative actions” after the airborne objects forced Lithuania to close its airports and shut its border with the neighboring nation this week. Dozens of balloons carrying illegally transported cigarettes sparked fears for civil aviation and drew rebuke from Vilnius, which described the incursions as a "hybrid war" tactic against the West. “These balloons are not merely smuggling tools, but occur in the context of a broader targeted hybrid campaign, along with other actions that also include state-sponsored migrant smuggling,” the message reads. "Sanctions on the Belarusian regime have been imposed, and the EU is prepared to take further appropriate measures should such actions continue." The final statement was watered down from an earlier draft, circulated on Tuesday morning and obtained by POLITICO, which declared that the regime of Belarus’ strongman leader, Alexander Lukashenko, “is complicit directly or through deliberate inaction.” That assessment was removed to secure the support of Hungary — which has long resisted efforts to condemn Moscow and Minsk — diplomats and officials confirmed. Previous joint statements, including one condemning Russian strikes on Ukraine that damaged the EU’s representative in Kyiv, had to be issued without the support of Budapest. “Overall the statement is strong,” one EU diplomat said, granted anonymity to talk about the closed-door drafting process. “There was a will to compromise and to agree today.” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO in an interview earlier this week that the balloon incidents shine a light on the need for the EU to step up joint preparedness efforts and introduce new sanctions on Belarus. Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days. Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries.
|
Gabriel Gavin
|
Budapest lobbied to remove language blaming the authoritarian government of Alexander Lukashenko.
|
[
"airports",
"airspace",
"aviation",
"borders",
"sanctions",
"war",
"foreign affairs",
"defense"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belarus",
"Hungary",
"Lithuania",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-29T14:31:31Z
|
2025-10-29T14:31:31Z
|
2025-10-29T14:32:11Z
| 7,412,187
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-condemns-belarus-balloon-incursions-after-hungary-delays-statement/
|
Dutch election dark horse Rob Jetten wants the Netherlands to get closer to the EU
|
The underdog-turned-front-runner tells POLITICO the Netherlands must embrace a more central role in Europe. The Netherlands should veto fewer decisions in Brussels and boost European Union integration, Dutch prime minister hopeful Rob Jetten said. “We want to stop saying ‘no’ by default, and start saying ‘yes’ to doing more together,” he told POLITICO in an interview via messaging app after the final electoral debate Tuesday night. “I cannot stress enough how dire Europe’s situation will be if we do not integrate further,” he continued. “The Netherlands is one of the founding countries of the European Union,” Jetten pointed out ahead of election day, Wednesday. “We are proud of that history, and now we want to be a leading voice in shaping its future.” Jetten’s Democrats 66 has seen a doubling in popularity, from 11 seats projected at the end of September to reaching the same level as giants far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) and GreenLeft-Labor this past Tuesday night, at 23 seats each — and ahead of the Christian Democrats, who are trailing at 19 seats. The Netherlands has traditionally maintained a conservative stance on treaty reform and has opposed dropping unanimity among countries as a requirement for some key decisions, such as letting new members into the bloc. The Dutch, who are known to punch above their weight in shaping debates, have also been traditionally frugal, and generally oppose joint EU borrowing. Especially in the last year, when its government included a tinge of the Euroskeptic far right, the Netherlands has kept Brussels at arm’s length, including by asking for an opt-out on the bloc’s migration policy — though it has remained in sync on other topics, such as sanctions for Israel and military support to Ukraine. “I want a return of the Netherlands to the role of kingmaker in Europe,” Jetten said. “We used to play that role. And when we did, it was for the better,” he added. Europe must transform itself into a serious “democratic global power,” Jetten continued. “That means giving the EU the power and the resources to do what citizens all across Europe are asking it to do: defend our territory against Putin’s aggression, grow the economy, protect the climate.” Observers credit Jetten’s optimism in an otherwise gloomy campaign, focused on quarrels between the left and right, as key to his last-minute success. His participation in the popular Dutch TV contest “The Smartest Person,” where he managed to end up third, also helped make Jetten a more visible personality. If he succeeds, Jetten would be the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister — standing in stark contrast to Dick Schoof, the 68-year-old ex-civil servant appointed by Wilders to lead the previous (right-wing) government. But Jetten dismisses any focus on identity politics. “I’m not the gay candidate, nor the young candidate,” he said. “Much more relevant is that voters are rejecting a failed experiment with the far right. We lost time, our public finances worsened and nothing gets done.” “My party wants to infuse a renewed optimism into Dutch politics,” he confirmed. The Netherlands was long dominated by Mark Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) — the fiscally conservative force now led by Dilan Yeşilgöz. But if projections hold, D66 and Rob Jetten could overtake the VVD, claiming the mantle of the country’s leading liberal party. Asked about the possibility of becoming prime minister, Jetten responded: “I stand ready to lead if I’m given the chance. It would be a privilege to have the support and cooperation of other parties. It is our political tradition.” When it comes to potential coalition partners, Jetten brushed off traditional political labels. “The whole left-right discussion is outdated,” he said. He would seek to form a pro-European government that invests in education, builds homes for everyone and ramps up climate action. “We are ready to work with all those democratic forces who want to make that happen.” Despite his party’s positive trajectory, Dutch polls are known to be unpredictable, with many voters not deciding until the last minute. Gerardo Fortuna contributed reporting. Political group leaders voiced concern the move could set a precedent for restricting media in the European Parliament. The European Parliament’s center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape. A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. Whether it’s green deregulation or official EU languages, both leaders have their pet topics.
|
Max Griera
|
The underdog-turned-front-runner tells POLITICO the Netherlands must embrace a more central role in Europe.
|
[
"cooperation",
"dutch election 2025",
"dutch politics",
"education",
"far right",
"history",
"labels",
"migration",
"military",
"rights",
"sanctions"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Israel",
"The Netherlands",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-29T14:01:24Z
|
2025-10-29T14:01:24Z
|
2025-10-29T14:01:48Z
| 7,411,617
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/dutch-election-rob-jetten-wants-the-netherlands-closer-to-the-eu/
|
6 in 10 unemployed in Belgium have non-Belgian background
|
Belgium’s government is moving to curb benefits for its unemployed. About six in 10 jobless people in Belgium have a non-Belgian background, new figures show, as the right-wing government moves to tighten rules for migrants and the unemployed. Employment Minister David Clarinval, who released the statistics Wednesday in response to a question from Socialist MP Sophie Thémont, called them “rather astonishing.” “We know … [migrants] have a much lower command of the national languages,” he said. “They may have difficulty understanding the institutional system. So, we clearly need to focus on these people and pay particular attention to them.” He added, “The main message is that everyone must work, including people of foreign origin.” The figures classify individuals as having a non-Belgian background if they were born with another nationality or if at least one parent holds another nationality, even if they now hold Belgian citizenship. About 41.5 percent of Belgium’s unemployed are Belgian, while nearly 13 percent have North African roots, followed by migrants from southern EU countries. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a Flemish right-winger who took office in February, has called Belgium’s immigration policy the “source of all misery” and has introduced strict new rules, including mandating higher income requirements and longer waiting periods for family reunification visas. De Wever’s government is also moving forward with a plan to cut off unemployment benefits for those who have been jobless for more than 20 years starting next year. In the future, claimants will only be allowed to receive benefits for up to two years. The changes mean 180,000 Belgians are set to lose their unemployment benefits next year, saving the state just under €2 billion. Vilnius is just being “petty,” Belarusian leader says. “The battle is not over yet,” Hungarian prime minister says, teeing up a possible fight with the White House. A packed agenda promised a summit of fireworks. Nothing really took off. From the climate to critical minerals to Russia’s frozen assets, the agenda of Thursday’s European Council is jam-packed.
|
Seb Starcevic
|
Belgium’s government is moving to curb benefits for its unemployed.
|
[
"citizenship",
"employment",
"immigration",
"rights"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belgium"
] |
2025-10-29T13:12:27Z
|
2025-10-29T13:12:27Z
|
2025-10-29T13:23:34Z
| 7,411,734
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/six-10-unemployed-belgium-have-non-belgian-background/
|
PMQs: Badenoch ducks immigration chaos by tackling Starmer on sluggish economy
|
The Tory leader asked the PM to confirm income tax, national insurance and VAT wouldn’t be increased next month. He refused to answer. Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through. What they sparred about: The economy. Though it’s one of the most important issues in politics, Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch’s finance-focused grilling of Prime Minister Keir Starmer was a curious choice, considering that the Home Office is facing disaster after disaster. Nevertheless: Rachel Reeves’ budget is under a month away, so speculation about what the chancellor will pull out of her red box is at fever pitch. The Tory leader asked if the PM “stood by” his promises not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT? These, of course, were in Labour’s landslide election-winning manifesto just last year. Watch and wait: The PM, you won’t be surprised to read, skirted around the query, stressing the government would “lay out their plans” next month. “Well, well, well, what a fascinating answer,” Badenoch cried after leaping to her feet. She asked the same question in July and, back then, got a one-word answer in the affirmative. “What’s changed in the past four months?” Expectation management: Quite reasonably, Starmer said that “no prime minister or chancellor will ever set out their plans in advance.” But the PM laid the groundwork for Reeves’ pledge possibly being breached — and blaming the Tories. The economic figures, he said, “are now coming through and they confirm that the Tories did even more damage to the economy than we previously thought.” Expect this claim to be repeated. Lightbulb moment: Badenoch mentioned a number of the policies she announced at Conservative conference earlier this month. “We have some ideas for him,” she said about improving the economy, to cries of horror from Labour backbenchers, calling for the abolition of stamp duty. “Why didn’t they do it then in 14 years in office?,” Starmer shot back, briefly forgetting he was meant to be answering the questions. Broken record: When the economy’s the topic of the day, familiar lines come out to play. The PM condemned the Tories’ record on austerity, their “botched Brexit deal,” and, you’ve guessed it, Liz Truss’ mini-budget. “We’ll take no advice or lectures on the economy,” the PM cried. “They won’t be trusted on the economy for generations to come.” The originality here is exceptional. Cross-party consensus: Badenoch ensured she wasn’t left out, claiming the last government reduced inflation and improved growth. “The truth is they have no ideas,” the Tory leader crowed, as she called for the parties to work together on welfare spending. Starmer didn’t accept that definite request in good faith, stressing that the Tories broke the economy and “they have not changed a bit.” Helpful backbench intervention of the week: Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney MP Nick Smith slammed off-road bikers running riot under the Tories and asked the PM to praise Labour’s support for the police. Starmer did exactly that. The men and women in blue have never been so grateful. Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Starmer 7/10. Badenoch 6/10. The Tory leader’s economic focus in a week when a man deported to France returned across the English Channel and a sex offender due for deportation was mistakenly released from jail for 48 hours remains an odd decision. Despite the government’s numerous economic challenges, the carnage over the U.K.’s border presented an open goal for the Tories. Though the Tory leader forced Starmer not to repeat his previous economic pledges, she wasn’t able to capitalize on that weakness — meaning no clear winner emerged. Former British PM says Tory pledges to roll back climate reforms are an “extreme and unnecessary measure.” She will serve as Keir Starmer’s deputy from the backbenches — and could cause a headache for the embattled British prime minister. Counterterrorism official says there’s been a spike in ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services. Man claimed to be a victim of modern slavery from smugglers in northern France and wants to claim asylum in Britain.
|
Noah Keate
|
The Tory leader asked the PM to confirm income tax, national insurance and VAT wouldn’t be increased next month. He refused to answer.
|
[
"austerity",
"borders",
"brexit",
"british politics",
"budget",
"elections",
"finance",
"growth",
"inflation",
"insurance",
"roads",
"tax",
"welfare",
"westminster bubble"
] |
Politics
|
[
"France",
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-29T13:07:56Z
|
2025-10-29T13:07:56Z
|
2025-10-29T13:08:07Z
| 7,406,610
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/pmqs-uk-kemi-badenoch-conservatives-ducks-immigration-chaos-tackle-pm-keir-starmer-economy/
|
European Parliament weighs banning Russian media from its networks
|
Political group leaders voiced concern the move could set a precedent for restricting media in the European Parliament. BRUSSELS — The European Parliament is considering whether to ban access to Russian websites such as Sputnik and RT from its IT infrastructure. Scores of websites hosting the broadcasters' content remain accessible despite the EU sanctioning Russian media across the bloc in 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists, whose Polish and Italian leaders publicly oppose Russia's war, asked during a political group leaders' meeting on Oct. 15 for “Russian propaganda websites under EU sanctions” to be made inaccessible on Parliament’s IT infrastructure. The request comes from Latvian MEP Rihards Kols, who said he wants the Parliament to block access to RT, Sputnik, VGTRK, ANO TV Novosti and others across all Parliament devices and networks. “This is a matter of information security, institutional coherence, and the credibility of the Parliament’s position against Russian disinformation,” he told POLITICO, adding that “the Latvian national media regulator has raised the issue directly with [Parliament] President [Roberta] Metsola.” If approved, the measure would mirror restrictions already imposed on the social media giant TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, over network security concerns. The TikTok app was blocked on the Parliament’s Wi-Fi and devices in March 2023. Several political group leaders expressed concerns that the ban could set a precedent for websites being banned “for reasons other than security,” and cited the technical and legal challenges of enforcing such restrictions, according to the meeting notes. Metsola is “investigating” the possibility and studying which other measures are applied in other EU institutions, according to the notes. Kols said “a solution is expected to be proposed in the near future.” The Parliament’s press service said in a statement the matter will be discussed again in a future leaders’ meeting. “The European Parliament takes the protection of its users and their data seriously and implement measures to protect these and its infrastructures.” The European Parliament’s center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape. A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. Whether it’s green deregulation or official EU languages, both leaders have their pet topics. Roberta Metsola says the coalition that has traditionally controlled Brussels may no longer always be able to pass legislation.
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Max Griera
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Political group leaders voiced concern the move could set a precedent for restricting media in the European Parliament.
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[
"data",
"disinformation",
"media",
"network security",
"security",
"social media",
"war in ukraine",
"technology",
"cybersecurity and data protection"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Russia",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-29T12:31:49Z
|
2025-10-29T12:31:49Z
|
2025-10-29T12:32:32Z
| 7,404,966
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-parliament-weighs-banning-russian-media-from-its-networks/
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Hungary stalls EU’s ‘hybrid war’ verdict against Belarus
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Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days. BRUSSELS — Efforts by the EU to agree a joint stance against Belarus, from where a wave of balloons sent over the border to Lithuania grounded planes and triggered border closures, have remained stuck for days after Hungary's attempts to water down the language. The bloc has been pushing for a statement to be issued on behalf of all 27 member countries in the wake of the balloon incursions, which Lithuania has warned amount to a “hybrid war” tactic. Belarus’ authoritarian leadership is a close ally of Russia and has already been accused of weaponizing irregular migration to sow unrest in the EU, facing sanctions and international condemnation. However, according to a diplomat and two officials granted anonymity to speak to POLITICO about the closed-door talks, Hungary is lobbying for the bloc not to publish its assessment that the balloon flights amount to an effort to destabilize EU countries. While there is hope Budapest will back down on the issue, the row has left the draft statement languishing since it was circulated to member countries on Tuesday morning, when Lithuania first triggered air defense measures against the wave of incursions. Ostensibly used for smuggling cigarettes, the balloons are around the size of a large car and have sparked aviation safety fears, sending intelligence agencies scrambling to determine the motivations behind the sudden uptick. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO in an interview earlier this week that the incidents shine a light on the need for the EU to step up joint preparedness efforts and introduce new sanctions on Belarus. On Monday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė confirmed the country would indefinitely close its border with Belarus over the incursions. Belarus’ strongman leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has denied wrongdoing and called the response “petty.” Hungary’s populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly tried to hold up EU positions against Russia, fighting against new sanctions on the country’s energy exports and imposing a veto on Ukraine’s application to become a member of the bloc. In August, Hungary refused to sign a statement condemning Russian strikes on Ukraine — including one that damaged the EU’s representative office in Kyiv — meaning the missive had to be issued on behalf of the remaining 26 member countries instead. The permanent representations of Hungary and Lithuania to the EU did not respond to a request for comment. Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries. Repeated incursions, some relating to “hybrid war,” should be met with trade restrictions, tariffs and air defense investments, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys tells POLITICO.
|
Gabriel Gavin
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Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days.
|
[
"air defense",
"airspace",
"aviation",
"borders",
"defense",
"energy",
"exports",
"migration",
"sanctions",
"war",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belarus",
"Hungary",
"Lithuania",
"Russia",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-29T11:48:25Z
|
2025-10-29T11:48:25Z
|
2025-10-29T11:49:24Z
| 7,410,612
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-holds-up-eu-hybrid-war-verdict-against-belarus-lithuania-balloon/
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US begins troop drawdown in Romania
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It’s the first official acknowledgment from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces on the continent. The United States has begun downsizing its military presence in Europe, Romania’s defense ministry confirmed Wednesday. The Romanian ministry said in a statement that Bucharest and other allies “have been informed about the United States’ decision to downsize American troops in Europe,” describing it as part of a broader reassessment of U.S. global force posture. The Romanian statement said the decision affects elements of a U.S. brigade whose rotations across Europe will cease, including troops stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, a key hub for NATO operations on the Black Sea. Roughly 1,000 American soldiers will remain in Romania, the ministry said, emphasizing that they will continue to “contribute to deterrence of any threats and represent a guarantee of the U.S. commitment to regional security.” This marks the first official acknowledgment from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces on the continent. The move follows a shift in Washington’s strategic priorities announced in February by Donald Trump's administration, which has been reviewing deployments in Europe amid calls to redirect resources toward the Indo-Pacific. “Adjustments to force posture are not unusual. Even with this adjustment, the U.S. force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years," said a U.S. official. "There are still many more U.S. forces on the continent than before 2022." The official added: "U.S. commitment to NATO is clear. President Trump and his administration have reiterated this time and again. NATO has robust defense plans in place and we are working to ensure we maintain the right forces and capabilities in place to deter and defend each other." The Mihail Kogălniceanu base has served as a key transit point for U.S. and allied troops reinforcing the alliance’s eastern defenses. At the height of the buildup, several thousand U.S. soldiers rotated through Romania and Poland as part of NATO’s deterrence mission. This article has been updated with U.S. comment. A new procurement blueprint seen by POLITICO shows Germany’s plan to become the backbone of the continent’s defense revival. The mishap has raised fresh questions about how Germany’s armed forces coordinate domestic training drills. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius intervened to halt a coalition deal that would have reintroduced limited military service by lottery. Paris is significantly weakened, and a trilateral meeting between France, Germany and Spain scheduled for October is now on hold.
|
Chris Lunday
|
It’s the first official acknowledgment from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces on the continent.
|
[
"defense",
"eu-us military ties",
"military",
"missions",
"nato",
"pentagon",
"security",
"war in ukraine"
] |
Defense
|
[
"Poland",
"Romania",
"Russia",
"Ukraine",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-29T11:07:34Z
|
2025-10-29T11:07:34Z
|
2025-10-29T12:52:06Z
| 7,410,885
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/u-s-begins-troop-drawdown-in-europe-romania-confirms/
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Taiwan’s defense dilemma
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AI generated Text-to-speech Free through the end of 2025, this POLITICO Pro newsletter preview explores the people, policies, and power shifts shaping today’s international security landscape. By JOE GOULD with PHELIM KINE Send ideas here | @reporterjoe | View in your browser WELCOME TO GLOBAL SECURITY. We’re pulling back the curtain this week on Taipei’s defense strategy, what Australia’s prime minister told U.S. lawmakers in private and an Israeli firm’s big production ramp-up. Read more about our mission. We’ll publish daily for free during major industry events, and put our otherwise weekly newsletter behind the paywall for U.S. and EU Pro subscribers starting in 2026. What’s the biggest takeaway from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Asia trip? Email me at [email protected] with tips, pitches and feedback, and find me on X at @reporterjoe. New from POLITICO Canada: The Playbook Canada podcast — Our colleagues Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric — the plugged-in reporters behind Canada Playbook — are bringing their sharp political insight to a new weekly podcast. Each Thursday morning, they’ll unpack the stories driving the news in Ottawa and beyond — the characters, conflicts and conversations setting the national agenda — plus a fan-favorite feature: their 200-second interviews with the people shaping Canadian politics. The first episode drops Oct. 30. Listen to the trailer and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Taiwan wants to show it’s arming up as the world’s two biggest powers jockey around it.President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Wednesday, and the island is bracing for both Beijing’s diplomatic offensive and Washington’s mounting demands. Despite speculation that Trump could acquiesce to Xi’s territorial claim to the self-ruling island, Beijing’s push is likely to fall flat, our colleague Phelim Kine writes in. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Sunday that the administration isn’t contemplating “walking away from Taiwan.” Taipei’s more immediate concern is meeting U.S. demands that the island pay more — much more — to deter a potential Chinese invasion that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said may occur as soon as 2027. Money magnet: The administration wants Taiwan to “spend upwards of 10 percent” on defense, John Noh, the Pentagon’s deputy assistant secretary for East Asia, told a Senate panel this month. Taipei says such an increase — equivalent to about half of its annual government budget — is infeasible. Officials countered with a plan to raise its defense budget from around 2 percent to more than 3 percent of GDP in 2026 with an eventual goal — emulating the NATO model — of hitting 5 percent by 2030. That more modest target will still require the assent of Taiwan’s opposition KMT Party, which repeatedly defeated moves by President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party to raise defense spending. Shopping list: Lai plans to place orders for billions of dollars in U.S. weapon systems to boost Taiwan’s deterrence to possible Chinese aggression and show the Trump administration its commitment to defending itself. “Taipei is preparing an arms purchase package of nine U.S. weapons systems valued at around $22 billion,” said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, the president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council who has regular contact with senior Taiwanese officials. It will include National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System air defenses, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Javelin and Stinger shoulder-launched missiles and AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and will likely be announced sometime in December, Hammond-Chambers told Phelim. Those orders will likely add to the existing backlog of weapon deliveries to Taiwan and could trigger Beijing’s hostility. “Arming Taiwan is an extremely dangerous ‘gambling’ act and [the U.S.] will surely pay a heavy price for it,” Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, said in a statement earlier this month. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment. Taiwan’s diplomatic outpost in Washington declined to comment on the planned buying spree. Spokesperson How-wei Tsao instead touted the virtues of Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report published this month. That strategy aims to create an asymmetric defense posture that will “integrate kill chains across all weapon systems” to create a “layered defense” aimed at shredding a Chinese invasion force before it reaches the island. The approach has won praise among U.S. military experts. “You can’t snap your fingers and have the Israeli military overnight, but Taiwan’s doing a good job,” Mark Montgomery, the former director of operations at U.S. Pacific Command, told Phelim. “They are doing the right thing — a mix of counter-intervention and air naval capability, including anti-armor, man-portable air defense, anti-ship missiles, anti-ship drones, land and sea mines. All those things are the basis of counter-intervention.” Trump talk: One of the centerpieces of Taiwan’s defense strategy is an island-spanning anti-missile defense system that Lai has christened the “T-Dome” system. But that proposal, which echoes Trump’s own “Golden Dome” platform, appears more of a political gambit than a serious defense initiative. “They’re speaking the Trump team’s language,” said Lauren Dickey, former acting director for Taiwan at the Pentagon. “It feels like they’re just testing the waters to see what branding Taiwan should use that most resonates with Trump and might get them a bit of a reprieve, whether it’s in tariffs or that 10 percent [defense spending] target.” But Taiwan likely lacks the time and resources to create an effective island-wide missile defense system that can counter Beijing’s overwhelming military superiority. “If Taiwan is trying to build, starting now in the year 2025, an air defense capability that gives them layers of resilience against inbound [People’s Liberation Army] missiles, it’s a numbers game,” Dickey said. “And the numbers are not in their favor.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, fresh from his White House meeting with Trump,quietly floated the idea last week of adding a third pillar to the AUKUS alliance in a closed-door meeting with U.S. senators — one centered on critical minerals cooperation. The room where it happened: U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Albanese raised the idea and that it deserves consideration. “He said, ‘Could this wind up being one of the pillars?’” Risch told Global Security. “You have two parties with the same objective, both working in good faith. No reason we can’t make this work.” Critical minerals are … critical: Trump has made securing critical minerals outside of China a means to strengthen his hand ahead of his meeting with Xi. The U.S. president, during his Asia swing this week, signed agreements with Japan, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia outlining cooperation to process and export critical minerals. Albanese’s proposal follows Trump’s declaration that the three-way alliance with the UK and Australia will move “full steam ahead,” ending months of uncertainty over the Pentagon’s review of the pact. AUKUS rests on two pillars: nuclear-powered submarines and advanced-technology cooperation in areas such as AI, quantum computing and undersea systems. A third focused on minerals would fold in the industrial base that sustains those things. All three are an effort to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific. What’s the deal: Canberra has plunked down more than AUD $4 billion to expand mining and refining capacity and has pitched itself as a secure alternative to China, which dominates global processing of rare earths and battery minerals. Beijing recently tightened export controls on those substances — all crucial for defense and clean-energy manufacturing — sparking American fears it could weaponize its near-monopoly. U.S. negotiators, ahead of the Xi meeting, have sought a one-year reprieve from China’s critical-mineral restrictions. A new U.S.–Australia deal signed last week commits both countries to more than $3 billion in joint mining and processing projects over the next six months, covering resources valued at about $53 billion. Charles Edel, the Australia Chair at CSIS, said talk of a “Pillar 3” has also included space cooperation, but whether any of it folds into the pact depends on whether it enhances deterrence — “the core purpose of the AUKUS partnership.” Israel Aerospace Industries is betting it can move into new markets despite backlash from some Western governments over its role as a defense industry supplier in the Gaza war. “The future warfare was… done in Israel,” IAI CEO Boaz Levy told Global Security, referencing Israel’s experience with fending off Iran and its proxies. “The product that we built for that … and the lessons learned … is something that all of the countries, or any leaders in the world that want to protect their populations, should learn.” IAI, Israel’s largest state-owned defense firm, produces everything from drones to radars to ballistic missile defense systems, including the Arrow 3 interceptor co-developed with the U.S. Meeting demand: Germany’s nearly $4 billion deal for Arrow 3, the biggest defense export in Israel’s history, has opened a beachhead in Europe’s intensifying air defense market. And to meet surging demand at home and abroad, IAI took extraordinary steps to keep factories cranking while 20 percent of its workforce was called up during the war with Hamas. Trade show tensions: At recent expos, including this year’s Paris Air Show, IAI encountered political pushback — “noise,” as Levy put it — when organizers blocked its booth with black curtains over the war in Gaza. But Levy insisted the controversy hasn’t hurt business: “We are in the market. … The requirement is out there and our products are good.” Multiple markets: He said IAI is growing its European footprint, sometimes behind the scenes. Levy also confirmed IAI is not ruling out deeper ties with Gulf neighbors in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations. “To problems that exist in the Arab markets and in other places in the world, we have the solutions,” he said. “Necessity is the mother of all inventions, and we have some good products … ready.” Levy is pitching IAI’s Arrow 3 for Trump’s proposed national missile defense shield, Golden Dome. He argues it’s ready now and partly made in the U.S. “This is the only solution that can be deployed in the United States in the time frame that President Trump dictates,” he said. The U.S. and Japan signed a rare earth and critical minerals deal during Trump’s visit, part of a broader investment push announced alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there,” Trump said. “We are an ally at the strongest level.”
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Joe Gould
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[] |
Uncategorized
|
[] |
2025-10-29T10:30:00Z
|
2025-10-29T10:30:00Z
|
2025-10-29T10:30:00Z
| 7,409,418
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/global-security/taiwans-defense-dilemma/
|
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Slovakia adopts speed limit for pedestrians
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Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents. You can only walk 6 kilometers per hour if you want to follow the law in Slovakia.The Slovak parliament Tuesday afternoon adopted an amendment to the traffic law that sets a maximum permitted speed on sidewalks in urban areas at 6 kph.The limit applies to pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, and scooter and e-scooter riders — all of who are allowed on sidewalks — and aims to avoid frequent collisions."The main goal is to increase safety on sidewalks in light of the increasing number of collisions with scooter riders," said the author of the amendment, Ľubomír Vážny of the leftist-populist Smer party of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which is part of the ruling coalition.The amendment will be useful in proving violations, the lawmaker said, "especially in cases where it’s necessary to objectively determine whether they were moving faster than what’s considered an appropriate speed in areas meant primarily for pedestrians.” Although the law will come into force Jan. 1, 2026, proponents haven't publicly spelled out how they plan to enforce it. The average walking speed typically ranges between 4 to 5 kph. However, the British Heart Foundation reports that a pace of 6.4 kilometers per hour is considered moderate for someone with excellent fitness.The opposition criticized the change, and even the Slovak Interior Ministry said it would be more appropriate to prohibit e-scooters from the sidewalks than impose a general speed limit.Martin Pekár of the opposition liberal party Progressive Slovakia said pedestrians face danger from cars, not cyclists or scooters, and that the amendment penalizes sustainable transport. "If we want fewer collisions, we need more safe bike lanes, not absurd limits that are physically impossible to follow," Pekár said. "At the mentioned speed, a cyclist can hardly keep their balance," he added.The amendment has sparked a wave of amusement on social media, with some wondering whether running to catch a bus could get them fined. Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention. “We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” prime minister says. “Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root,” judge writes in anonymous letter laying out how criminality seeps into every part of Belgian society. “It was a question of time before this would happen,” president rails amid months-long anti-government protests.
|
Ketrin Jochecová
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Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents.
|
[
"cycling",
"e-scooters",
"public transport",
"slovak politics",
"sport",
"policy"
] |
Mobility
|
[
"Slovakia"
] |
2025-10-29T10:06:46Z
|
2025-10-29T10:06:46Z
|
2025-10-29T10:07:46Z
| 7,410,447
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/slovakia-adopts-speed-limit-pedestrians/
|
French lawmakers progress tax on American Big Tech amid huge pushback
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AI generated Text-to-speech PARIS — French lawmakers are moving ahead with plans to double a tax on big tech firms — backing away from a more aggressive push amid fears of provoking U.S. trade retaliation. France’s National Assembly voted Tuesday night in favor of hiking a digital service tax on tech companies including Google, Apple, Meta and Amazon to 6 percent, up from 3 percent. The French government is against the move, with Economy Minister Roland Lescure warning that a “disproportionate” tax would lead to “disproportionate” retaliatory measures. Lawmakers had initially pushed to hike the levy to 15 percent to hit back at U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war, sparking strong reactions from across the Atlantic. Industries in France that fear trade retaliation have also called for caution. The amendment has yet to survive a final vote on the country’s 2026 budget law next week, after which it must pass the French Senate. As well as increasing the tax, the measure would raise the global revenue threshold from €750 million to €2 billion — a bid to shield smaller national players from the scope of the proposal. “The new proposal appears to exclusively target U.S. companies, which will likely spur retaliation impacting the broader French economy,” John Murphy, the senior vice president and head of international at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said last week. “Cooler heads must prevail.” “The objective of this tax was not to harm the United States in any way … I say this to the Americans who are listening to us, at least at the embassy,” lawmaker Charles Sitzenstuhl from Emmanuel Macron’s party said Tuesday. American tech companies have piled into EU capital with bigger budgets and beefed-up teams. President Donald Trump has warned he would retaliate against any move that targets U.S. companies. France and Germany are not yet on the same page to detox from Big Tech. Inclusion in 2026 Commission plan follows China’s move to limit export of rare-earth magnets.
|
Mathieu Pollet
|
[
"big tech",
"budget",
"companies",
"digital",
"tarrifs",
"tax",
"trade",
"trade war",
"financial services"
] |
Technology
|
[
"France",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-29T09:12:52Z
|
2025-10-29T09:12:52Z
|
2025-10-29T09:32:25Z
| 7,410,360
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/french-lawmakers-progress-tax-on-american-big-tech-amid-huge-pushback/
|
|
How Rachel Reeves might fill £30bn budget black hole
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Listen on The chancellor has been talking about “necessary choices” around next month’s budget in an article for The Guardian. Rachel Reeves says she needs to be “candid” and doesn’t want to “simply accept” forecasts – but to “defy them”. With four weeks to go, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy ponder what she might be up to – and how she might fill a black hole coming in above £30bn. Will Labour manifesto pledges be breached? Elsewhere, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer chooses a Labour veteran to lead the party’s election campaigns next year. Lord Spencer Livermore will take on the task.
|
Anne McElvoy
|
[
"british politics",
"budget",
"politics at sam and anne’s"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-29T08:56:07Z
|
2025-10-29T08:56:07Z
|
2025-10-29T08:56:13Z
| 7,410,489
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-annes/how-rachel-reeves-might-fill-30bn-budget-black-hole/
|
|
The asylum news never stops
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By DAN BLOOM with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Wednesday morning. This is Dan Bloom. SPIN THE WHEEL: Keir Starmer will face Kemi Badenoch at noon after a week that has served up an impressive conveyor belt of news. Guessing the Tory leader’s theme for PMQs is a dangerous game, and today’s mishmash of front pages shows no one story is gripping the narrative … but she’ll have no shortage of questions about the asylum system. You almost have to admire it: In the week since the pair clashed over the grooming gangs inquiry (which has stalled even further), we’ve had — deep breath — Labour U-turning and putting asylum-seekers in army barracks … the one in, one out migrant coming back in again … and that scathing committee report on asylum hotels. Breaking news: But at least the Epping sex offender who was accidentally released from jail is out of Starmer’s hair. He got deported overnight and landed in Ethiopia in the last couple of hours. Triumphant post from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood here. **A message from Intuit: Small and mid-sized businesses use of AI varies by sector. 46% of business-to-business service firms in sectors like finance, law, and marketing use AI, compared to just 26% of business-to-consumer firms and manufacturers. Explore these insights in new research from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** There is also no shortage … of questions about the economy, given all the Treasury’s pitch-rolling for a black hole at the budget. And Reform UK clearly agrees. The party will spend this morning laying out what it says is actual, costed policy on disability benefit cuts for critics to get their teeth into, ahead of Nigel Farage and MP Richard Tice’s economic speeches next week. More on that below. But first: Badenoch has a choice. Will she say that Labour’s pivot to putting asylum-seekers on military sites proves the Tories were right all along? Or will her own party’s record put paid to that? NEW DAY, NEW PROBLEM: Either way, Home Office aides are more jittery about an event outside the Commons — Tuesday’s fatal stabbing of a dog walker in west London. So concerned were officials last night about wild claims circulating on social media that they sent out biographical detail about the Afghan man being questioned by police. They say he snuck into Britain on a lorry in 2020, was granted asylum and then indefinite leave to remain, but was not living at Home Office accommodation. Needless to say: This feels like an incident that could trigger the sort of unrest on the right that we’ve seen pop up over the summer. The killing splashes the Mail and the perennially online Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) has been posting about it to his 1.7 million followers. And here’s something Starmer will hate talking about even more: Channel 4 News’ hair-raising report that “several” migrants who were deported under his new “one in, one out” deal have already absconded from their French accommodation — and plan to cross the Channel again. Just imagine the headlines if last week’s single case turned into a pattern. HERE’S ONE I MADE EARLIER: At least Starmer has come with a carefully planned migration story at the top of his grid. Ministers will launch a six-week consultation today on extending right-to-work checks to gig economy firms and agency workers, including Uber, Deliveroo and dodgy car washes. The Home Office has also been trumpeting figures that show there were 8,232 arrests for illegal working in the year to September, up from 5,043 the year before. It gets a big write-up in the Sun. A Cabinet of curiosities: Playbook’s mischievous side wonders if there is a whiff of rivalry here between the new home secretary and the last one, Yvette Cooper. Mahmood told the BBC (again) last night that the department is “not yet fit for purpose” — and this week’s asylum hotels U-turn suggests she is deploying a shock-and-awe policy blitz to regain control of the narrative. So what does that say, implicitly, about her predecessor? Silver lining for Cooper: The surge in arrests was on her watch. Hell yes, she’s tough enough: Mahmood flexed her law-and-order muscles by taking the BBC’s Nick Eardley along to Streatham in south London, where police stopped delivery riders in the street to check their papers. There’s just one issue. “The BBC spent two hours with officers,” Eardley wrote. “In that time, nobody was arrested for working illegally, although one man was detained for other offences.” News lines: Mahmood told Eardley she was looking at “all options” for ending the use of asylum hotels — including breaking contracts with accommodation providers — and said she wants migrants in the two military sites by the end of the year. More fodder: Playbook has covered this issue in depth now but more details will drip out. For instance, it turns out one of the two military sites, Cameron Barracks in Inverness, was rejected by the Tories due to fears they would be dragged into a legal spat with Holyrood, one “former Home Office insider” told the i Paper’s Arj Singh. And here’s an obvious Q: Which pissed-off MPs might bob for a question/rant to Starmer about new asylum sites in their backyard? He’s also tough enough: Starmer told the Sun he “hopes” to strike deals with other countries soon for migrant “return hubs.” DON’T CRY FOR ME, STRASBOURG: Nigel Farage may not get a PMQ (as he wants the entire world to know), but today he will stand up in the Commons straight after Starmer. The Reform leader has a somewhat aspirational private member’s bill calling for Britain to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights by April 30. Wonder if he’ll give his oration from the gallery, like Evita? ‘KING HELL: Plenty of other issues could pop up at PMQs … not least the status of Prince Andrew (a Lib Dem favorite). Which might be awkward when Keir Starmer has his audience with King Charles later today. IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Starmer will surely be asked for his view on Israel’s strikes on Gaza last night — and whether he thinks they put the ceasefire in danger. But the PM and foreign secretary have been conspicuously quiet so far, with officials suggesting last night that they were waiting for the U.S. to respond. No such qualms for Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey, who used an LBC spot to brand Israel’s actions “deeply alarming and reckless.” Here’s that U.S. response you ordered: Donald Trump told reporters overnight that “nothing will jeopardize the ceasefire” — although he helpfully added that Hamas is “going to be terminated” if it doesn’t behave. Vice President JD Vance played it down too, saying “the ceasefire is holding” and insisting the strikes were sparked by an attack on an IDF soldier (without attributing blame). HURRICANE OF NEWS: Hurricane Melissa left Jamaica overnight and was due to make landfall on Cuba this morning. The extent of the damage isn’t yet clear, though British officials — including a rapid response team hunkering down in Miami — were hopeful that the hurricane’s pivot away from Kingston and downgrading to a Category 4 storm would mean they had avoided the worst. The U.K. has been asking British nationals to register their presence. PIPS SQUEAK: Reform UK will hold its third press conference in three days at 10 a.m. Head of policy Zia Yusuf and welfare spokesperson Lee Anderson will pledge £32 billion of cuts to disability benefit PIP over five years — and pick a fight with the two main parties while they’re at it. The proposal … is twofold. PIP would end for claimants with “non-major” anxiety (what this means isn’t spelt out, but officials reckon it’d wipe out 80 percent of anxiety claims) … and the vast majority of remote assessments, which are more generous than doing it face-to-face, would stop. There would be a £500 million program to fast-track people back into work. The Telegraph had a trail. Get your calculators: This is the second day this week that we’ve had some properly costed (or so they say) policy from Reform. Bookmark it all for 2029. Will Farage stick to it? Personal space invasion! It treads on sensitive territory for Labour, which has also promised to bring back more face-to-face assessments but shelved PIP cuts amid a backlash. Arguably, though, this plan parks tanks mostly on Conservative lawns. Reform has worked up this policy with help from the Centre for Social Justice, the same think tank where Badenoch outlined similar plans on welfare in July. And here’s where it gets interesting: For once Nigel Farage’s party is making a point of promising less than the Tories, who have pledged £23 billion a year in welfare reforms by 2029-30. It’s more fuel for the idea that Farage is trying to ride two horses on state spending, in pledging to end the two-child benefit cap and renationalize industry while slashing the civil service. But Reform aides also argue their plans are more realistic — and the Tories “got away scot-free” without proper scrutiny of their figures at conference. Fight! One Tory official responds: “They’re saying our stuff is unrealistic?!” A Labour official said Reform’s last welfare plan “fell apart before it was even announced.” For his part … Starmer told the Sun’s Jack Elsom he is “determined” to keep “bear[ing] down on” the welfare bill — though he refused to confirm welfare cuts would be in Rachel Reeves’ budget. FROM PLANET TORY: Yusuf may well be asked about Michael Helestine’s interview with the Times’ Alice Thomson. Hezza claims Reform is a “reincarnation of Oswald Mosley and his fascists in the Thirties when it was the Jews [who were the target], and of Enoch Powell with immigrants in the Sixties.” That’s … punchy. HAD ENOUGH OF EXPERTS: Back to Reeves, the chancellor is talking openly about the looming £21 billion downgrade to productivity — by vowing to “defy” it with some growth. She wrote in a Guardian op-ed overnight: “I am determined that we don’t simply accept the forecasts but we defy them, as we already have this year.” That’s the spirit! She’ll still have to balance the books on Nov. 26 though. More bad news: The Home Builders Federation has told the OBR it thinks Labour will miss its 1.5 million homes target, according to the Times’ Oliver Wright. New headache: The House of Lords also inflicted five defeats on Labour’s workers’ rights bill last night — including (as expected) voting down Day 1 protections against unfair dismissal for a second time. Sky News’ Jon Craig wrote it up. But the budget lobbying of the day goes to … the Sun, which has come out hard against any prospect of a gambling tax rise. The campaign makes the splash. The paper has its own table stakes in this matter, TBF. Is there even any point of all this? The IFS has a uniquely depressing note out today. “For two decades, official statistics have substantially overstated the size of the UK’s self-employed population and the share of national income flowing to those with the highest incomes.” Right. But anyway: Bank of England stats including the number of mortgage approvals in September are out at 9.30 a.m. OVER TO LABOUR LAND: The question of how to take on Reform continues to occupy brains. So congrats to Treasury Minister Spencer Livermore, who has been given the unenviable job of Labour’s national campaign coordinator (as first reported by the Times). Will he do better than he managed for Ed Miliband in 2015? One of Labour’s great hopes … it seems, is still digital ID, despite complaints in party circles over the way it was launched and communicated. No. 10 put out a surprisingly strongly worded readout of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, in which Darren Jones — the PM’s right-hand man — said: “We have to build a new state and shut down the legacy state.” Meanwhile in the PLP: Starmer’s recent drive to hang out with his MPs is not satisfying them all. One told Playbook’s Bethany Dawson that some backbenchers want the PM to come to next week’s Parliamentary Labour Party meeting himself to answer concerns about the Caerphilly by-election. It’s not just Starmer: Playbook also hears Morgan McSweeney has been stepping up his own drinks with MPs since summer. The chief of staff had “informal” drinks with MPs last Tuesday and Wednesday in No. 10, where groups of five to six were invited to discuss “topics of the day and life in the constituency,” one MP with knowledge of it told Bethany. Tensionwatch: Tonight is the Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards, known for its acerbic and jokey speeches. Wes Streeting’s didn’t go down brilliantly with all his colleagues last year. But tonight’s best red-on-red dinner … is surely deputy PM David Lammy, who is hosting a meal at Lancaster House for the general secretary of Communist Vietnam. In between the visitor’s trip to see Karl Marx’s tomb in Highgate. AMBASSADOR, WE ARE SPOILING YOU: The Guardian has got hold of a 2018 letter in the row over the (stalled) Chinese Embassy near the Tower of London that might ruffle feathers. Eleni Courea reports that Boris Johnson approved the site for diplomatic use in exchange for “assurances” about the British Embassy redevelopment in Beijing. The Tories insisted they still fought the project on planning grounds … judge the wording yourself here. One for PMQs: Kemi Badenoch was “glad” to send a bunch of officials to China to “champion” Chinese-owned British Steel in government, according to 2023 docs seen by the Times’ Geri Scott. All great timing … for parliament’s National Security Strategy Committee to hold another hearing on the collapsed China spying case. Attorney General Richard Hermer and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Darren Jones are due up at 9.45 a.m. Fight! Starmer’s lawyer mate Hermer is particularly in Tories’ sights (as always), and can be expected to give some extremely lawyerly answers about why it wouldn’t have been appropriate for him to intervene in the case. TBF, much of the questioning has now moved from claims of interference/cover-up to who knew what and when — despite today’s Telegraph continuing valiantly. But it’ll still be interesting to see the government’s broader view. Eg does Jones, who heads up national security, see China as an active threat? GREEN PLAN INCOMING: Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will publish a revised plan today showing how the government hits targets on reducing emissions — after green campaigners took the Tory government to court and forced a rethink. The same groups are watching closely and could launch a third legal action, Energy Editor Russell Hargrave texts in. Watch closely … considering there has been a stream of murmurings (see recent Playbooks) about the government’s net zero plans. The Telegraph’s Matt Oliver reports that the government slashed forecasts this week for the amount of electricity it expects wind farms to generate … while CityAM’s Mauricio Alencar has details of a DESNZ-led survey that found 69 percent of people believed net zero policies would increase their living expenses in the next two years. Fuel for the defense: Energy Minister Michael Shanks will argue Labour is right not to take a “binary approach” of going full green or maxing out the North Sea, in a speech at today’s Just Transition Commission Summit in Edinburgh. The Scotsman’s Andrew Quinn has the story. CHANNELING 2020 KEIR STARMER: Most in Westminster won’t go anywhere near the issue, but Green Leader Zack Polanski reckons ending EU free movement has been a “disaster.” In his first intervention on Brexit policy, Polanski told my colleague Jon Stone that Starmer’s EU reset had been “a bit meh” and said the U.K. should really be rejoining the customs union. FRIDAY FUN SPONGE: Steve Reed has entered the four-day week wars. The communities secretary has written to South Cambridgeshire District Council expressing “deep disappointment” that it adopted a shorter working week — arguing services worsened during a trial. “Voters deserve the respect of a five-day week,” a departmental source told the Telegraph, which has been banging on about this for ages and splashes the story. CHECK’S IN THE POST: A compensation scheme for victims of the Post Office’s dodgy Capture computer system is set to launch, with a written ministerial statement today. HOLDING PATTERN: Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is due to dial in to a virtual meeting of ministers from the Weimar Plus group on Ukraine. NOT THEIR PARTY: Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s Your Party is preparing legal action against three of its founders after a deadline to cough up £800,000 in donations passed without payment, the Guardian’s Aletha Adu reports. Party figures have accused former Labour MP Beth Winter, anti-apartheid activist Andrew Feinstein and former North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll of holding supporters’ funds to ransom. Excuse of the year: The trio said the claims are inaccurate, adding: “We will make a full statement when we have time, but none of us are paid politicians with press officers.” IT’S BAD NEWS, I’M AFRAID: Hospices have been forced to cut back services and beds for people who are dying because of funding constraints, according to a National Audit Office report written up by PA. CHECK THE FINE PRINT: The UK Statistics Authority has written to Steve Reed saying comments he made as environment secretary about the differences in English and Scottish water quality “run the risk of misleading the public.” Read the letter here. HEALTH NEWS: The morning-after pill will be available free of charge on the NHS from today, which the NHS national clinical director for women’s health hailed as the “biggest change to sexual health services since the 1960s.” WHEELS COMING OFF: The number of concessionary bus journeys by elderly and disabled people is still far lower than before Covid-19 and the government can’t adequately explain why, according to a Public Accounts Committee report. REPORTS OUT TODAY: The government should use windfall profits to fund a “lasting energy debt relief scheme,” according to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee … and the FCDO’s unclear definition of value for money and cuts to aid “risk worse outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable people,” says the International Development Committee. HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with Wales questions … PMQs at noon … Reform Leader Nigel Farage’s 10-minute rule motion on withdrawal from the ECHR … and remaining stages of the Sentencing Bill. Labour MP Mary Glindon has the adjournment debate on government support for the offshore wind supply chain in Tyneside. WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on topics including the potential merits of banning plastic in wet wipes (Labour MP Fleur Anderson) … government support for independent lifeboats (Conservative MP Paul Holmes) … and potential merits of a new standard for vehicle headlight glare (Labour MP Peter Lamb). On committee corridor: The National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) grills Attorney General Richard Hermer and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Darren Jones on espionage cases and the Official Secrets Acts (9.45 a.m.) … the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee hears evidence from Courts Minister Sarah Sackman (2.05 p.m.). HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 11 a.m. with report stage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill … oral questions on the U.K.-EU youth mobility scheme, social cost of leaving England’s water companies in private ownership, and ensuring universities tackle antisemitism … and a statement on strengthening prisoner release checks (Prisons Minister James Timpson). FOR THE LOVE OF WONKS: Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar joins the IPPR Scotland conference at 12.30 p.m., after a senior Scottish government minister at 10.45 a.m. Schedule here. IN PARIS: Brigitte Macron’s youngest daughter told a Paris court Tuesday that the relentless spread of conspiracy theories about her mother online — including that she was assigned male at birth, is transgender or was born under her brother’s name — had made it “impossible” for the French first lady “to have a normal life.” Tiphaine Auzière testified on behalf of her mother in a two-day trial of 10 people charged with cyberbullying Macron by sharing messages on X. POLITICO has the story. ELECTION STATIONS: Voting has started in the Netherlands, where a nail-biting general election campaign has seen the country’s far right, center left and liberals poll neck-and-neck. The first exit poll is due at 8 p.m. U.K. time (according to Reuters), and POLITICO has a great explainer of the morass of parties, the backstory and what might happen next. ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE: Russian troops have gained a foothold in the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, a town in the east of Ukraine that Moscow has been trying to capture for two years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday. The BBC has a write-up. WINED AND DINED: Donald Trump arrived in Gyeongju, South Korea, for the APEC conference overnight, in the latest stop on his Asia tour. He’s having dinner with South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung around 9.30 a.m. U.K. time. Start the countdown: Trump’s headline meeting with Xi Jinping is now only a day away. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, nearly half – 46% – of business-to-business firms in sectors, such as finance, law, and marketing, say their organisation currently uses AI. This contrasts just 26% of business-to-consumer firms and manufacturers that report using AI. AI is helping small businesses boost productivity and resilience across sectors. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. These AI agents are built to handle everything from routine tasks to complex workflows, helping every business unlock efficiency, agility, and clarity. Learn more about how AI is transforming the small business landscape in a new report from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** Border Security Minister Alex Norris broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.). Shadow Justice Minister Kieran Mullan broadcast round: Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … GB News (8 a.m.) … Sky News (8.15 a.m.) … LBC News (8.45 a.m.) … Talk (9.05 a.m.). Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Former Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe Jack Deverell (7.05 a.m.). Also on GB News PMQs (11.50 a.m.): Conservative MP Joe Robertson and Labour MP Oliver Ryan. Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Israeli Prime Minister’s spokesperson David Mencer (7.35 a.m.) … Chief Executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association Steve Mulholland (8.05 a.m.) … former Uber chief lobbyist Mark MacGann (8.20 a.m.) … former President of YouGov Peter Kellner (8.35 a.m.) … Labour MP and Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Chair Bill Esterson (9.40 a.m.). Also on LBC News: Bill Esterson (7.25 a.m.). 5Live MPs phone in (10 a.m.): Labour MP Natasha Irons … Conservative MP David Reed … Liberal Democrat MP Tom Morrison. Politics Live (BBC Two 11.15 p.m.): Labour MP Alex Ballinger … Deputy Lib Dem Leader Daisy Cooper … journalist and broadcaster Emily Sheffield … Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander … Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston. POLITICO UK: Ending EU free movement a ‘disaster’ for Britain, says Green Party’s Zack Polanski. Daily Express: OAPs must be given a ‘fair deal’ in budget. Daily Mail: Afghan held over murder of dog walker came to the UK in a lorry. Daily Mirror: Hell at 185mph. Daily Star: Lettuce… What lettuce? Financial Times: Microsoft tops $4tn valuation after OpenAI restructuring. Metro: Pure fury. The Daily Telegraph: Councils told to end four-day weeks. The Guardian: Reeves vows to defy gloom after £20bn budget blow. The Independent: Reeves must raise income tax to fill new gap in Budget. The i Paper: Storm of the century: 185mph hurricane bigger than Katrina. The Sun: Save our bets. The Times: Labour to miss 1.5m homes target, housebuilders warn. WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Drizzly and a bit miserable, to be honest. High 14C, low 7C. SPOTTED … at a Black History Month reception in the Foreign Office’s grand Locarno Suite: Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper … Justice Secretary David Lammy in conversation with BBC presenter Clive Myrie … Government Whip Taiwo Owatemi … Equalities Minister Seema Malhotra … Labour MPs Flo Eshalomi, Kate Osamor, Marsha de Cordova, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Janet Daby and David Burton-Sampson … Windrush Commissioner Clive Foster … Jamaican High Commissioner Alexander Williams … Ghanaian High Commissioner Sabah Zita Benson … Haitian Ambassador Anaïse Manuel … broadcasters Moira Stuart and Zeinab Badawi … Bank of England CFO Afua Kyei. EYES EMOJI: Former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expanding his private office and hiring an executive assistant. Playbook is always interested in job descriptions asking for a “discreet” member of staff. CONGRATULATIONS … to the 10 think tanks named as finalists for Smart Thinking’s Think Tank of the Year, including the IFS, Re:State, IPPR and More in Common. List here. NOW READ: The Guardian write-up of Tuesday’s committee hearing in which Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst told MPs that there is no “social ill with gambling.” Which is … one take. WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio. WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: Sam Blewett. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook … Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross … Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper … DUP peer Wallace Browne … Scottish Parliamentary Business and Veterans Minister Graeme Dey … New Yorker Editor David Remnick … Co-Op Party Head of Politics Caitlin Prowle. PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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2025-10-29T07:00:41Z
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2025-10-29T07:01:07Z
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Dutch fizzlers and sizzlers
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by YouTube By GERARDO FORTUNA with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser HOI THERE. It’s Gerardo Fortuna, trying out my very basic Dutch skills — and breaking the first unwritten law Italian diplomats learn on arriving in Brussels: “When in doubt, do the opposite of what the Dutch would do.” NECK AND NECK IN THE NETHERLANDS: Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV, Frans Timmermans’ GreenLeft-Labor party and the liberal D66 of Rob Jetten are within a few seats of each other in the final polls ahead of the Netherlands’ nail-biting election today. Here’s our guide to watching like a pro, and Playbook will take you through the runners and riders — plus we have an interview with Jetten below. WILDERS, THE FAR-RIGHT FIZZLER: Wilders led the polls for months, but the PVV leader’s edge has narrowed in the lead-up to election day. His final tally will depend heavily on turnout — and today’s forecasted rain is unlikely to help get people to the ballot boxes. BONTENBAL, THE STUMBLER: Former favorite Henri Bontenbal of the center-right CDA slipped in the polls amid controversy surrounding his comments about religious schools’ rejection of homosexual relationships. (He said freedom of education would sometimes clash with the ban on discrimination, but has since walked back on that remark.) **A message from YouTube: European teachers, teens and parents turn to YouTube for education. Find out more.** TIMMERMANS, THE BRUSSELS COMEBACK KID: One-time EU Green Deal architect Timmermans remains a strong contender. Heading the GreenLeft-Labor list, he’s warning voters on social media that the only way to secure a centrist coalition is to back him — arguing that D66 and the CDA could otherwise form a center-right government without his party. PASSING THE LIBERAL BATON? The Netherlands was long dominated by Mark Rutte’s VVD, the fiscally conservative, socially liberal force now led by Dilan Yeşilgöz. But if projections hold, D66 could overtake the VVD and claim the mantle of the country’s leading liberal party. Lesson for Manfred: For D66 MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, the Dutch election could mark the end of the “experiment” of conservatives flirting with the far right. “Polls indicate that voters didn’t like the outcomes of that experiment and are turning to parties that want to re-engage with Europe and the green agenda,” he told Playbook. JETTEN, THE LIBERAL WONDERKNAAP: Meanwhile, Jetten has had a sizzling rise in polling over the last week and is the first D66 leader with a real shot at the top job. Observers credit his optimism in an otherwise gloomy campaign, though critics say his party still feels too elitist and technocratic for many voters. POLITICO spoke to Jetten ahead of today’s vote to discuss his vision for Europe. “I want a return of the Netherlands to the role of kingmaker in Europe,” Jetten told Max Griera. “We used to play that role.” The D66 leader said he wants the Netherlands to be a leading voice in shaping Europe’s future: “We want to stop saying no by default, and start saying yes to doing more together.” In Putin’s shadow: Europe must transform itself into a serious “democratic global power,” Jetten said. “That means giving the EU the power and the resources to do what citizens all across Europe are asking it to do: defend our territory against Putin’s aggression, grow the economy, protect the climate.” Not the “young” or “gay” candidate: If he succeeds, Jetten would be the Netherlands’ first openly gay and youngest prime minister. (He is a stark contrast to Dick Schoof, the 68-year-old ex-top civil servant picked by Wilders to lead the last right-wing government.) But Jetten dismisses any focus on identity politics. “I’m not the gay candidate, nor the young candidate,” he said. “Much more relevant is that voters are rejecting a failed experiment with the far right … My party wants to infuse a renewed optimism into Dutch politics.” Beyond left and right: When it comes to potential coalition partners, Jetten brushed off traditional political labels. “The whole left-right discussion is outdated,” he said, adding that he wants to form a pro-European government that invests in education, builds homes for everyone and ramps up climate action. “We are ready to work with all those democratic forces who want to make that happen.” BOOKIES’ CORNER: For those who put stock in the betting odds, on Polymarket last night Jetten led the race for next prime minister, followed by Timmermans, then Bontenbal. VDL AT COP30: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is heading to Brazil next week for the COP30 U.N. climate summit in Belém, a Commission official told Playbook. (The confirmation of this trip comes after POLITICO revealed the Commission chief was planning to travel to Brazil to finally seal the Mercosur deal in December.) Costa joins the convoy: European Council President António Costa will also travel to Brazil for the global leaders’ summit that kicks off the COP30, his spokesperson told Zia Weise. An official schedule will follow later this week. Low turnout: So far, few European leaders beyond British PM Keir Starmer have confirmed they’ll be at this COP. Partly that’s because of Belém’s tricky logistics — it was chosen for its symbolic location near the Amazon rather than for convenience. It’s also why this year’s leaders’ gathering takes place before formal COP negotiations begin on Nov. 10. Since they’re in the neighborhood … The Brazil trip comes just ahead of another summit in Santa Marta, Colombia (more than 3,000 kilometers from Belém). A Commission official confirmed both von der Leyen and Costa will join the meeting bringing together EU27 leaders and the 33 nations of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S BUDGET REVOLT: My colleagues Max Griera and Gregorio Sorgi obtained a draft letter showing the Parliament’s four centrist groups are preparing to demand that Ursula von der Leyen rework her plan for the EU’s next seven-year budget, aka the MFF. Who’s behind it: The letter comes from the same coalition that props up von der Leyen — her own center-right European People’s Party (EPP), the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the liberal Renew Europe group and the Greens. Together, they form a majority in Parliament and von der Leyen needs them to approve the €1.8 trillion budget. This time they mean it: The groups plan to threaten to reject a key part of the 2028-2034 budget unless their conditions are met, including earmarking funds for rural development and all regions and overhauling the proposed cash-for-reforms model. MEPs are pushing back against the Commission’s idea of creating national plans — single funding pots for farmers and regions managed by national governments. That’s a big shift from the current system, in which regional authorities play a central role. Crunch time: Lawmakers have already added a debate on the MFF to Parliament’s plenary session on Nov. 12. REST OF THE HOUSE FEELING SIDELINED: On the MFF, von der Leyen’s majority is holding together (ironically, against her plan) — even as the omnibus file (see below) causes friction. But other groups aren’t thrilled about being left out. The European Conservatives and Reformists, Patriots for Europe, Europe of Sovereign Nations and even some Greens complain that the EPP, S&D and Renew quietly divided up key MFF-related files behind closed doors. What happened: In Parliament’s industry committee (ITRE), those three groups carved up important reports — including on Horizon Europe, Connecting Europe Facility, the new Competition Fund and Euratom’s research and training program — among their own rapporteurs. How it’s supposed to work: Normally, files are distributed through a coordinators’ meeting and a formal (very complicated) points system between groups. This time, smaller groups say they simply received an email announcing the “agreement.” A matter of principle. “This matter goes to the heart of the credibility and integrity of the ITRE Committee’s work,” ECR coordinator in ITRE Daniel Obajtek fumed in an email chain seen by Playbook. He’s calling for a formal vote at the next ITRE meeting on Nov. 5 — though insiders admit it’ll be mostly symbolic. MEPs REBUFF METSOLA: Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s “whatever it takes” call to push through the EU’s simplification drive hasn’t gone down well in her own house. All aboard the omnibus (or not): Speaking after last week’s EUCO, Metsola said she was asked by EU27 leaders to find the votes “where you find them” to pass the bloc’s omnibus simplification rules. She warned that if the centrist majority couldn’t do it, the Parliament would “deliver regardless,” opening the door to alternative majorities, including on the right. Stay in your lane: “It’s not up to the president of the [Parliament] to make majorities,” Greens Co-Chair Bas Eickhout told POLITICO. “She is not running the Parliament as a Commission president can run the Commission.” Parliament ≠ Council: Socialist MEP René Repasi struck a more conciliatory note, saying Metsola was right to apply pressure but stressing that Parliament “needs its time” to find a majority “in its own ways.” After all, the institution “is not accountable to the heads of state or government of the member states.” Doubling down: In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Metsola didn’t rule out passing the file with a right-wing majority. “I’m ready to work with everyone,” she said — drawing more fire from her colleagues. More raised eyebrows: “Roberta Metsola is the president of the European Parliament, not the chair of the EPP,” snapped the Left’s Co-Chair Martin Schirdewan in response to the FT interview. Eying a third term? Metsola’s remarks have fueled speculation that she’s courting the right to shore up support for a third mandate as Parliament president — while the Socialists say it’s their turn to chair the hemicycle in 2027. “It is never wise for an EP president to seek support from the extreme right,” Schirdewan warned. Striking back: Metsola’s spokesperson, Jüri Laas, said the president had made clear in her press conference after the EU summit that she respects the Parliament’s democratic independence and that “majorities are always strongest from the center out.” EPP’S FAR-RIGHT FLIRTATION FACES A MOMENT OF TRUTH: Meanwhile, the EPP has less than two weeks to decide whether to slow its deregulation push to keep centrist allies on board — or team up with the far right to ram the omnibus bill through. Marianne Gros and Max have the story. Red-tape politics: The bill is the first in a string of Commission proposals meant to cut red tape — and it’s dividing the Parliament, with the EPP, liberals and Socialists split over how far to go. Scene-setter: Last week, centrist forces failed to pass a bill cutting green reporting rules after some Socialist MEPs rebelled. Now, populist groups are calling on the EPP to dump its centrist partners and join them when the vote returns on Nov. 12. Bring back Venezuela: “A number of EPP members realized that they had made a mistake in allying themselves with the architects of the Green Deal,” said Patriots for Europe negotiator Pascale Piera. She urged the EPP to return to the so-called Venezuela majority, a loose alignment of political factions on the right to far right. COMMISSION-INDUSTRY CHATS UNDER THE LENS: The EU Ombudsman opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission acted secretively in its dealings with industry before launching a series of business-friendly initiatives. COMPLAINT FILED, BRUSSELS SHRUGS: The Irish Council for Civil Liberties filed a complaint on Tuesday — citing reporting from POLITICO — asking the EU to investigate a former tech lobbyist’s appointment to a key privacy role in Ireland. But the Commission said it “is not empowered to take action.” Ellen O’Regan has the full story. STAFF UNEASY OVER SHAKE-UP: Commission staffers are up in arms over a sweeping overhaul of the EU’s executive branch aimed at streamlining its administration, with many fearing junior officials will end up shouldering the burden. TECH LOBBYING UP: Tech firms are spending more than ever on lobbying the EU amid mounting opposition to the bloc’s digital rules, according to new analysis. RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE ON TRIAL: Four Bulgarians suspected of vandalizing a Paris Holocaust memorial go on trial today, with investigators strongly suspecting the incident was one of many attempts by Russia to destabilize France. My colleagues Marion Solletty and Laura Kayali explain why France in particular is being targeted. SOLIDARITY FRAYING: Politicians in Germany and Poland are expressing concern about a sharp increase in the number of young Ukrainian men entering their countries in recent weeks after Kyiv loosened exit rules. Details here. BRIDGING ITALY’S DIVIDES: Matteo Salvini’s pet project — a bridge connecting the Italian mainland to Sicily — faces a critical test today when the Court of Auditors decides whether it complies with Italian and EU law. Carlo Martuscelli and Ben Munster have the details. IT’S NOT EASY BEING BART: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is facing yet more pressure, with a top judge telling POLITICO that underfunding of the country’s justice system must be addressed to tackle drug-fueled violence and corruption. — EU ambassadors meet in Coreper II at 9 a.m. … Deputy EU ambassadors meet in Coreper I in Brussels at 10 a.m. — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets Amazon and Microsoft representatives in Washington … addresses students at Georgetown University at 4 p.m. Brussels time. Watch. — A Socialists and Democrats delegation led by chair Iratxe García visits Greenland. They will meet with the prime minister and energy minister, as well as government officials, business representatives and students. — Startup Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz deliver speeches at the High-Tech Agenda Deutschland in Berlin. — The ECB Governing Council monetary policy meeting in Florence. WEATHER: High of 15C, chance of rain. BRUSSELS GOVERNMENT UPDATE: Bruxellois have been waiting more than 500 days for a regional government. In the latest twist in the saga, David Leisterh, the politician tasked with forming the government, stepped down from his formateur role. “I have given everything to try to form a government in Brussels,” the MR leader wrote on LinkedIn. “Our political system, as it works today, no longer allows us to respond to the Brussels emergency.” According to Bruzz, MR’s Georges-Louis Bouchez will take over. METRO CHAOS: The never-ending saga of metro Line 3, which is meant to connect Brussels South with the rest of the city, continues. The public prosecutor has now opened an investigation into possible criminal offenses in the project’s public tender. While residents in the south of Brussels keep waiting for their new line, commuters were briefly evacuated on Tuesday afternoon from Sainte-Catherine due to smoke — but service soon resumed. BIRTHDAYS: MEP César Luena; former MEPs Marco Zullo and Bettina Vollath; U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker; POLITICO’s Sebastian Starcevic; Belarusian opposition politician Hanna Kanapatskaya. THANKS TO: Max Griera, Hanne Cokelaere, Eva Hartog, Zia Weise, Gregorio Sorgi, Marianne Gros; Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Ferdinand Knapp and producer Dean Southwell. **A message from YouTube: New research shows that 74% of teens in seven European countries watch YouTube videos to learn something new for school — while 84% of teachers use YouTube content in their lessons or assignments. Find out why parents, teens and teachers are turning to YouTube to support learning.** SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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Gerardo Fortuna
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Uncategorized
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2025-10-29T06:00:12Z
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2025-10-29T06:00:12Z
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2025-10-29T06:00:51Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/dutch-fizzlers-and-sizzlers/
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Zuc’ machine arrière
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Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA Le briefing politique essentiel du matin, par Élisa Bertholomey, Anthony Lattier et Sarah Paillou. Par ELISA BERTHOLOMEY Avec SARAH PAILLOU Envoyez vos infos | Abonnez-vous gratuitement | Voir dans le navigateur ALLEZ HUE. Ne disant jamais non à des agapes, Playbook a assisté hier au ministère de la Justice à la remise de l’ordre national du Mérite à Mélusine Binder, ancienne de plusieurs cabinets ministériels reconvertie dans les affaires publiques. Une cérémonie idéale en cette période pré-présidentielle pour voir se renifler toutes les écuries du bloc central. Parmi les chev… pardon, les invités : le patron de Renaissance Gabriel Attal (qui ne cache plus se préparer pour 2027), la ministre Aurore Bergé (qui ne se ferme aucune porte), deux très proches conseillers d’Edouard Philippe, des fidèles d’Emmanuel Macron, quelques émissaires venus en amis de l’Elysée et même un ancien conseiller de Nicolas Sarkozy. Sans parler de Gérald Darmanin, hôte de cette soirée — mais qui, rappelons-le, ne fait “plus de politique” depuis qu’il a été reconduit Place Vendôme. Le socle vit bien. “Il n’y a dans cette pièce que des gens qui se détestent mais qui font semblant de s’apprécier”, ont raillé au moins deux convives auprès de votre infolettre qui, dans ce monde de douceur et d’amitié vous souhaite un bon réveil. Nous sommes mercredi 29 octobre 2025. LA FIÈVRE ET LA TORTUE. Ça va être dur, soyez forts, mais on se doit d’être honnête avec vous : le débat enfiévré à l’Assemblée nationale sur l’imposition des plus hauts patrimoines — et donc la taxe Zucman — ne sera pas pour aujourd’hui. A moins d’un miracle de vélocité des députés, il devrait plutôt se tenir vendredi, la journée de demain étant dévolue à l’étude des propositions de loi du Rassemblement national. Pas très Sages. Ce délai pourrait permettre au gouvernement de muscler ses arguments contre la taxe Zucman, surtout contre la version 2.0 de ce dispositif, qui se veut un compromis, proposée par le Parti socialiste (si besoin, vous pouvez vous rafraîchir la mémoire ici). Nouvelle flèche décochée hier à Bercy, où votre infolettre a laissé traîner ses oreilles : l’amendement du PS serait anticonstitutionnel. “Les socialistes font tourner le pays sur un truc qui ne marchera pas”, tranchait un ministre craignant, en cas de censure a posteriori du Conseil constitutionnel, “des manifs” rue de Montpensier et une nouvelle mise en cause des Sages. Ça tombe bien. La taxe Zucman, comme sa déclinaison aménagée, n’aurait de toute façon aucune chance d’arriver jusque-là, à en croire le même. Le Rassemblement national y est opposé et “le bloc central ne votera jamais un truc confiscatoire et anticonstitutionnel”, poursuivait-il, concluant qu’il était alors impossible qu’une majorité de députés soutiennent l’amendement. Répliques. “On sait très bien que la Macronie ne va pas devenir pro-taxe Zucman du jour au lendemain, mais il y a un compromis à faire et des recettes à trouver”, continuait-on de marteler dans l’après-midi au groupe socialiste, réclamant d’autres arguments que “les éléments de langage du patronat”. Et de brandir à nouveau la menace de la censure : “S’il n’y a pas d’avancées en matière de justice fiscale et notamment des recettes nouvelles pour épargner les gens, ça sert à rien de continuer” le débat budgétaire. Dans ce cas, autant renverser le gouvernement et provoquer une dissolution, menaçait notre interlocuteur qui faisait mine de s’interroger : “Est-ce que pour défendre une poignée de millionnaires, [les macronistes] acceptent de tout faire péter et d’aller à des élections anticipées ?” Décompte débat. Hier, malgré la consigne passée par Yaël Braun-Pivet pour rendre les débats plus efficaces, les députés n’avaient examiné que 365 amendements et il en reste encore 2 780 avant d’arriver à bout du texte. Ont tout de même été votés : une taxe de 26 milliards d’euros sur les multinationales (ce qui a évidemment provoqué une bronca sur les bancs du camp présidentiel) … Le doublement de la taxe Gafam visant les géants de la tech (nos collègues de Tech Matin y reviennent dès 7h30 pour nos abonnés PRO) … Une condition anti-délocalisation mise sur le crédit d’impôt recherche. Paris Influence fait ici (toujours pour les abonnés) les comptes de cette journée qui a rapporté gros. Cagouilles. Conséquence du rythme escargotesque auquel progresse l’examen du projet de loi de finances 2026 : le vote solennel sur la partie “recettes” du texte a de moins en moins de chances de se tenir mardi prochain, comme initialement prévu. Les députés reprendraient alors leurs discussions sur le PLF après celles sur le budget de la Sécurité sociale, donc après le 12 novembre. BRAS DE FER. Playbook vous parlait hier de la réunion d’Emmanuel Macron sur l’Algérie ; figurez-vous que le sujet nous est revenu aux oreilles par le biais d’un fin connaisseur du dossier qui s’inquiétait des prises de position de Laurent Nuñez en la matière. “Sur l’Algérie, c’est un rapport de forces. Si tu baisses la garde, ils t’attaquent”, résumait-il, craignant que le nouveau ministre de l’Intérieur se fasse “laminer”. Lui, c’est lui. De fait, depuis son retour à Beauvau (il y a été secrétaire d’Etat entre 2018 et 2020), Nuñez revendique une “rupture” par rapport à Bruno Retailleau. Le dossier algérien en est un exemple sur le fond. Le ministre assume vouloir qu’il y ait “un bougé” dans les relations avec Alger tandis que son prédécesseur défendait une stratégie de grande fermeté allant jusqu’à la rupture des relations diplomatiques. La nouvelle posture est bien plus alignée sur les positions présidentielles qu’auparavant, mais ça ne surprend pas ceux qui le connaissent, Nuñez étant considéré comme très proche d’Emmanuel Macron. Gardien de l’apaisement. Sur la forme, “c’est quelqu’un de très consensuel, un mec de dialogue, beaucoup moins abrupt que Retailleau”, poursuivait notre interlocuteur cité plus haut. Ses premières sorties médiatiques l’ont montré. Face aux journalistes, Nuñez dit qu’il n’aura “pas de mots blessants”, promet de ne “pas diviser la société” et rejette certains concepts utilisés par son prédécesseur comme celui “d’assimilation” préférant défendre la notion “d’intégration”. C’était mieux avant. Les retaillistes déplorent que le chef de l’Etat et le Premier ministre aient fait le choix d’un ministre de l’Intérieur “sans identité politique propre”, critiquait l’un d’eux hier. Dans leur esprit, ce constat : “la sécurité et l’immigration sont la faille du macronisme”, développait le même. En nommant Nuñez à Beauvau, il ne faut donc “pas s’attendre à ce qu’il y ait une inflexion”, concluait-il. Et ce, même si le ministre semble ne rien vouloir détricoter sur le fond, indiquant, la semaine dernière, son souhait de “poursuivre la politique de fermeté qui a été menée par Bruno Retailleau”. Changement de braquet. Est-ce parce qu’il a eu vent de ces critiques que Laurent Nuñez a un poil réajusté sa manière de communiquer ? Un conseiller ministériel se félicitait hier, auprès de votre infolettre, du ton plus martial employé par le ministre l’après-midi à l’Assemblée nationale. “Nous ne sommes pas mous, nous sommes très fermes” en matière de lutte contre l’immigration illégale, a-t-il défendu depuis l’hémicycle, se disant “fier d’être un ministre du président de la République”. LE PARI PYB. C’est fait ! Renaissance a officialisé hier son soutien à Pierre-Yves Bournazel (Horizons) pour les municipales à Paris, la commission nationale d’investiture du parti validant ce soutien à l’unanimité moins deux voix dont celle d’Aurore Bergé. “Je vais bousculer le match” entre Emmanuel Grégoire et Rachida Dati s’est immédiatement félicité “PYB” dans Le Parisien tandis que ses nouveaux amis macronistes justifiaient leur choix dans une tribune parue dans L’Opinion. Conséquence de cette décision : le président de la fédé Renaissance de Paris, le député Sylvain Maillard, fervent soutien de Rachida Dati, a annoncé dans un courrier aux militants “se mettre en retrait de [ses] responsabilités” au sein de la fédération. L’élu déplore par ailleurs le choix de son parti, qualifié de “candidature partisane” qui ne permettra pas d’offrir “une réelle alternance”. BESOIN D’UN CONSEIL. Décidément, le sujet du recours aux cabinets de conseil reste épidermique en Macronie. La lecture d’un article du Figaro sur la hausse de 31% des dépenses en cabinets de conseil en 2024 (en réalité 8% d’après les calculs de mes collègues de Paris Influ) a mis les nerfs de Philippe Gustin, le directeur de cabinet de Sébastien Lecornu, en pelote. En réunion avec les autres dircab du gouvernement, il a “gueulé en disant que c’était inadmissible”, a tenu à nous faire savoir Matignon hier. Y aurait-il du resserrage de vis dans l’air ? Pas si sûr, puisque le haut fonctionnaire a pour l’instant seulement annoncé saisir la mission “Etat efficace” pour qu’elle “analyse cette hausse et fasse des préconisations”. L’INGÉRENCE RUSSE EN PROCÈS. L’affaire est inédite : quatre Bulgares soupçonnés d’avoir tagué le Mémorial de la Shoah de 35 mains rouges l’année dernière sont jugés à partir d’aujourd’hui au tribunal de Paris. L’opération est fortement soupçonnée de faire partie des multiples tentatives de déstabilisation orchestrées par la Russie et visant la France. Les enquêtes se poursuivent sur huit autres affaires présentant un mode opératoire similaire, dont le dépôt de têtes de cochon devant des mosquées franciliennes survenu le mois dernier. Mes collègues Marion Solletty et Laura Kayali vous racontent dans cette enquête (gratuite et en anglais), les détails de l’opération et pourquoi la France est particulièrement visée. Emmanuel Macron préside le Conseil des ministres à 10 heures à l’Elysée. Dans l’après-midi, il participe à la 8ème édition du Forum de Paris sur la paix. A 16h45, il prend part à la clôture de l’événement de haut niveau sur l’intégrité de l’information aux côtés de John Dramani Mahama, président du Ghana, Maia Sandu, présidente de la Moldavie et Nikol Pashinyan, Premier ministre arménien, au Palais Chaillot. A 18 heures, il participe à la clôture des tables rondes sur les dix ans de l’Accord de Paris. Enfin, à 18h30, il accueille les invités au dîner dans le cadre du Forum, à l’Elysée. Sébastien Lecornu est à 14 heures à l’Assemblée nationale pour la séance de questions au gouvernement, puis à 15 heures au Sénat, pour le même exercice. Monique Barbut prononce un discours, à l’occasion de l’ouverture des 10 ans de l’accord de Paris sur le climat, dans le cadre du 8ème Forum de Paris sur la paix 2025. Jean-Noël Barrot, Benjamin Haddad, Eléonore Caroit participent également au Forum. Roland Lescure est en déplacement à New York, dans le cadre du G7 Energie. Annie Genevard s’entretient successivement avec Dominique Chargé, président de la Coopération agricole, Jean-François Loiseau, président de l’Association nationale des industries alimentaires (ANIA) et Thierry Bussy, président de la Fédération nationale des Safer (FnSAFER). Anne Le Hénanff se rend à l’événement Numériques en commun(s) organisé par l’Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (ANCT) à Strasbourg. Marina Ferrari a un petit-déjeuner de travail avec Pierre-Antoine Molina, délégué interministériel aux Jeux olympiques et paralympiques (DIJOP) et délégué interministériel aux grands événements sportifs (DIGES), et Damien Robert, directeur général exécutif de la Société de livraison des ouvrages olympiques (SOLIDEO) Alpes françaises 2030. Philippe Tabarot s’entretient avec Christophe Béchu, maire d’Angers. Il fait un discours de clôture, à l’occasion du 25ème anniversaire de l’Organisation des transporteurs routiers européens. Eléonore Caroit s’entretient avec Achille Mbembe, historien et politologue camerounais et Barbara Pompili, ambassadrice déléguée à l’environnement. Nicolas Forissier s’entretient avec Alain Di Crescenzo, président de CCI France. Michel Fournier reçoit Cécile Raquin, directrice générale des collectivités locales (DGCL). Yaël Braun-Pivet s’entretient successivement avec Ana Brnabić, son homologue serbe et Samdech Khuon Sudary, son homologue du Cambodge. Gérard Larcher s’entretient avec Ana Brnabić, présidente de l’Assemblée nationale de Serbie, puis avec Jean-Pierre Farandou. Assemblée nationale : A 14 heures, en séance publique, questions au Gouvernement, suite de la discussion du projet de loi de finances (PLF) 2026. A 14h30, en comité d’évaluation et de contrôle des politiques publiques, audition de Clément Beaune, haut-commissaire à la Stratégie et au Plan, sur les politiques de santé environnementale. A 21h30, deuxième séance publique, suite des discussions sur le PLF 2026. Sénat : A 15 heures, en séance publique, questions d’actualité au Gouvernement. A partir de 16h30, en séance publique, conclusions de la commission mixte paritaire (CMP) sur la proposition de loi (PPL) visant à modifier la définition pénale du viol et des agressions sexuelles. Examen de deux conventions internationales puis vote sur la PPL, adoptée à l’Assemblée, visant à renforcer la lutte contre la fraude bancaire. Conclusions de la CMP sur la PPL visant à reporter le renouvellement général des membres du congrès et des assemblées de province de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Eventuellement, suite du PJL de lutte contre la vie chère dans les outre-mer. A 16h30, en commission des Affaires sociales, auditions de Stéphanie Rist et Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq sur le PLFSS 2026. A la même heure, en commission de la Culture, audition de Philippe Baptiste. Marc Fesneau tient une conférence de presse à 15h15 à l’Assemblée nationale, dédiée aux propositions du groupe dans le cadre du débat budgétaire (PLF et PLFSS 2026). Jordan Bardella publie son livre, Ce que veulent les Français (Fayard). Il fait une séance de dédicaces à Bruay-la-Buissière (Pas-de-Calais). Ségolène Royal publie Mais qui va garder les enfants ? (Fayard). 7h15. France 2 : Gaël Musquet, météorologue. 7h20. RFI : Bachir Ben Barka, fils de Mehdi Ben Barka, opposant au roi du Maroc et disparu à Paris en 1965. 7h30. Public Sénat : Max Brisson, sénateur LR des Pyrénées-Atlantiques. 7h40. TF1 : Carole Delga, présidente PS de la région Occitanie … RTL : Bruno Retailleau, président du parti LR … RMC : Gaël Musquet, météorologue, spécialiste des catastrophes naturelles. 7h45. Franceinfo : Antoine Léaument, député LFI de l’Essonne … Radio J : Patrice Duhamel, journaliste, auteur de La photo. Pétain – Mitterrand, l’histoire secrète du document qui aurait pu bousculer la Ve République. 7h50. France Inter : David Lisnard, maire LR de Cannes. 8h00. Public Sénat : Jean-Philippe Tanguy, député RN de la Somme. 8h10. Europe 1/CNEWS : Sylvain Maillard, député EPR de Paris … France 2 : Ségolène Royal, ancienne ministre, auteure de Mais qui va garder les enfants ?. 8h15. Radio Classique : Carlos Tavares, auteur de Un pilote dans la tempête … Sud Radio : Nicolas Dufourcq, directeur général de la BPI et auteur de La dette sociale de la France. 8h20. France Inter : André Corréa do Lago, président de la COP 30 au Brésil en novembre et Laurence Tubiana, ambassadrice de la France lors de la COP 15. 8h30. Franceinfo : Mathilde Panot, présidente du groupe LFI à l’Assemblée nationale … BFMTV/RMC : Gabriel Zucman, économiste et directeur de l’Observatoire européen de la fiscalité. DANS NOS NEWSLETTERS PRO CE MATIN : PARIS INFLUENCE : CMA, Gafam, CIR : un mardi qui fait recettes et la fête aux multinationales … Taxe désaffectée, dotations rabotées, TVA qui a la bougeotte : pourquoi l’industrie de la mode est en PLS face au PLF … Après le gel, les réserves du Parlement et de l’Elysée ont fondu. TECH MATIN : Info Tech Matin : Emmanuel Macron déjeune avec les représentants de la presse locale pour parler (encore) démocratie et réseaux sociaux … L’Arcep <3 son cadre de régulation … Parlement : les textes les plus attendus du numérique prennent encore du retard. ÉNERGIE & CLIMAT : L’argent ne fait pas le bonheur… mais le pollueur, selon le World Inequality Lab … La précarité énergétique galope mais le chèque énergie stagne … L’absence de PPE n’atomise pas la filière nucléaire. DANS LE JORF. Valentine Serino est nommée conseillère parlementaire de Laurent Panifous (Relations avec le Parlement). Guillaume Bailly (conseiller prévention des risques, processus d’autorisations, participation du public et simplification) et Tess Indycki (conseillère presse et communication) ont rejoint le cabinet de Mathieu Lefèvre. Monique Barbut s’attache les services de Julie Dubroux (conseillère affaires budgétaires et financières). Mathilda André (conseillère parlementaire) et Jean-Baptiste Rota (conseiller affaires pédagogiques) ont intégré le cabinet d’Edouard Geffray. MÉTÉO. Le ciel restera largement couvert toute la journée, avec un ressenti avoisinant les 11°C. ANNIVERSAIRES : Sandrine Nosbé, députée LFI de l’Isère … Laetitia Avia, ancienne députée LREM de Paris. PLAYLIST. One more night (de débats budgétaires), de Michael Kiwanuka. Un grand merci à : Marion Solletty, notre éditeur Matthieu Verrier, Kenza Pacenza pour la veille et Dean Southwell pour la mise en ligne. ABONNEZ-VOUS aux newsletters de POLITICO (en anglais): Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | Berlin Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | POLITICO Pro newsletters
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Elisa Bertholomey
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2025-10-29T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-29T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-29T06:00:00Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/playbook-paris/zuc-machine-arriere/
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Merz’ heikle Reise zu Erdogan
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KI generierte Text-to-Speech Präsentiert von YouTube Von HANS VON DER BURCHARD Mit RIXA FÜRSEN PRÄSENTIERT VON Schicken Sie uns Ihre Tipps hier, hier oder hier | X @GordonRepinski @vonderburchard @R_Buchsteiner | Das Playbook anhören oder online lesen Goedemorgen, hier schreibt Hans von der Burchard. Ich nehme Sie heute mit in meine Zweitheimat Niederlande, wo es zu einer politischen Sensation kommen könnte. Bei den Parlamentswahlen droht Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders ein Abstieg, während die sozial-liberale D66-Partei von Rob Jetten in letzten Umfragen überraschend aufgestiegen ist und sogar — das gab es noch nie! — stärkste Partei werden könnte. Direkt vergleichbar mit der FDP ist D66 zwar nicht, für Christian Dürr wäre es dennoch ein Hoffnungsschimmer. Heute Abend sehen wir uns vielleicht zur Wahlparty in der niederländischen Botschaft, wo ich auf Einladung von Botschafterin Hester Somsen mit Peter Altmaier, Otto Fricke sowie dem niederländischen Ex-Gesundheitsminister Ab Klink und der Korrespondentin Caroline de Gruyter die Wahl diskutiere und die Ergebnisse live verfolge. Zunächst schauen wir jedoch auf die Kanzlerreise nach Ankara, die durch jüngste Ereignisse in Gaza noch wichtiger wird. Zudem berichten wir über neuen Ärger für Friedrich Merz in Brüssel. Im Playbook-Podcast geht es mit Ines Schwerdtner um ihr Verhältnis zu Merz und im Podcast-Update spricht Tom Schmidtgen über die Kanzlerreise nach Sachsen. **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: Aus einem YouTube-Kanal kann ein Unternehmen werden. Kreative erhalten die Chance, mit Inhalten Geld zu verdienen und Mitarbeitende einzustellen. So stärkt YouTube die Kreativwirtschaft. Eine neue Studie zeigt: Über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze (Vollzeitäquivalent) unterstützte YouTubes kreatives Ökosystem 2024 in Deutschland. Hier klicken und mehr über YouTubes Beitrag zur deutschen Wirtschaft erfahren.** ANKARA, ENDLICH? Zu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wollte Merz schon länger. Im September letzten Jahres — damals noch als Oppositionsführer — war ein Besuch geplant, dann kam der Showdown gegen Markus Söder in der K-Frage dazwischen. Merz musste kurzfristig absagen. 13 Monate später fliegt er heute Nachmittag als Kanzler. Abgeordnete sind auf der Reise keine dabei: Alles dreht sich um das Treffen von Kanzler und türkischem Präsidenten morgen, bei dem es um Gaza-Friedenssicherung und -Wiederaufbau, Syrien, Eurofighter-Exporte sowie Migrations- und Wirtschaftsprobleme gehen soll. Herausfordernd ist dabei auch, dass im Fall der Türkei — anders als üblich — die Fachminister wie Alexander Dobrindt nur sehr begrenzt vorab Lösungen erarbeiten können, weil alles Essenzielle mit Erdogan selbst geklärt werden muss. Dementsprechend dick ist Merz’ Kanzlermappe mit der Gesprächsvorbereitung für das morgige Treffen. Hinzu kommt die prekäre demokratische Lage: Gegen den bereits inhaftierten Istanbuler Bürgermeister und Erdogan-Herausforderer Ekrem İmamoğlu wurde ein weiterer Haftbefehl erlassen, einer der letzten oppositionellen Fernsehsender dichtgemacht. Der Vorwurf in beiden Fällen: Angebliche Spionage. Das hat ein deutliches Geschmäckle. „Merz sollte eine Freilassung von İmamoğlu fordern“, sagt mir Serdar Yüksel, der Vorsitzende der deutsch-türkischen Parlamentariergruppe im Bundestag. „Eine fortgesetzte Inhaftierung ist nicht im Sinne der Türkei. Sie isoliert sich dadurch auch außenpolitisch.“ Das Rechtsstaats- und Demokratieproblem wirke sich auch negativ auf die ohnehin angeschlagene türkische Wirtschaft aus, warnt der SPD-Politiker: „Freie Märkte brauchen Verlässlichkeit.“ Seit über 10 Jahren verhandeln die EU und Türkei über eine Modernisierung ihrer Zoll-Union, doch die Gespräche machen kaum Fortschritte. Ankara könnte der EU jedoch auch helfen, die chinesischen Ausfuhrbeschränkungen für Mikrochips und Seltene Erden zu umgehen, weil Peking noch an Ankara liefert. Das Thema Migration ist ebenfalls schwierig: Einerseits ist Ankara essenziell bei der Begrenzung von Flüchtlingsströmen, andererseits sind türkische Bürger selbst an dritter Stelle der Asylantragssteller in Deutschland. „Wir müssen darüber reden, dass es nicht sein kann, dass aus einem EU-Beitrittskandidat und Nato-Partner so viele Flüchtlinge auf irregulärem Weg nach Deutschland kommen“, mahnt Yüksel. Aus Regierungskreisen heißt es, man „arbeite einer verbesserten Kooperation im Bereich der Rückführungen“. Hier müssten „weitere konkrete Schritte folgen“. Nächste Schelte: Merz dürfte Erdogan daran erinnern, dass der Druck auf Putin weiter erhöht werden muss und die großen türkischen Gas- und Öl-Einkäufe in Russland da nicht hilfreich sind. Erdogan will wiederum fordern, dass die zugesagten Eurofighter endlich kommen. Man unterstützte die Verhandlungen zur Lieferung, so Regierungskreise. Merz setzt sich zudem für eine türkische Teilnahme am EU-Aufrüstungsprogramm SAFE ein. Bei Drohnen und Drohnenabwehr kann Deutschland von der Türkei lernen (und einkaufen). CHEFTHEMA WIRD JEDOCH GAZA: Die Türkei hat lange die Hamas unterstützt; der Kanzler will Erdogan nun dazu bewegen, die notwendige Entwaffnung der Terrorgruppe durchzusetzen. Das könnte den Weg zu einer Friedenstruppe mit Uno-Mandat ebnen, an der sich die Türkei beteiligen will. Wie wichtig das wäre, verdeutlicht ein erneuter Zwischenfall in Rafah gestern, bei dem die Hamas auf israelische Soldaten schoss. Zudem beklagt Israel eine Verzögerung bei der Übergabe der Überreste von toten Geiseln. Als Reaktion wurden israelische Luftangriffe im Gazastreifen gemeldet. Beim Wiederaufbau Gazas dürfte Ankara ebenfalls wichtig werden: „Die Türkei hat wegen seiner Erdbeben viel Erfahrung in dem Bereich gesammelt“, sagt Yüksel. Das gelte auch für den Wiederaufbau Syriens, wo Deutschland Mittel zugesagt habe. VON MALLE ÜBER DRESDEN ZURÜCK NACH BERLIN: Nach einem geheimen Kurzurlaub im 17. Bundesland bis gestern früh und einem anschließenden Antrittsbesuch in Sachsen trifft Merz vor dem restlichen Tagesprogramm zunächst um 10 Uhr sein Kabinett. Der Herbstferien-Vibe prägt auch die Agenda: Auf der Tagesordnung steht nur ein Gesetz, bei dem eine Aussprache vorgesehen ist. Zahlreiche weitere werden ohne Aussprache verabschiedet, sind aber größtenteils Reaktionen auf Stellungnahmen des Bundesrats. Lediglich aus dem Justizministerium kommen neue Gesetze, wie eines zur Vaterschaftsanfechtung. Dann schnell weiter, denn um 13 Uhr muss der Kanzler gemeinsam mit Dorothee Bär, Karsten Wildberger und Nina Warken bereits bei der offiziellen Auftaktveranstaltung zur Hightech Agenda sein. Dort hält Merz um 13:25 Uhr die Eröffnungsrede. Mehr dazu lesen Sie heute im Pro Industrie und Handel. Von dort dürfte es dann direkt zum Flughafen gehen, Ziel: Ankara. Anzeige WIRD ROB JETTEN HEUTE WAHLSIEGER? Der gerade einmal 38 Jahre alte D66-Lijsttrekker (Spitzenkandidat) hat gute Aussichten, nächster niederländischer Premier zu werden. In Umfragen liegt seine sozial-liberale Partei eng hinter der PVV von Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders, mit der keine große Partei mehr koalieren will. Sollte sich der Trend heute an der Urne bestätigen, wäre es eine Überraschung: D66 war zwar schon an Regierungskoalitionen beteiligt, aber noch nie an der Spitze. Nach dem gescheiterten rechtspopulistischen Experiment — Wilders ließ die Regierung platzen, als es um ernste Reformen ging — scheint sie nun zunehmend attraktiv. Auch für Deutschland interessant: Einmal an der Macht können sich die Rechtspopulisten schnell entzaubern. Während Wilders’ PVV 2023 noch mit 37 Sitzen zur größten Fraktion in der Den Haager zweiten Kammer wurde, droht nun ein Absturz auf knapp über 20 Sitze. Mit der Wahl heute endet auch das Experiment des parteilosen Premiers Dick Schoof. Ebenfalls in den Umfragen vorne dabei: Das grün-linke Bündnis des ehemaligen EU-Kommissars Frans Timmermans. Der ist hierzulande vor allem durch den Green Deal und sein TV-Duell gegen Manfred Weber bei der Europawahl 2019 bekannt, wo er trotz Fremdsprache Deutsch besser abschnitt. Timmermans’ Problem: Gegenüber dem jungen, offen homosexuellen Jetten wirkt er nicht nur älter, sondern könnte durch seinen linken Kurs auch Probleme haben, ausreichend Koalitionspartner zu finden. Es wäre bitter für Timmermans, der sowohl auf EU-Ebene als auch in der niederländischen Politik bisher der ewige Zweite war. Der Merz-Verbündete Henri Bontenbal galt zwar lange Zeit als Favorit, in den letzten Umfragen ist seine unionsnahe CDA jedoch auf den vierten Platz abgerutscht. Allerdings: Bei der letzten Wahl erwiesen sich die Umfragen als nicht sehr präzise. Warum sich die Regierungsbildung noch bis nächstes Jahr hinziehen könnte und warum die Bundesregierung dringend auf ein Comeback einer verlässlichen niederländischen Regierung hofft, berichte ich im Playbook Podcast. EUROPAPARLAMENT FORDERT VON DER LEYEN HERAUS: Diesmal nicht mit einem weiteren aussichtslosen Misstrauensvotum, sondern einer folgenreicheren Forderung: Die vier großen Fraktionen EVP, Sozialdemokraten, Renew und Grüne verlangen wichtige Änderungen zum nächsten siebenjährigen EU-Haushalt — oder drohen mit einer Blockade. Die Parteien wehren sich gegen vorgeschlagene „nationale Pläne“, mit denen EU-Fördergelder für Landwirte und Regionen zusammengefasst (und voraussichtlich gekürzt) würden und Regionen gegenüber nationalen Regierungen an Macht verlieren würden. Die Kampfansage des Parlaments ist auch ein Ärgernis für Merz, der die Pläne der EU-Kommission unterstützt und schon letzte Woche seinen Frust über das Europaparlament zum Ausdruck brachte, als dieses das erste Bürokratieabbau-Paket im ersten Anlauf durchfallen ließ. BERLIN WIDERSPRICHT PEDRO SÁNCHEZ: Noch bevor die spanische Regierung durch einen Entzug der Unterstützung durch die katalanischen Separatisten in eine neue Krise stürzte, hatte der Premier behauptet, dass Deutschland die Aufnahme von Katalanisch, Baskisch, Galicisch und Valencianisch als offizielle EU-Sprachen prüfen wolle. Von der Bundesregierung kommt jedoch eine Abfuhr: „Mehrere Mitgliedstaaten, darunter auch Deutschland“ hätten in Brüssel Bedenken gegen das spanische Anliegen geäußert, sagte ein Regierungssprecher zu Anouk Schlung. Mehr dazu erfahren Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe unseres Europa-Briefings Brussels Decoded, das Sie hier kostenlos zur Probe abonnieren können. LINKES GESPRÄCHSANGEBOT: Ines Schwerdtner zeigt sich offen für Gespräche mit der Union — unter klaren Bedingungen. „Wenn Friedrich Merz mit mir sprechen will, die Schuldenbremse zu reformieren, wenn er mit mir darüber sprechen will, die Kommunalfinanzen wieder besser auszustatten, dann ist die Linke da sicherlich dabei“, sagt sie im Playbook Podcast. „Aber irgendwelche Theaterstücke, wie zuletzt bei der Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl, werden wir nicht mit aufführen“, so die Parteichefin über mögliche Zustimmungen im Bundestag, wo die Linke für eine Zweidrittelmehrheit ohne AfD gebraucht wird. Aktuell lehnt sie eine Zusammenarbeit ab. „Wenn die CDU AfD-Politik macht — und das macht sie gerade mit der Migrationspolitik, die sie macht —, werden wir das nicht unterstützen.“ Die CDU müsse sich „langsam entscheiden, wo die Brandmauer eigentlich steht“. Zur Stadtbild-Debatte sagt Schwerdtner: „Ja, es gibt ein Problem im Stadtbild, aber das hat vor allem damit zu tun, dass zu viel Armut herrscht.“ ACH JA, DAS STADTBILD: Da war ja was. Nachdem über 50 „Töchter“ in einem Brief an den Kanzler mehr Sicherheit und Gleichberechtigung für Frauen gefordert hatten, ist das Urteil der CDU-Frauenchefin und Gesundheitsministerin Nina Warken gemischt. „Wir begrüßen es, wenn endlich nicht pauschal ‚dagegen‘ gerufen wird, wenn Friedrich Merz eine wichtige und richtige Debatte anstößt“, sagt Warken zu Rixa Fürsen. Doch der Brief sei „zu kurz gesprungen“: Es brauche eine „konsequente Kriminalitätsbekämpfung“, so Warken. Der Brief blende „andere Bereiche aus“, etwa elektronische Fußfesseln oder IP-Adressdatenspeicherung. Die CDU habe konkrete Vorschläge gemacht: „Wer sich hier anschließt, ist herzlich eingeladen.“ Migrationsprobleme kommen im Brief nicht vor. Für Warken steht fest: „Wer zu uns kommt, muss sich an unsere Regeln halten.“ Ricarda Lang hat die Initiative mitorganisiert, weil sie über Sicherheit für Frauen reden will — „aber nicht als Feigenblatt, sondern mit konkreten politischen Lösungen“, wie sie zu Rixa sagt. Sie fordert mehr Frauenhausplätze, bessere Beleuchtung und finanzielle Unabhängigkeit. Frauen gegen Frauen? Auch die Grüne Jugend startet eine Aktion: Die neue Vorsitzende Henriette Held hat den Aufruf „Schreib den CDU-Frauen und beschwer dich über Merz’ Töchter-Instrumentalisierung!“ gestartet — mit diesem Vordruck. DIE ENTSCHEIDENDE STIMME: In Dresden stimmt der Landtag heute über den Reformstaatsvertrag ab — und damit über die Zukunft von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio. Weniger Sender, mehr Digitales, stabile Beiträge. Doch die Mehrheit wackelt: CDU, SPD und Grüne wollen das Paket durchbringen, AfD und BSW lehnen ab, die Linke enthält sich. Ohne Stimmen aus der Opposition droht das Aus. Kipppunkt: Aktuell gibt es nur eine haarscharfe Mehrheit für die Reform. Schon ein Ausfall könnte sie kippen. Sachsen wäre das zehnte Land, das zustimmt — fällt es, scheitert das ganze Projekt. ACHT IN ACHT WOCHEN: Am Rande seiner Reise nach Dresden kündigte Friedrich Merz an, noch in diesem Jahr den verbleibenden acht Bundesländern einen Antrittsbesuch abzustatten. „Das gibt mir einen Überblick in die Unterschiedlichkeit vieler Länder“, sagte der Kanzler bei einem Pressestatement. Tom Schmidgten war dabei — und berichtet im Update von Merz’ Besuch. Wann, bitte? Bis Weihnachten sind es noch knapp acht Wochen — davon fünf (!) Sitzungswochen. Zudem stehen mehrere Kanzlerreisen an. Sollten tatsächlich alle Besuche stattfinden, dürfte es eher bei Stippvisiten bleiben. TRUMP TRIFFT XI JINPING: Heute Nacht deutscher Zeit sollen sich die beiden Staatschefs im südkoreanischen Busan begegnen. Hauptstreitthema werden ohne Zweifel Zölle sein. Eng daran geknüpft: Fentanyl. Von einem möglichen Deal berichtet das Wall Street Journal: China könnte seine Exporte von Fentanyl-Vorprodukten reduzieren; im Gegenzug halbieren die USA ihre Zölle von 20 Prozent auf diese Lieferungen. „Ich gehe davon aus, dass wir das reduzieren werden, weil ich glaube, dass sie uns bei der Fentanyl-Problematik helfen können“, sagte Trump vor wenigen Stunden an Bord der Air Force 1 auf dem Weg nach Südkorea. Elefant im Raum: Peking pocht zudem auf eine Positionierung der USA unter Trump zur Unabhängigkeit Taiwans. „Taiwan ist Taiwan“, sagte Trump vielsagend in der AF1. „Ich weiß nicht, ob wir überhaupt über Taiwan sprechen werden.“ Worüber aber ziemlich sicher gesprochen wird beim großen Gipfel der Großmächte, lesen Sie heute Morgen in unserem US-Newsletter DC Decoded. ROHSTOFFE: Zu wenig Halbleiter, zu wenig Seltene Erden — die deutsche Industrie bekommt die geopolitischen Handelskonflikte aktuell stark zu spüren. Im Pro Industrie und Handel lesen Sie heute, welche alternativen Rohstoff-Partner auf dem Außenwirtschaftstag des BMWE diskutiert wurden und wie die neue Halbleiter-Fabrik in Sachsen der europäischen Industrie helfen kann. Hier können Sie sich kostenlos testweise für den Newsletter anmelden. HERBST DER VERSCHOBENEN REFORMEN: Die Bundesregierung hatte sich für die kalte Jahreszeit in der Energiepolitik viel vorgenommen. Bisher wird vor allem viel vertagt. So flogen diesmal die Umsetzung der Industrieemissionsrichtlinie und der Treibhausgasminderungsquote von der Tagesordnung des Kabinetts. Welche Hintergründe das hat, lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe von Energie und Klima. Hier können Sie ein kostenloses Testabo abschließen. HIGHCAT AGENDA? Auf Instagram erklärt das Future-Ministerium BMFTR mit Kätzchen, wie die Hightech Agenda Deutschland nach vorne bringen soll. Offenbar hat nun auch Dorothee Bär einen neuen Stil für sich entdeckt. Bislang ist ja eher Joe Wadephul durch kreative bis kuriose Videos aufgefallen. REALITY CHECK: Haben Sie schon die neue Staffel „The Diplomat“ geschaut — und sich gefragt, wie viel Wahrheit und wie viel Fiktion darin steckt? Wolfgang Ischinger liefert jetzt seine Antworten. NACHFOLGE GEREGELT: Das Wirtschaftsmagazin Brand Eins holt zum Juli 2026 Handelsblatt-Textchef Christian Rickens an Bord. Zunächst berät er die Chefredaktion, bevor er im Januar 2027 Gabriele Fischer als Chefredakteurin ablöst. Fischer und ihr Vize Jens Bergmann bleiben als Autoren und für journalistische Projekte erhalten. Rickens kennt das Magazin noch aus seinen Gründungstagen. 1 Uhr – Raketentest vor Trump-Ankunft: Nordkorea testet mehrere tieffliegende Marschflugkörper. Laut der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur KCNA werden die Flugkörper erfolgreich über dem Gelben Meer westlich der koreanischen Halbinsel abgefeuert. Der Waffentest erfolgt kurz vor dem Südkorea-Besuch von US-Präsident Donald Trump. 1:30 Uhr – Kein Frieden am Hindukush: Die Friedensgespräche zwischen Pakistan und Afghanistan scheitern nach vier Verhandlungstagen. Pakistans Informationsminister Attaullah Tarar schreibt auf X, der Dialog habe „keine praktikable Lösung hervorgebracht“, obwohl Katar und die Türkei vermittelt hätten. — Die Regierungspressekonferenz findet um 13 Uhr statt. — In Schloss Bellevue tauscht sich Frank-Walter Steinmeier um 14 Uhr mit dem Hohen Repräsentanten für Bosnien und Herzegowina, Christian Schmidt, aus. — Israel-Reise: Noch heute ist Karin Prien in Tel Aviv, wo sie sich mit Angehörigen von Geiseln austauscht, und Außenminister Gideon Sa‘ar trifft. — Volles Programm: Um 14:15 Uhr trifft Alois Rainer den Geschäftsträger der US-Botschaft, Alan Meltzer. Um 16 Uhr steht ein Gespräch mit dem armenischen Wirtschaftsminister Gevorg Papoyan auf dem Plan — im Rahmen der armenisch-deutschen Regierungskonsultationen. Am Abend hält der Minister in Berlin ein Grußwort beim CERES Award 2025, der „Nacht der Landwirtschaft“ des Deutschen Landwirtschaftsverlags. KLEINES COMEBACK: Heute kommt immer mal wieder die Sonne raus, bei Temperaturen bis zu 14 °C. GRUSS AUS DER KÜCHE: — Mitarbeiterrestaurant JKH: Kartoffelauflauf mit Lauch, getrockneten Tomaten, Kürbiskernen und Eisbergsalat oder Gulasch vom Rind und Schwein mit Rotkohl und Kartoffelklößen — Lampenladen PLH: Ein halber frischer Blumenkohl mit Sauce hollandaise, dazu Salzkartoffeln mit Blattpetersilie oder Wirsingroulade an Schmorkohl-Speck-Soße, dazu Salzkartoffeln und Bohnensalat — Vegetarischer Pasta-Mittwoch in der Kantine RTG: Pasta mit Brokkomole, Ofentomaten und Parmesan oder Nudelauflauf mit Zucchini, Kürbis, Paprika und Gouda, beides mit Rucola GEBURTSTAGE: Agnes Conrad, Die Linke-MdB (28), Daniel Kölbl, CDU-MdB (33), Jörn König, AfD-MdB (58), Miguel Vicente, Migrationsbeauftragter in Rheinland-Pfalz (61) Regierungsviertel: Jasper Bennink, Rasmus Buchsteiner, Carlotta Diederich, Rixa Fürsen, Jürgen Klöckner, Franziska Nocke, Pauline von Pezold und Gordon Repinski Internationales Team: James Angelos, Chris Lunday und Nette Nöstlinger Industrie und Handel: Laura Hülsemann, Thorsten Mumme, Romanus Otte, Frida Preuß und Tom Schmidtgen Energie und Klima: Josh Groeneveld, Frederike Holewik, Joana Lehner und Johanna Sahlberg. Brussels Decoded: Oliver Noyan und Anouk Schlung DC Decoded: Julius Brinkmann, Maximilian Lembke, Franziska Nocke und Oliver Noyan Produktion: Dean Southwell Das war die 414. Ausgabe des Berlin Playbook! Schicken Sie mir Feedback hier. Wenn Sie es noch nicht abonniert haben, können Sie das hier kostenlos tun. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen anregenden Mittwoch. Herzlichst Hans von der Burchard **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: Durch die Weitergabe von Werbeeinnahmen durchbrach YouTube ab 2007 die bisherigen Zugangsbarrieren der Medienwelt. Plötzlich konnte im Grunde jeder ein Unternehmen gründen und Mitarbeitende einstellen. Damit war die Creator-Branche geboren – und sie leistet heute einen wichtigen Beitrag zur deutschen Kreativwirtschaft. Die Einnahmen werden von den Kreativen häufig wieder in Inhalte und Teams reinvestiert. Dieser Kreislauf hilft dabei, Arbeitsplätze zu sichern. Laut einer Studie von Oxford Economics unterstützte das kreative Ökosystem von YouTube 2024 in Deutschland über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze (Vollzeitäquivalent). Den Bericht entdecken und mehr Details erfahren.** ABONNIEREN Sie die Newsletter von POLITICO: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | POLITICO Pro
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Ending EU free movement a ‘disaster’ for Britain, says Green Party’s Zack Polanski
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The party’s new leader calls for the migration pact to be reinstated as he sets out his stall on Brexit. AI generated Text-to-speech LONDON — For Britain’s government, it’s a no-go. For the Greens’ new leader Zack Polanski, it’s a must. The end of free movement of people with the EU has been a “disaster” for the U.K. that should be urgently reversed, Polanski told POLITICO — in his first major intervention on EU policy. Elected leader of the left-wing environmentalist party last month, Polanski's brand of “eco populism” is already cutting through with some voters. POLITICO’s polling average shows his party steadily climbing to 13 percent — more than double the 6 percent they won in last year’s general election. One outlier even shows them drawing level with Labour. While Polanski — a relative outsider who sits in London’s regional assembly rather than Westminster — has so far cut through by focusing on domestic policy, inequality and the cost of living, he’s now setting out his stall on Europe. Though Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to reset relations with the EU, he’s done so within tight red lines designed to appeal to Brexit supporters: no re-entry to the single market, no rejoining the customs union, and absolutely no return to freedom of movement. Polanski has no such qualms, and he’s not impressed with the prime minister’s caution. “It all feels a little bit ‘meh,’ for want of a better description,” he told POLITICO of Starmer’s reset so far. “It doesn’t really feel like he has any kind of passionate vision of what the future looks like, or any real direction that he’s driving it in. He doesn’t really have a vision for this country. So how is he going to have a vision of what the future of Europe looks like?” In particular, the Green leader is unapologetic about a return to free movement of people — which ended in 2021. It’s an issue most politicians in Westminster won’t go anywhere near for fear of landing on the wrong side of voters annoyed about immigration. “The restriction on free movement has been a disaster,” he said, adding that it should be in the “first phase” of any rapprochement. “It’s interesting to see [Nigel Farage's party] Reform banging on about immigration, but we know immigration has risen since Brexit. “It’s just risen from countries outside of Europe. So even on its own terms, Reform and the Brexit Party’s own project was a disaster by their own criteria. And I think free movement is really important, both for our citizens and citizens around Europe.” Net migration to the U.K. was 431,000 in 2024 — significantly higher than rates in the 2010s when numbers were typically between 200,000 and 300,000. But despite welcoming more newcomers than ever, Brits have lost their right to move abroad within the EU. Polling commissioned by POLITICO shows voters aren’t impressed with the new system and are open to turning back the clock, if somewhat disinterested in the policy detail. Starmer’s EU reset, primed at a summit in May this year, involves negotiating a new agrifood deal with the EU to smooth trade in food, closer cooperation on energy, and a “youth experience” scheme that doesn’t restore free movement but would give a capped number of young people time-limited visas to live abroad. Polanski, however, thinks the government should go further on building ties with the EU in other areas. “I think rejoining the customs union is something we should be doing as soon as possible,” he said. “It’s just resulting in higher prices for people.” It’s a policy also backed by the opposition Liberal Democrats, with whom the Greens are bidding for disillusioned Labour voters. As for rejoining the bloc altogether? “Over longer term, absolutely we should be rejoining the European Union. But we’ve got to make sure that that conversation is a conversation all the public’s involved with. I think one of the reasons Brexit happened is because so many people feel like politics is done to them rather than with them,” he said. “I think Brexit was a catastrophic decision. I think it's also important that politicians listen to the fact that the public made that decision, and I believe they made that decision because of the lack of investment in their communities and need and want of something different. I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone, though, who thinks that was a right decision that has made our communities any wealthier.” The Green leader told POLITICO that “really grim” plans by the Tories and Reform to leave the European Convention on Human Rights show “the slow march towards fascism that this country is on.” But he said the rightward drift across Europe is a reason to get stuck in, not to hang back. “I think there’s some really worrying trends across Europe, particularly around the far right, and we’re seeing the beginnings of some of those trends in our own country. I think any political party has a decision to make, which is: Do you stay isolationist and out of Europe and say, ‘Well, you know, they’re going right wing, so we’re not going to get involved.’ “Or do you say actually: International and indeed, socialist solidarity looks like working with left-wing or progressive movements across Europe in ways that look to reform Europe; to make sure that the entire project is moving in a direction that ultimately protects people’s freedom, protects the poorest communities across Europe, and is the best thing for our country, too.” The idea under consideration is for the U.K. and EU to form a Western steel alliance — potentially including Washington — that would align tariff policies. The European Union’s pitch for youth mobility is asking Keir Starmer to break his manifesto pledges on migration. The idea was that leaving the bloc would give the U.K. back “control” of its borders and create a fairer system. But the widespread perception is it didn’t turn out that way. The EU is preparing to reduce foreign steel quotas by almost half as part of new measures set to be proposed next week.
|
Jon Stone
|
The party’s new leader calls for the migration pact to be reinstated as he sets out his stall on Brexit.
|
[
"brexit",
"buildings",
"cooperation",
"cost of living",
"customs union",
"elections",
"energy",
"human rights",
"immigration",
"inequality",
"investment",
"migration",
"populism",
"rights",
"single market",
"trade",
"visas",
"youth",
"politics"
] |
Trade UK
|
[
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-29T03:20:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:20:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:21:54Z
| 7,372,428
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/end-eu-free-movement-disaster-uk-green-party-zack-polanski/
|
Italy’s Matteo Salvini has a bridge to sell you
|
Once a northern separatist, the League leader is betting his legacy on uniting Italy. The leader of what was once Italy’s largest separatist party may end up being the politician who unites the boot from top to bottom. Hemorrhaging support and risking control of the far-right party that he heads, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is gambling his political future on a pharaonic bridge project that will connect the Italian mainland to the island of Sicily. The project faces a critical test on Wednesday when Italy’s Court of Auditors is expected to decide whether it complies with Italian and European Union law. A negative ruling by the court, which is a sort of public financial watchdog, would not necessarily prevent the project from going ahead. But it could prove politically costly for a project already under fire from Salvini’s political opponents. Salvini, who is infrastructure minister as well as leader of the far-right League party, has called the project “the most important public work in the world,” and said construction could start in November. If built, the 3.7-kilometer suspension bridge spanning the strait of Messina would be the longest of its kind, connecting the toe of the Italian peninsula to the northeastern tip of Sicily. It would provide the island’s 4.8 million inhabitants, who have until now relied on ferries and planes for access to the outside world, with road and rail lines to the rest of Europe. The firebrand politician is an unlikely champion for the project. His party was founded more than three decades ago in the hinterlands of Italy’s industrial north with a goal of breaking the region away from the rest of the country. The League's founder, Umberto Bossi, made stopping “Roma Ladrona” (thieving Rome) his rallying cry, pledging to put an end to the redistribution of northern tax revenue to the more impoverished south. He vocally opposed projects like the redevelopment of the former steelworks in Naples' Bagnoli district, which he saw as a northern-funded giveaway likely to end up lining the pockets of southern politicians. Now Salvini, who vocally opposed the bridge as recently as 2016, has become the foremost proponent of the massive public work, estimated to cost €13.5 billion. That would make it among the most expensive infrastructure projects ever built in Italy — and in the country's southernmost regions to boot, known for the mafia and corruption. “Everybody in Lombardy and in Veneto is angry at Matteo [Salvini] and his obsession with the bridge,” said one senior League official who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, referring to the League's two heartland regions. “Some think it won't happen, and some think it will. But almost everyone in the party in the north thinks it's a waste of money.” The idea of a bridge connecting the Mediterranean's biggest island to the Italian peninsula has a long history. Already in antiquity, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote of plans to span the strait with a series of interconnected boats. In 1866, five years after the unification of Italy, the future Prime Minister Giuseppe Zanardelli proclaimed: “Whether above the current or under it, let Sicily be united to the continent!” (His favored solution was an underground tunnel.) The idea of a bridge was revived in the 1970s and 1980s after scientific studies judged it was technically feasible. But it was only in 2009, under the premiership of Silvio Berlusconi, that workers symbolically broke ground on the Messina bridge. Technocrat Mario Monti, who replaced Berlusconi during the financial crisis, shelved the endeavor, citing the need to cut costs. In 2016 center-left Prime Minister Matteo Renzi briefly made his own push, which also ended up going nowhere. Salvini — who built his political career on bold and divisive stunts, and who propelled his party into government after a Damascene conversion from regionalism to far-right nationalism — may be the politician who has come closest to seeing the millennia-old ambition realized. When Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took power in 2022, Salvini was hoping to land the position of minister of the interior, a natural fit for a politician who came to prominence campaigning against immigration. But Meloni’s landslide victory left the League with little leverage in the coalition government, and Salvini found himself shunted into the less prestigious role of infrastructure minister. The bridge is his attempt to turn that relegation into a leading role. “Salvini is something of a political animal. He lives for the hot button issue of the day,” said Nicoletta Pirozzi, who heads the EU affairs program for the pro-European Istituto Affari Internazionali think tank. “This idea of a major public work serves as his way to make his mark … to give himself a bit more centrality in the public debate.” A spokesperson for Salvini declined to comment. Judging by the polls, Salvini’s gambit has yet to pay off. At 9 percent, the League is polling far behind its senior coalition partner, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, which has the support of nearly a third of the electorate. The Messina bridge has divided public opinion: Supporters point to the economic benefits, while detractors cite everything from the risk of earthquakes to environmental impacts and graft in a part of the country famous for corruption. “At the moment, Salvini is caught between regional governors who need to answer to their constituents, the SMEs that are the backbone of Italian capitalism, and a populism that I wouldn't even define as conservative, but actually far-right,” said Teresa Coratella, deputy head of the Rome office at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Meanwhile, Salvini’s party has suffered a steady exodus of members, many from the north. Old-guard stalwarts like former Budget Minister Giancarlo Pagliarini have expressed skepticism: “It's a bit of a mysterious object. That's why whenever I hear about it, I say 'Oh Lord.'” Coratella said that Salvini has so far benefited from a lack of challengers within his party. But his luck may be taking a turn for the worse. Roberto Vannacci — a former general and a member of the European Parliament who like Salvini built his reputation on colorful outbursts — has galvanized parts of the electorate uneasy with Meloni's moderate foreign policy. Vannacci’s rising star risks eclipsing Salvini, beating him at the outrage game he pioneered. So far, however, Salvini has managed to keep his party backing the bridge, despite a previous warning from Italy’s Court of Auditors in September that raised doubts as to whether the project will be as economically advantageous as the government claims. Meanwhile, WeBuild, the company heading the consortium that is building the bridge, has started hiring the thousands of workers that will be needed for construction. “There are the outcasts of the League who still use the argument, 'This is a waste of money,’” said League senator Claudio Borghi. “But most of the party understands this is something that's been beneficial for the north.” Borghi added that even the more old-school regionalist governors were “starting to understand” the purpose of the project. Construction was meant to start this summer, but has been delayed. “I think it will benefit the country as a whole,” said Marco Dolfin, a League councilor in the Veneto region. He was quick to point out, however, that the project itself originated with Berlusconi, not Salvini. “We don't go on the streets or to rallies with a flag that says ‘Long live the bridge,’” Dolfin said. The move comes after U.S. sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil — oil and gas account for around a fifth of Russia’s GDP. Two big U.S. bankruptcies have revived memories of the last time the financial sector went bad. Paris’ benchmark 10-year borrowing costs have risen above Rome’s due to concerns about its ability to put public finances back on a solid footing. ‘The political leaders should sit down with the companies that are investing money,’ says ASML executive.
|
Carlo Martuscelli
|
Once a northern separatist, the League leader is betting his legacy on uniting Italy.
|
[
"bridges",
"infrastructure",
"transport",
"economics"
] |
Mobility
|
[
"Italy"
] |
2025-10-29T03:20:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:20:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:21:34Z
| 7,264,557
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-matteo-salvini-bridge-pitch-sicily-mainland/
|
Red hands and pig heads: Russia’s plan to destabilize France goes on trial
|
Paris has emerged as a top target of Moscow’s hybrid war. AI generated Text-to-speech PARIS — The banks of the Seine were still cloaked in early morning darkness when a security guard at the Paris Holocaust Museum, seated just a stone’s throw from the Notre Dame Cathedral, noticed a suspicious scene. Two men in dark clothes were spraying red paint across the Wall of the Righteous — a stone monument inscribed with the names of those who saved Jews in France during World War II. As the guard gave chase, a third man emerged from the shadows of a nearby building to film the night’s work: 35 red-painted handprints, splashed across the 25-meter wall. The attack, which took place in May of last year, was not an isolated act of hate. Police quickly identified and arrested three Bulgarian suspects whose trial begins in Paris on Wednesday — a case that investigators and intelligence officials say offers a rare window into Russia’s escalating campaign to destabilize France through covert influence and psychological operations. The vandalism of the Holocaust memorial was one of several symbolic assaults to shake the country over the past two years — featuring pig heads dropped at mosques, Stars of David sprayed on buildings, coffins left next to the Eiffel Tower— each seemingly designed to inflame tensions between France’s Jewish and Muslim communities or to erode French support for Ukraine ahead of a pivotal 2027 presidential election. They point to how France has become a hot spot in Russia’s hybrid war against Europe, as Moscow seeks to undermine one of Kyiv’s most powerful backers by aggravating its political and social tensions. Analysts and officials say France presents both a prime target and a weak flank — a nation with global weight but domestic vulnerabilities that make it especially susceptible to manipulation. "This reflects a geopolitical reality: Russia considers France to be a serious adversary, it's the only nuclear power in the EU, and the president of the Republic is quite vocal on support for Ukraine, considering scenarios such as the deployment of French soldiers to Odesa,” said Kevin Limonier, a professor and deputy director at the GEODE geopolitical research center in Paris, where his team has mapped out Russia’s hybrid war operations in Europe. “In France, we are a little further away from the eastern flank and we don't have the same level of prevention as the countries from the former Soviet Union,” said Natalia Pouzyreff, a lawmaker from President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party who co-authored a report on foreign interference earlier this year. “The population is more receptive to this kind of rhetoric.” French authorities have accused four men of orchestrating the defacement of the Holocaust memorial. The three allegedly on the scene, Mircho Angelov, Georgi Filipov and Kiril Milushev, fled Paris that same morning by bus to Brussels, then boarded a flight to Sofia. Filipov and Milushev were later arrested by Bulgarian authorities and extradited to France. A fourth man, Nikolay Ivanov, suspected of financing the operation, was arrested in Croatia. Angelov remains at large. The men stand accused of conspiring to deface the monument, with the aggravating circumstance of acting on antisemitic motives. French investigators also suspect they may have acted, knowingly or not, as Russian agents. The operation could “correspond to an attempt to destabilize France orchestrated by the Russian intelligence services,” according to an assessment by the domestic intelligence agency DGSI cited in a note from the prosecutor’s office. The same assessment links the act to “a broader strategy” aimed at “dividing French public opinion or fueling internal tensions by using ‘proxies’, meaning individuals who are not working for those services but are paid by them for ad hoc tasks via intermediaries.” During preliminary hearings, Filipov and Milushev did not deny being present but pointed to Angelov as the main orchestrator. The Paris raid wasn’t the first time members of the group had met: Angelov, Ivanov and Milushev are all from Blagoevgrad, a town in southwestern Bulgaria close to the border with North Macedonia. Contacted by POLITICO, Milushev’s lawyer Camille Di Tella said her client, a longtime casual acquaintance of Angelov, had only filmed the tagging without actively participating in the vandalism and “was not aware of what he was really meant to do” when he agreed on the trip. Martin Vettes, a lawyer for Filipov, declined to comment on the case ahead of the trial. Vladimir Ivanov, a lawyer for Nikolay Ivanov, said his client only paid for hotel nights and bus tickets as a service to Angelov. He strongly denied his client had antisemitic motives or was aware of any Russian connection. POLITICO was unable to reach Angelov for comment. The DGSI declined to comment for this story. Angelov’s Facebook feed, identified by POLITICO, includes selfies from around Europe, from Greek beaches to the Swiss Alps. Pictures of him show large tattoos covering his chest, upper arms and legs, featuring neo-Nazi symbols including the numbers 14 and 88 and a black Totenkopf, the emblem of a prominent SS division. On May 12, two days before the attack on the memorial, Angelov posted a picture of himself in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral wearing a blue T-shirt and ripped jeans that partly concealed his tattoos. During his brief stop in Brussels he shared another picture taken in front of a glass building, followed by a winking emoji. The red handprints painted on the memorial are a symbol used by some pro-Palestinian activists to denounce the war in Gaza. But they are also seen by Jewish groups and scholars as a reference to the killing of two Israeli soldiers during the second Intifada in the 2000s, and a call for antisemitic violence. The attack coincided with the anniversary of the first mass arrest of Jews in France under the Nazi occupation, drawing condemnation across France’s political spectrum. That evening, museum staff and local organizations held an impromptu vigil outside the site. “In a climate of rising antisemitism, we are shocked by this cowardly and heinous act,” Jacques Fredj, the memorial director, posted on social media. Privately, museum employees were hesitant to attribute the attack to pro-Palestinian groups. “We didn’t see the logic of it coming from activists,” said one of them, who declined to speak on the record given the sensitivity of the subject. The Intifada reference felt old and out of touch, the museum employee said. The attacks also felt similar to a 2023 incident in which Stars of David were tagged across the French capital in an operation French prosecutors described as possible foreign interference. The Paris prosecutor’s office also cited a report by Viginum, France’s national agency monitoring online disinformation, that found news stories about the red handprints were amplified by “thousands of fake accounts on Twitter” linked to the Russian Recent Reliable News/Doppelgänger network — a group already implicated in spreading reports about the Stars of David. The trial opening Wednesday is just one of nine cases involving attacks on religious communities or high-profile French monuments under investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office since late 2023. The most recent is from Sept. 9, when Najat Benali, rector of the Javel mosque in southeastern Paris, was woken by a call from worshippers attending the early morning prayer. They had been shocked to find a pig head drenched in blood at the mosque’s entrance. Benali rushed to the scene. “It was still dark, I got scared,” she said. She alerted local officials and learned that eight other mosques had been targeted. Prosecutors quickly traced the act to a group of Serbian nationals after a Normandy pig farmer flagged a suspicious bulk purchase. The pig heads were dropped “by foreign nationals who immediately left [French] soil, in a manifest attempt to cause unrest within the nation,” said a note from the Paris prosecutor’s office dated mid-September. Later that month, Serbia announced the arrest of 11 of its citizens related to the incident. Serbian authorities said the group is also suspected of throwing green paint on Paris synagogues and a well-known Paris falafel restaurant situated in the capital’s old Jewish neighborhood. Allegations of foreign interference do little to alleviate the distress felt by the Muslim community, said Bassirou Camara, head of Addam, a nonprofit organization keeping track of anti-Muslim attacks. “It doesn’t diminish the feeling of fear and disgust,” Camara said. “Because we know they are exploiting a crack that already exists.” France’s deep social, economic, cultural, religious and political divisions offer fertile ground for the Kremlin’s interference, several policymakers, academics and military officers told POLITICO. Unlike Russia’s neighbors such as Estonia or Lithuania, France is also unused to being the subject of Russian propaganda. Even though it’s a NATO member, the country historically saw itself as an independent ally of the U.S. and before the invasion of Ukraine kept open channels with the Kremlin. “Before, the Russians didn't want to upset France because it had a kind of non-aligned role,” said a high-ranking French military officer, who was granted anonymity to talk candidly about a sensitive topic. “Now, they think they need to fracture our society and show the French that Emmanuel Macron is leading them down the wrong path.” Large segments of the French political spectrum are also historically friendly to Russia. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, long accused of cozying up to Vladimir Putin, has sought to distance herself from the Russian president since he launched Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, leftist firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a fierce critic of NATO. “There is an ambiguous ground in France, with a primitive anti-Americanism that sometimes swings into pro-Russian sentiment as a mirror effect,” the military officer explained. “We are paying for our historical position on Russia; we have always allowed a certain amount of doubt to linger, and the French have been fed on that.” Stoking tensions in France requires little effort in a society already on edge. “The Russian intelligence sphere understands the cleavages in society,” said Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow and security expert at the German Marshall Fund think tank. It has “this very particular awareness and desire to instrumentalize highly painful domestic political issues and opportunism to tap those pain points at the right moment of political salience.” One major flashpoint is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. France is home to the EU’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations — roughly 5 million and 450,000 people, respectively. “French society, with its Jewish and Muslim minorities, is the perfect breeding ground for provocation,” said a Paris-based European diplomat. On the day the pig heads were dropped, local leaders denounced a rise in violence against Muslims. “These clearly coordinated acts mark a new and sad step up in the rise of anti-Muslim hatred, and aim to divide our national community,” Chems-eddine Hafiz, rector of Paris Great Mosque, said in a statement. Figures from the left were quick to blame “a toxic climate ... fueled by the stigmatizing rhetoric of certain politicians,” pointing their fingers at the country’s far-right leaders. Several experts said they expect Russia to ramp up operations ahead of the 2027 French election, when Le Pen’s National Rally — a party far less sympathetic to Ukraine's plight than Macron — may have its best shot yet at taking the presidency. In the meantime, French officials have taken note of the spate of attacks. In May the government announced a new policy regarding Russian cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, promising to call out foreign governments in an effort to raise awareness. The country has also beefed up its legal arsenal. Last year, lawmakers toughened penalties for violence “committed at the behest of a foreign power.” French authorities are reaching out to countries such as Estonia, Poland, Finland and Sweden to better understand the Russian psyche, several French officials told POLITICO. France has valuable lessons to learn from frontline nations, many of which spent decades under Soviet control, the officials said. These include fostering media literacy and raising awareness of the threat of disinformation instead of focusing on countering fake news and spreading counternarratives. The new approach may already be starting to bear fruit. The French public is becoming more savvy at spotting foreign interference, said Pouzyreff, the Renaissance party lawmaker, referring to the pig heads episode. "After having reported one, two, three attempts at interference, by the fourth the public was waiting for more information and [the controversy] deflated much more quickly," she said. Eric Lombard also tells POLITICO’s competitiveness summit in France that the era of free trade is “dead.” If the far right gains control of parliament in the EU’s second-largest country, Europe will fundamentally change. The far-right National Rally is pushing for new elections. The far-right leader spoke as new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is launching critical talks on the 2026 budget.
|
Marion Solletty
|
Paris has emerged as a top target of Moscow’s hybrid war.
|
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Politics
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[
"Bulgaria",
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"Serbia",
"Ukraine"
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2025-10-29T03:18:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:18:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:20:27Z
| 7,407,138
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/red-hands-and-pig-heads-russias-plan-to-destabilize-france-goes-on-trial/
|
EU’s conservatives hurtle toward reckoning over far-right taboo
|
The European Parliament’s center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — Europe’s center right has two weeks to decide on the strategy that will define its next four years in the European Parliament: Dilute its ambition and stick with traditional mainstream allies — or work with the far right to get the job done. While governments in EU capitals grapple with the rise of populists, and centrist parties struggle to hold their ground, pan-European groups in the Parliament are confronting similar challenges. Last week's failure to pass a landmark law aimed at cutting red tape underlined how little room for maneuver the center still has. The center-right European People's Party "still has the choice between working with the far right that wants to demolish Europe, or a stable pro-European coalition," Bas Eickhout, co-chair of the Greens, considered one of the EPP's centrist allies, told POLITICO. After the EPP's failed attempt last week to pass a bill cutting green reporting obligations for companies ― because some center-left MEPs rebelled against their party line ― the far-right Patriots for Europe group called on the EPP to abandon its old allies from the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the liberal Renew Europe group and the Greens. The Patriots want the EPP to make a deal with them instead, in order to pass the bill when lawmakers vote again on Nov. 12. "I think that a number of EPP members realized that they had made a mistake in allying themselves with the architects of the Green Deal," said Pascale Piera, the Patriots lawmaker leading work on this file. EU leaders are pressuring the Parliament to move the file forward within the next month so Brussels can prove it’s capable of cutting red tape for businesses and boost its ailing economy. The debate over the law is forcing a reckoning for the EPP, which must decide whether to uphold the so-called cordon sanitaire — the unwritten rule dictating that groups in the center don't work with the far right — or declare the centrist coalition is failing and throw in their lot with the other side of the aisle. That could cause a seismic rupture in the way politics has always been done in Brussels. Political groups in the Parliament are extremely divided over how to implement the new Brussels simplification agenda. While groups to the right of the hemicycle call for a major rollback of EU rules — particularly environmental laws, which they see as the culprit for stagnating growth — those on the left are fighting to preserve the rules they helped craft in the previous mandate. The European Commission put forward its omnibus simplification bill because it wants to reduce reporting obligations for companies under the bloc’s corporate sustainability disclosure and supply chain transparency rules, core parts of the European Green Deal. It’s the first in a series of proposals aimed at cutting red tape to boost European competitiveness in the second term of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a leading member of the EPP. For weeks leading up to the failed vote in Strasbourg, the EPP had flirted with right-wing and far-right groups. It negotiated with the Patriots, the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) and the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) groups to get them to back the legislation, only to then use that agreement to persuade the liberals and Socialists to scale back their demands and agree to major cuts to the laws. Although the latter groups agreed, some of the Socialists refused to vote in favor, causing the proposal to be rejected. Lead EPP negotiator Jörgen Warborn called the result “disappointing” and said it was up to the Socialists to clarify their position. Even though the centrist coalition failed to pass the bill, the liberals and Social Democrats hope the EPP will keep faith with the center by making enough concessions to get Socialist lawmakers to vote in favor. “There has to be a text put to a vote that can have a majority in the plenary, and the more reliable majority is EPP with S&D, Renew and the Greens,” Socialists negotiator René Repasi told POLITICO. "That's what the final text has to reflect." But that's not the direction the right-wing groups hope things will go. For the Patriots' Piera, the law in its initial form, negotiated with the far right, has enough backing to pass. She said she was "surprised" the EPP abandoned that version. "The EPP will not be able to move further to the left than it has done so far, as the discussions will be public and their core electorate are people who are very attentive to the health of the economic sector," she said. A Parliament official from the ESN also told POLITICO that the group "will strive for a solution that resembles [the first proposal]." Yet critics fear the precedent that this would set. Lara Wolters, the former Socialist negotiator who quit because of the deal, blamed the "EPP's refusal to make a fundamental political choice on whether to cooperate as a matter of principle with the groups to the EPP's right, or those to EPP's left." Leaning on the far right to get the bill through "would show a strategic direction for the EPP," Andreas Rasche, professor of business in society at the Copenhagen Business School told POLITICO, adding this would set a "dangerous precedent" for legislative work going forward. While the right-wing bloc may be able to strike a deal in the Parliament, the S&D's Repasi warned that the text could change following negotiations with EU countries. Last time the EPP tried to gut an anti-deforestation bill to cut red tape with the support of the far right, EU countries rebuffed the maximalist proposal and the Parliament had to backtrack. “The rapporteur should keep in mind he still needs a majority for the trilogue results as well,” Repasi said, referring to the final vote to take place in the Parliament following final negotiations with the Commission and EU governments. Roberta Metsola says the coalition that has traditionally controlled Brussels may no longer always be able to pass legislation. Move sets up a clash with the European Commission and EU leaders, who are on a drive to roll back legislation quickly. Ursula von der Leyen is selling simplification like a Kinder Egg — sweet on the outside for European business, with a surprise inside for the U.S. president. PARIS — Some signatories of a joint appeal by French and German business bosses to loosen merger rules and scrap environmental laws to promote European industrial “champions” …
|
Marianne Gros
|
The European Parliament’s center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape.
|
[
"companies",
"competitiveness",
"european green deal",
"far right",
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"water",
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"competition and industrial policy",
"trade",
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] |
Sustainability
|
[] |
2025-10-29T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-29T11:44:49Z
| 7,403,850
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/european-peoples-party-far-right-european-parliament/
|
Big Tech ups lobbying firepower, €€ in Brussels
|
American tech companies have piled into EU capital with bigger budgets and beefed-up teams. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — Tech firms are spending more than ever on lobbying the EU amid mounting opposition to the bloc’s digital rules, according to new analysis. The 733 digital industry groups registered in Brussels now spend €151 million a year pushing their interests, up from €113 million two years ago, per an analysis of disclosures to the EU’s transparency register by two campaign groups. The uptick comes amid attacks from industry against EU laws like the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act — which the Trump administration says discriminate against U.S. companies — and as the European Commission prepares a massive effort to dial back its digital rulebooks. Lobbying spending is concentrated in the hands of tech giants, mainly from the U.S., according to the analysis by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, two non-profit campaign groups focused on corporate influence. The ten largest technology spenders — which include Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm and Google — outspent the top ten firms in pharmaceuticals, finance and the automotive industries combined. Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have “noticeably” ramped up their expenditure since 2023, by more than €4 million for Amazon and €2 million for Microsoft and Meta, the analysis said. The Brussels-based lobby group Digital Europe, which includes many U.S.-based tech giants among its members, added more than €1 million to its lobbying budget. Meta, with a budget of more than €10 million, is the overall largest lobby spender in the EU. This is a “precarious moment,” said Bram Vranken, a researcher at Corporate Observatory Europe, arguing that years of progress in limiting the harmful effects of technology and the power of Big Tech risks being reversed. With the deregulation push in Brussels and strong industry support in Washington, “Big Tech is seizing this new political reality to erase a decade of progress to regulate the digital sector,” he said. Tech firms would argue that lobbying is not only about exerting influence but also about ensuring that lawmakers understand the complex realities of the industry to inform their decisions on the rules. “Amazon engages on issues that are important to our customers, sellers, and the diverse range of businesses we operate,” a spokesperson for the U.S. firm said in a statement. “This means we work with organisations like trade associations and think tanks, and communicate with officials at the European Institutions.” The boost in activity is seen not only in higher spending, including on consulting and advisory firms hired to influence digital policy, but also in a rising headcount of registered tech lobbyists. There are now an estimated 890 lobbyists — calculated as full-time equivalents — working to shape the tech agenda, up from 699 in 2023. Of these, 437 have badges allowing them to access the European Parliament freely. Access to the institution has become tougher in recent years in reaction to a series of corruption scandals — including investigations into Huawei that saw the company banned from accessing the Parliament and meeting with the Commission in March. In the first half of 2025, representatives of tech companies declared 146 meetings with Commission staff. Artificial intelligence, including a highly disputed industry code of practice, was the main topic on the agenda. As for lawmakers in Parliament, tech lobbyists declared 232 meetings. Transparency rules for declaring meetings between lobbyists and Commission and Parliament officials have expanded in recent years, but transparency campaigners say they still lack teeth and accountability. PARIS — French lawmakers are moving ahead with plans to double a tax on big tech firms — backing away from a more aggressive push amid fears … President Donald Trump has warned he would retaliate against any move that targets U.S. companies. France and Germany are not yet on the same page to detox from Big Tech. Inclusion in 2026 Commission plan follows China’s move to limit export of rare-earth magnets.
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Mathieu Pollet
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American tech companies have piled into EU capital with bigger budgets and beefed-up teams.
|
[
"artificial intelligence",
"big tech",
"companies",
"corruption",
"digital markets act",
"digital services act",
"industry",
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"markets",
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"transparency"
] |
Technology
|
[
"United States"
] |
2025-10-29T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:28:16Z
| 7,397,529
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/big-tech-lobbying-brussels-digital-markets-act-digital-services-act/
|
South Korea is less interested in its European allies
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As Seoul concentrates on greeting relations with the U.S. on surer footing, it seems it has little time for the bloc or NATO. AI generated Text-to-speech Anchal Vohra is a Brussels-based international affairs commentator. Last month, the South Korean Ambassador to the EU took a gentle bow and launched a Korean movie weekend at an independent theater in Brussels. The opening film was inspired by the true story of the abduction of 23 Korean missionaries by the Taliban in 2007 — a reminder of the risks South Korea has taken to prove its worth to its most important strategic partner, the United States. Currently, however, Seoul’s ties with Washington are under stress. And as South Korea concentrates its energies on greeting its relations with the U.S. on surer footing, the country has little time for its allies in Europe. Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted a mercantilist approach to trade, leaving Seoul increasingly trapped between the U.S. and China. He has demanded that Seoul pay $550 billion in investments “upfront” if it wants tariff relief, and that it substantially increase its defense expenditure if it wants to keep the U.S. forces (USFK) deployed as a bulwark against North Korea. America’s European allies are battling identical dilemmas, being forced to up their defense spending, accept tariffs and promise more than $600 billion in investment from EU in the U.S. Yet, it seems they’re unable to keep their key Asian ally interested in the bloc or NATO in the process. “The current government is very occupied” with sorting out economic issues at home, and is busy with “the Trump situation,” said Wooyeal Paik, a professor of political science and international studies at Yonsei University. “NATO-AP4,” he said, in reference to NATO’s four partners in the Indo-Pacific, “is not on the table.” This is surprising given that over the last three years, Seoul’s ties with NATO had advanced exponentially. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol wanted Seoul to be a global player, and had deemed further cooperation necessary to confront common security threats: “South Korea should no longer be confined to the Korean Peninsula but rise to the challenge of being what I have described as a ‘global pivotal state,’ one that advances freedom, peace, and prosperity through liberal democratic values and substantial cooperation,” he wrote. Under his leadership, South Korea shared intelligence with NATO on Moscow’s deployment of North Korean soldiers against Ukraine, enhanced cooperation on seemingly benign but increasingly charged files like hybrid warfare, and indirectly supplied much-needed ammunition to Ukraine when Europe fell short. There was even talk of an Asian NATO. This pro-NATO policy was in part intended to limit Moscow’s revanchism and to discourage China from invading Taiwan. But more importantly, from Seoul’s perspective, it was meant to curtail Moscow’s growing ties with Pyongyang. Seoul has long been worried about Russia supplying military technology to Pyongyang and employing North Korean soldiers and laborers who send money back home, thus aiding the cash-strapped regime. However, in a dramatic turn of events earlier this year, Yoon tried to impose martial law and was impeached soon after. Subsequent elections then paved the way for Lee Jae-myung — a leader with a rather different worldview, seemingly more open to rapprochement with Moscow and downgrading ties with NATO. So far, Lee has said he’ll pursue a “pragmatic” foreign policy centered on national interests, a part of which is maintaining ties with China — the country’s biggest trading partner. And to the surprise of NATO’s European members, Lee didn’t attend their high-stakes summit at The Hague this year. It appears the South Korean leader has prioritized the national economy rather Europe’s security concerns, and he appears reluctant to see security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theaters as linked. Plus, there were already murmurs of dissatisfaction in Seoul with a foreign policy that sanctioned Moscow during Yoon’s tenure, with Lee himself reportedly warning against taking a side in the Russia-Ukraine war. He also described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “novice politician,” asking: “Why should we get involved in someone else’s war?” Lee sees Russia as a neighbor it must, somehow, reconcile with, not as an enemy. Along these lines, Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev had already predicted better ties between Moscow and Seoul once Yoon was impeached, and he was right: South Korea invited Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, for this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. But this doesn’t necessarily mean Lee intends to stop defense cooperation with Europe. South Korea will continue to sell weapons that free up European supplies for Ukraine. And Seoul’s supplies of ammunition to the U.S., which freed up American ammunition to be sent to Ukraine, were also critical to Ukraine’s war effort. “South Korea wants to preserve the option of reopening relations with Russia in the future when conditions allow. This is why assistance was deliberately channeled indirectly, mainly through European partners and industrial contracts, rather than by direct lethal deliveries to Ukraine,” observed Arnaud Leveau, president of the civil society research institute Asia Centre. “Going forward, indirect support will remain the most realistic scenario. Contracts with Poland and the Czech Republic will continue, and these [will] allow Europe to free up stock for Ukraine,” he added. There is a sense, however, that the policies of South Korea’s new president are still taking shape. That even if domestic compulsions, and the fact that Trump has often expressed warmth toward his Russian counterpart, might have influenced Lee’s calculus, all is not lost. “For NATO and the EU, the way to keep Seoul engaged is through practical, low-visibility cooperation,” explained Leveau, listing cybersecurity, resilience, and industrial partnerships and discreet intelligence dialogues on maritime Southeast Asia as possible areas for collaboration. “These concrete areas matter more than big political slogans,” he said. And they may be the key to keeping one of Europe’s most crucial partners in Asia on-side. As the continent tilts to the right and its politicians find it hard to explain an influx of refugees from war-torn countries, India is actively trying to present itself as a reasonable partner. The country aims to curry favor and keep the U.S. president committed to transatlantic defense by being the first to catch the mood in Washington. Neither the alliance’s expansion into Asia nor an Asian NATO is really in the cards. But that’s not to say further cooperation isn’t imminent or that deterrence is impossible. Activists fear EU governments will come under pressure from the populist right and mull third country repatriation.
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Anchal Vohra
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As Seoul concentrates on greeting relations with the U.S. on surer footing, it seems it has little time for the bloc or NATO.
|
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Commentary
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[
"China",
"EU27",
"North Korea",
"Russia",
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"United States"
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2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
| 7,405,860
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/south-korea-less-interested-european-allies/
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Steep influx of new Ukrainian refugees triggers backlash in Berlin and Warsaw
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Politicians in Berlin fear that the sharp increase in Ukrainian men coming to Germany could reduce support for military aid to Kyiv. AI generated Text-to-speech BERLIN — Politicians in Germany and Poland — home to the biggest Ukrainian refugee populations within the European Union — are threatening to yank back the welcome mat amid a sharp increase in the number of young Ukrainian men entering their countries in recent weeks after Kyiv loosened exit rules. While sentiment within both countries is generally favorable toward Ukrainians, their growing presence is increasingly becoming a flashpoint wielded by far-right parties. With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine going into its fourth winter, the debate is expected to intensify as millions risk being left without heating, water or electricity in the coming months due to ongoing attacks by the Kremlin. In Germany, members of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing conservatives are warning that while the country will continue taking in Ukrainian refugees, public support for the Ukrainian cause could wane if young male emigrants are seen to be avoiding military service. “We have no interest in young Ukrainian men spending their time in Germany instead of defending their country,” Jürgen Hardt, a senior foreign policy lawmaker from Merz’s conservatives, told POLITICO on Tuesday. “Ukraine makes its own decisions, but the recent change in the law has led to a trend of emigration that we must address.” Poland’s far-right Confederation party went further, saying in a statement: “Poland cannot continue to be a refuge for thousands of men who should be defending their own country, while burdening Polish taxpayers with the costs of their desertion.” Ukrainian arrivals in both countries have increased significantly following the relaxation of Ukrainian exit rules over the summer — a move that ironically was intended to alleviate military recruitment issues by making it easier for young men to come and go. Nearly 45,300 Ukrainian men between 18 and 22 years of age crossed the border to Poland from the beginning of 2025 until the loosening of exit restrictions at the end of August, according to numbers the Polish border guard sent to POLITICO. In the next two months that number soared to 98,500, or 1,600 per day. And many of the newcomers appear to have kept moving west: The number of young Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 entering Germany rose from 19 per week in mid-August to between 1,400 and 1,800 per week in October, according to German media reports citing numbers from the German interior ministry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy loosened the exit rules for men who aren’t yet eligible for military service, which begins at 25, at the end of August. Previously, men between the ages of 18 and 60 weren’t allowed to leave the country; under the new regulations, men aged between 18 and 22 can leave and return without risking prosecution. The change meant that young Ukrainian men already abroad were able to return without fearing they wouldn’t be allowed to leave again. The hope was they might remain and agree to be drafted when they turned 25. A second reason was to discourage parents from moving their sons abroad at the age of 16 or 17 — a trend authorities have flagged. Announcing the rule change in the summer, Zelenskyy argued: “If we want to keep boys in Ukraine, we really need them to finish school here first and for their parents not to take them away.” He said he feared they could otherwise “lose their connection with Ukraine.” Germany and Poland host the most Ukrainian refugees within the European Union by far. About 1.2 million people who fled Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 live in Germany and nearly one million in Poland — over half of all Ukrainians with protected status in the bloc, according to Eurostat data. Although Ukrainians account for over 6 percent of the Polish workforce and contribute significantly to economic growth, far-right politicians argue they’re getting too many social benefits. Nationalist President Karol Nawrocki recently vetoed legislation on helping Ukrainians, saying only those who work and pay taxes in Poland should get benefits. Similar demands have repeatedly been made by the ascendant far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany, which is now polling in first place. Along with demanding a stop to welfare payments to Ukrainians, the party is known for its skepticism toward military aid for Ukraine — at a time when Germany is Kyiv’s largest donor after the U.S. Around 490,000 Ukrainian citizens of working age receive long-term unemployment benefits in Germany, according to data from the country’s employment agency. Merz’s coalition — which is under increasing budgetary pressure and generally wants to reduce welfare spending — is working on a draft law that would deny the right to such benefits. “Many people have mixed feelings about how we should deal with young Ukrainian men of military age who have fled to us and may be receiving social benefits. That is understandable,” Sebastian Fiedler, a lawmaker from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which governs in a coalition with Merz’s conservatives, told POLITICO. But Fiedler, who heads the SPD group in the interior committee, added that his faction doesn’t see a need to act immediately — unlike Merz’s conservatives. “The SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag remains committed to supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability,” he said. “Part of our dealings with Ukraine also means that we do not dictate to it when its own citizens can enter and leave the country. It is fundamentally not Germany’s job to decide which young people Ukraine sends to war and which it does not.” Others in Germany’s political leadership want to wait to see if arrivals numbers remain high before making any changes. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the conservatives, said through a spokesperson that he wanted more data. “Currently, the possibility is being considered that this is an initial phase of increased migration following the entry into force of the regulation adopted by Ukraine in the summer, and that the number of young men seeking protection may decline again,” the spokesperson said. The ongoing debate in Germany was initiated by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), which the interior minister belongs to. Söder proposed to restrict the so-called Temporary Protection Directive at the EU level if Kyiv doesn’t voluntarily reduce arrivals. The rules provide Ukrainians who entered the bloc after February 2022 with an automatic protected status. “Our solidarity remains,” he said. “But it requires clear rules and responsibility on both sides.” Miłka Fijałkowska contributed to this report from Berlin, Wojciech Kość contributed from Warsaw. Merz is known for occasionally blasting out polarizing statements. But this time, criticism is mounting — including from within. After Ukraine’s leader struck out at the White House last Friday, his European friends will try to strengthen his hand before it’s too late. “The hand that the AfD keeps reaching out is, in reality, a hand that wants to destroy us,” says German chancellor after marathon debate on far-right cooperation. Friedrich Merz’s conservative-led government is close to cutting a deal with the Taliban to deport migrants to Afghanistan, and other EU countries may follow suit.
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Nette Nöstlinger
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Politicians in Berlin fear that the sharp increase in Ukrainian men coming to Germany could reduce support for military aid to Kyiv.
|
[
"migration",
"military recruitment",
"refugees",
"ukrainian politics",
"war",
"war in ukraine"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Germany",
"Poland",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-29T03:00:00Z
| 7,405,425
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/steep-influx-ukrainian-refugees-berlin-germany-warsaw-poland/
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EU member countries oppose lifting ban on cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics
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As part of its simplification drive, the European Commission wants to relax the rules for these substances. Member states aren’t convinced. Member countries are set to oppose the European Commission's proposal to lift a blanket ban on cancer-causing chemicals in certain cosmetic products, according to a draft proposal seen by POLITICO. The Council of the EU proposal, which is still subject to change, is a more up-to-date version of a draft previously reported on by POLITICO. As part of its simplification drive, the Commission wants to relax the rules for carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic (CMR) substances by lifting an automatic ban on non-ingested cosmetics. The idea is that cosmetics containing these substances pose lower risk when they are not inhaled or swallowed. It was one of the more controversial measures in the Commission's Chemicals Omnibus bill released in July. In its latest draft position on the bill, dated Oct. 27, the Council of the EU's working body on simplification rejects the Commission's exemption, proposing instead that substances are "still subject to the prohibition under Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009." That would mean that all CMR substances would remain automatically banned from cosmetics, regardless of whether the hazard stems from ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. However, exemptions could still be granted on a case-by-case basis by the Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). That's the reverse of the Commission's proposal, in which the base case for non-ingested products would be exemptions, but which would still allow the SCCS to ban certain CMR substances on a case-by-case basis. The Council — which represent governments of the 27 EU member countries — says the SCCS should in their assessments "especially focus on the use of the substance in product groups where ingestion or inhalation can happen," pointing to examples such as toothpastes, lip products, powders, and sprays. Council officials will meet on Thursday to discuss the proposed changes. The EU is losing patience with Belgrade as it maintains ties with Russia. Former U.S. vice president warns EU risks locking into long-term dependence on dirty energy. Mette Frederiksen says motive could be: “To disrupt and create unrest. To cause concern. To see how far you can go and test the limits.” Geopolitical instability is forcing Europe to look to the heavens for its energy security.
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Jakob Weizman
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As part of its simplification drive, the European Commission wants to relax the rules for these substances. Member states aren’t convinced.
|
[
"cancer",
"chemicals",
"companies",
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"health care"
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Sustainability
|
[] |
2025-10-28T20:09:01Z
|
2025-10-28T20:09:01Z
|
2025-10-29T11:34:22Z
| 7,407,312
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/member-countries-oppose-lifting-ban-on-cancer-causing-chemicals-in-cosmetics/
|
Judge ramps up pressure on Bart De Wever over fragile rule of law in Belgium
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Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention. AI generated Text-to-speech ANTWERP — Prime Minister Bart De Wever needs to get serious about the fraying rule of law in Belgium, a top judge said Tuesday. Bart Willocx, whose role is first president of the Antwerp Court of Appeal, told POLITICO in an interview that the Belgian justice system must be funded properly — after "decades" of under-financing — to fight a rising tide of drug-fueled violence and corruption. "Help us to secure the functioning of justice ... We need budget, otherwise there are problems for normal citizens and functioning and it won't end in a good way," Willocx said, when asked what message he had for the Belgian government, which is currently locked in intractable budget talks.Willocx said that the rule of law in Belgium, like elsewhere in Europe and the U.S., is under pressure. "A very simple way to suppress the courts is when you don't give them enough budget, because then they are not working well, they can't do what they should do," he said. His blunt intervention comes the day after another Antwerp judge published an anonymous letter decrying that Belgium was on the verge of becoming a "narco-state." De Wever, prime minister since February this year, spent more than a decade as mayor of Antwerp demanding more federal money to address narcotics-related issues, but Willocx notes action hasn't been forthcoming since he ascended to the Belgian premiership. "He was the mayor and now he is the prime minister. I'm sure that safety and security and these kind of things are very important to him, but we ask his government to invest more, to stop this," said Willocx. "As a mayor he said we need money from the federal government, but now he is the prime minister ... We are waiting and he refers to the minister of justice, and the minister of justice refers to the government, but we are waiting for more support," he added, exasperatedly. De Wever's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the judge's criticism. The massive Port of Antwerp acts as a gateway for illegal narcotics — particularly cocaine coming from Latin America — to enter Europe, and turf wars have spilled onto streets across Belgium, with shootings and bombings taking place both in Antwerp and Brussels. Complicating the quest to solve the problem, De Wever is embroiled in tense negotiations with coalition partners to hammer out a new budget to balance Belgium's strained finances. He has given the parties until Nov. 6 to resolve the budget crisis and threatened to quit if there is no agreement. Belgium is one of four eurozone countries that failed to deliver its draft budget by the European Commission's Oct. 15 deadline. In Willocx's opinion, gangs have been successful in corrupting officials like port workers, police and customs agents, and in order to tackle the society-wide problem, money must be invested in overcrowded prisons and social rehabilitation. Employees of the courts and the public prosecution service have been leading a campaign to highlight the issues for months now, and recently published a list of 100 proposals to be addressed. "We have a certain power and responsibility and we want to do it in a way that is serving our society and in this moment we see important risks. If this doesn't change, we won't be able to do what we should do," Willocx warned. "We don't do this only for ourselves. When you become a magistrate, it's not to become rich or get power, but to push things in a better direction. We want to secure normal citizens so they are not afraid," Willocx said. Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents. “We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” prime minister says. “Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root,” judge writes in anonymous letter laying out how criminality seeps into every part of Belgian society. “It was a question of time before this would happen,” president rails amid months-long anti-government protests.
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Ketrin Jochecová
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Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention.
|
[
"belgian politics",
"brussels bubble",
"illicit drugs",
"judiciary",
"health care"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belgium"
] |
2025-10-28T20:02:14Z
|
2025-10-28T20:02:14Z
|
2025-10-28T20:04:46Z
| 7,405,350
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/bart-de-wever-belgium-rule-of-law-bart-willocx/
|
Dutch election promises to be a nail-biter, final polls predict
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With one day to go before the Netherlands elects a new parliament, three parties are expected to win 23 seats each. AI generated Text-to-speech Heading into the final stretch as the Netherlands prepares to stage a whirlwind vote on Wednesday, the country’s far right, center left and liberals are neck-and-neck in the polls. The Netherlands is returning to the ballot box to choose a new parliament following the collapse of the government in June. One day before the polls open, the winner is anyone’s guess. Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV), Frans Timmermans’ left-wing GreenLeft-Labor (GL-PvdA) and Rob Jetten’s liberal D66 are each on track to win 23 seats, according to the last Ipsos I&O poll before the Dutch cast their votes on Wednesday. (It takes 76 seats to form a majority, though it’s not likely PVV will be in it.) The numbers reveal highly volatile voter support, with undecided voters likely to play a decisive role. According to Ipsos I&O, about 13 percent of voters are undecided, but even those who indicated a preference are still highly uncommitted; only 26 percent of those interviewed were sure of their choices. Meanwhile, the polling company’s researchers found that about half of voters who declared support for Timmermans’ GL-PvdA are still considering voting for D66, while 37 percent of D66 voters say they could still back GL-PvdA. Other parties are also still competing for undecided voters, with D66, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) competing for the support of centrists. On the right of the political spectrum, a sizable chunk of voters are still considering supporting VVD, the conservative JA21 party or Wilders’ PVV party, according to Ipsos I&O. Some recent polls, including another survey out today, have put Wilders’ party first by a small margin. But if the Ipsos I&O pollsters’ predictions are on the mark, Wilders’ PVV would lose 14 seats from its 2023 election result, when the far-right firebrand scored a stunning victory. For D66, conversely, it would be a major win after a steep last-minute rise in the polls. The center-right CDA, with 19 seats in the Ipsos projection, comes just behind the three frontrunners. Party leader Henri Bontenbal campaigned on a promise of decent and “boring” leadership, winning him a strong bump in the polls over recent months before slipping back. The liberal VVD of former Prime Minister-turned-NATO chief Mark Rutte, now led by Dilan Yesilgöz, is tracking fifth in the poll on about 17 projected seats. For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls. It’s not easy being a European liberal. Leaders pushed issue to next summit after failing to reassure Belgian prime minister that his country wouldn’t be on the hook. The Brussels leader was aghast he’d been bracketed alongside Robert Fico and Viktor Orbán. A YouGov survey finds a rift in how EU nations perceive security and their general reluctance to rearm under Brussels’ supervision.
|
Hanne Cokelaere
|
With one day to go before the Netherlands elects a new parliament, three parties are expected to win 23 seats each.
|
[
"dutch election 2025",
"elections",
"elections in europe",
"far right"
] |
Politics
|
[
"The Netherlands"
] |
2025-10-28T18:58:00Z
|
2025-10-28T18:58:00Z
|
2025-10-29T08:47:46Z
| 7,406,652
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/netherlands-set-for-nail-biter-election-pollsters-predict-geert-wilders-frans-timmermans/
|
Ombudsman probes Commission over red-tape-cutting chats with industry
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The watchdog is examining a complaint that the executive has been “evasive” about its meetings with lobbyists. BRUSSELS ― The EU's watchdog has opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission acted secretively in its dealings with industry before launching a series of business-friendly initiatives, according to a letter seen by POLITICO.The European Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory, which scrutinizes lobbying. The NGO had accused the Commission of being “evasive” about meetings its officials held with BusinessEurope and the European Round Table for Industry (ERT).The discussions, which took place earlier this year, concerned the Commission's so-called omnibus simplification agenda ― a series of proposals that cut the amount of regulations that companies must follow. It's not unusual for the Ombudsman to open inquiries into the Commission, but this one targets a particularly contentious issue and comes against the backdrop of criticism from lawmakers, officials and transparency campaigners that President Ursula von der Leyen is running a more opaque operation than did her predecessors. The Corporate Europe Observatory asked the Commission for information about its talks with the business representatives, saying public notes on the discussion contained little detail. The complaint referred to minutes from a meeting in May between the cabinet of Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and the European Round Table for Industry, which read: “ERT inquired about the proposals regarding the first omnibus proposal. Head of Cabinet gave an overview of the state of play.” The European Ombudsman confirmed to POLITICO that it is looking into "how the Commission handled the request for access to these minutes." "As a first step, we have asked the Commission to reply to the complainant by Nov. 12. If the complainant is not satisfied with the answer or does not receive a response by this date, we will then inspect the documents in question," a spokesperson for the Ombudsman said. The Ombudsman wrote in its response to the NGO that the Commission’s “implicit refusal” to provide any follow-up documents on the meeting after it requested them justified an inquiry, which it opened earlier this month. The NGO argued that it was particularly important to access the information given the “enormous” amount of lobbying that has gone into the simplification plan — the Commission's move to cut red tape. It said more than 600 one-on-one meetings between the Commission and lobbyists have been held on the plan, which businesses have largely welcomed because it aims to scrap piles of proposed laws. At the same time the initiative has concerned civil society, which sees it as a euphemism for deregulation. The complaint also impugns the Commission’s new approach to openness around meetings. Last year, in one of the first moves of von der Leyen’s second term, the EU executive expanded the amount of meetings that must be made public. Those obligations now apply to more than 1,500 officials, not just the most senior members of the Commission. It also required the Commission to provide detailed notes of what happened in the meetings. But in reality those minutes are often short and vague, frustrating the same groups that initially considered the change a win for accountability. A spokesperson for the Commission said that it “fully cooperates with the Ombudsman and takes transparency seriously.” “In line with our rules for transparency, we routinely publish information on meetings with all stakeholders: business, unions, and civil society alike, because listening to different perspectives is part of responsible policymaking,” the spokesperson said, adding the EU executive “rejects claims of lacking transparency or democratic process.” “We speak with everyone — workers, businesses, and citizens — because that’s how good laws are made,” the spokesperson continued. “Every measure was subject to scrutiny through the established relevant rules.” The Ombudsman could issue recommendations to the Commission if it finds against it, although it is not obliged to do so. This story has been updated. Piotr Serafin promises MEPs the Commission will “raise its concerns” with Budapest over alleged spying from Hungary’s EU embassy. MEPs want to know if the EU executive knew about alleged Hungarian spying. Some are calling for Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi to resign if implicated. Robert W. Malone was launching the Make Europe Healthy Again movement in the European Parliament. Challenger Peter Magyar holds a sharp lead on the Hungarian prime minister ahead of the April election in Hungary.
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Mari Eccles
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The watchdog is examining a complaint that the executive has been “evasive” about its meetings with lobbyists.
|
[
"omnibus",
"transparency",
"sustainability",
"agriculture and food",
"health care",
"financial services",
"mobility"
] |
Energy and Climate
|
[] |
2025-10-28T18:52:33Z
|
2025-10-28T18:52:33Z
|
2025-10-29T11:37:13Z
| 7,404,327
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/ombudsman-probes-commission-industry-watchdog-agenda-ngo-lobbying/
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How to watch the Dutch election like a pro
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POLITICO lays out everything you need to know about a critical vote that is currently too close to call, as far-right Geert Wilders takes on the mainstream again. By EVA HARTOG Illustration by Natália Delgado/POLITICO AI generated Text-to-speech Europe is holding its breath: Will the Netherlands swing left or maintain its rightward course? The Dutch head to the polls Wednesday for a vote that could cement the far right as the most popular political party in the Netherlands — and expose the wider struggle European centrists face to beat back anti-establishment forces. But even if anti-immigration firebrand Geert Wilders wins the election, as current opinion polls suggest he might, he is short of allies and has next to no chance of becoming prime minister, or even being in government — likely setting off a scramble to form a coalition that excludes the far right. The last Dutch government was in office for less than a year — 336 days to be exact — before it collapsed, triggering the third election in five years, as the Netherlands struggles to govern itself. To get you prepared for more drama, we’ve compiled this essential guide to everything you need to know ahead of the big reveal Wednesday evening. Twenty-seven parties spanning the political spectrum will be competing for 150 seats in parliament, and a chance at having one of their own appointed as Dutch prime minister. Polls open Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. CET and close at 9 p.m. Exit polls are announced as soon as voting ends — and around midnight, national news agency ANP publishes preliminary results. Figures per municipality will trickle in over the course of the evening, and final results can be expected the next day. The main question is not just whether Dutch voters will lean left or right, but also which of the many competing parties on each side they’ll go for. Whether supporters of the far-right populist Party for Freedom (PVV) will stick with founder Geert Wilders, shift to another hard-right or right-wing party, or stay home altogether will be critical. In short: it’s a political battle royal. For weeks, polls have suggested that the PVV will come out on top — while its former coalition partner, the center-right liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), is lagging. The centrist D66 is having a real moment, with all eyes on its leader Rob Jetten, who is giving the large traditional parties a run for their money in his bid to become the party’s first prime minister in Dutch history. For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls. In a tightly contested election, the Christian Democratic Appeal’s down-to-earth Henri Bontenbal is another candidate who has been floated as the potential next prime minister — given no one wants to team up with Wilders — a prospect that would’ve shocked anyone watching two years ago when voters ditched the conservative CDA en masse Green-Left Labor, led by veteran politician Frans Timmermans, is also in the mix. But as the Dutch say: Don’t sell the hide before the bear is shot. In the last election, most voters didn’t make up their minds until the final moments. This means that for Wilders especially, turnout will be critical. No matter what his result, he is expected to be frozen out of coalition talks, having burned too many bridges in The Hague. If he wins the most votes but is still sidelined from government, he’s likely to use it as ammunition to argue his followers are being ignored and Dutch democracy is dead. The Dutch are still reeling from the electoral earthquake that upended the political landscape in 2023, when Wilders’ PVV won the most votes for the first time ever. After decades of being politically sidelined for its anti-Islam, anti-immigrant and anti-establishment standpoints, the PVV was suddenly at the center of the most right-wing government in modern Dutch history. To form a coalition, it teamed up with three other forces right of center, including the VVD and two smaller newcomer parties. But from Day One, the alliance was plagued by infighting and public drama worthy of a soap opera. And Wilders, considered too toxic for the post of prime minister, criticized his own coalition relentlessly from the parliament benches. And since we’re already dragging up old cows out of the ditch (Nederglish for bringing up old grievances) … That brings us to this past June, when Wilders suddenly quit the coalition, arguing it wasn’t strict enough on migration despite the fact that the asylum and migration minister wore a PVV badge. The question now is: Will Dutch voters opt for stability by moving back to the center, or will they forgive Wilders for triggering a political meltdown and opt for more far-right disruption? The answer could have wide-ranging repercussions. In a September report, the group Democracy Monitor warned of “urgent” democratic backsliding in the Netherlands, citing, among other factors, increased support for authoritarian leadership styles and declining public trust in politics overall. Unsurprisingly, after the last two Cabinets collapsed over migration, limiting the number of asylum-seekers in the Netherlands is a central topic. One one end of the spectrum, the PVV is calling for a complete asylum ban (which goes against EU rules); while, on the other side, Green-Left Labor proposes a refugee quota and cooperation with Brussels. Other major matters dominating the debate include housing, health care and — to a lesser extent — the climate. There is broad agreement on raising defense spending to the NATO target of 5 percent of gross domestic product, though parties disagree on exactly how to finance this increase. Overall, the campaign has been rather tepid. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz took on a cursing Wilders in a game of Mario Kart; D66’s Rob Jetten showed off his IQ in a TV game show; and CDA’s Bontenbal tried to charm online voters with a video of him making a his own kapsalon. But the temperature has risen somewhat in the last few days, with Timmermans threatening legal action after media linked PVV parliamentarians to an AI-driven attack against him online, while rising star Jetten was reprimanded by a TV host for making a “sexist” remark about a Dutch princess. Ha! No. The election result is only the starting gun for a long and convoluted negotiation process that rivals the choosing of a new pope. First, a scout is appointed to explore which parties could work together based on their electoral result and their views (a majority coalition requires 76 seats). Then, the baton is passed to a so-called informateur, who takes the talks a step further and draws up a preliminary coalition agreement. Finally, the informateur is replaced with a formateur, who is usually also the next prime minister, and who divvies up various ministries across the coalition parties. Once the Cabinet is assembled, they pay a traditional visit to the Dutch King and — voilà—white smoke. That is anyone’s guess. The last Cabinet formation took 223 days. The all-time record stands at 299 days. (If that makes your jaw drop, we kindly refer you to neighboring Belgium, where the record is 541 days.) If we Dutch people can manage it, you won’t have to read another one of these again until the next planned election — in four years. Koen Verhelst contributed to this report.
|
Eva Hartog
|
POLITICO lays out everything you need to know about a critical vote that is currently too close to call, as far-right Geert Wilders takes on the mainstream again.
|
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Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-28T18:38:19Z
|
2025-10-28T18:38:19Z
|
2025-10-29T08:15:07Z
| 7,387,908
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/how-to-watch-the-dutch-election-like-a-pro-2/
|
EU Parliament warns von der Leyen: Change budget or we’ll reject it
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A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. BRUSSELS ― The European Parliament’s four centrist groups are to demand Commission President Ursula von der Leyen make major changes to her plan for the EU’s next seven-year budget, according to the draft of a letter seen by POLITICO. In an escalation of tensions between politicians across the mainstream spectrum and the head of the bloc’s executive, the groups will threaten to reject a key part of the 2028-2034 budget unless their conditions are met. The draft of the letter, which is still being finalized, asks the Commission to overhaul its proposal, published in July, to meet the views of von der Leyen’s own center-right European People’s Party (EPP), the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the liberal Renew Europe group and the Greens. This quartet forms a majority in the European Parliament, which must approve the budget. Lawmakers oppose the Commission’s “national plans,” an idea to pool funds for farmers and regions — which make up around half of the total EU budget, worth €1.8 trillion — into single pots managed by the bloc’s 27 governments. This is a change from the current system, where regions play a crucial role in handling the funding. “As the current proposal on the [national plans] does not take our core requests into consideration, it cannot constitute a basis for negotiations,” the draft says. “We therefore look forward to seeing our key requests meaningfully reflected in an amended proposal of the European Commission, which would allow the negotiations with the European Parliament to move forward.” The letter is designed to increase pressure on the EU executive to make concessions after weeks of stalled negotiations. If no agreement is reached, the four political groups will put forward a resolution rejecting the national plans part of the budget in the full plenary session of Parliament starting Nov. 12. The Commission argues that this model will allow governments to spend the EU’s money according to their specific needs and create a stronger link between payments and governments’ economic reforms. But lawmakers say the plan would expand the power of central governments at the expense of regions, which have traditionally played a key role in handling EU funds. One of the most significant demands from the political groups is that the Commission allocate specific funding to rural development and all regions — something that’s not included in the current budget proposal. MEPs are also calling on the EU executive to overhaul its cash-for-reforms model, which, in their view, creates an “inherent democratic deficit.” Parliament also wants greater power to decide and scrutinize how the EU’s public funding is allocated over the seven-year period. Political groups already agreed this month to add a debate on the architecture of the EU’s long-term budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework, to the full session of Parliament on Nov. 12. That date also marks the cutoff for Parliament and the Commission to agree on changes to the national plans. The Socialists and liberals had already said they were ready to reject the EU budget proposal, but the EPP had not yet confirmed it would also officially do so, despite many of its lawmakers in the past weeks indicating it was likely. Away from the Parliament, EU governments are currently haggling over the budget proposal in deliberations expected to stretch until early 2027. At that point, Parliament will negotiate the spending plan with national capitals and vote on it before it’s scheduled to come into force in 2028. The European Parliament’s center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape. Whether it’s green deregulation or official EU languages, both leaders have their pet topics. Roberta Metsola says the coalition that has traditionally controlled Brussels may no longer always be able to pass legislation. The EU should learn from losing its solar panel industry to China and protect its share of green tech as it surges around the world.
|
Max Griera
|
A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan.
|
[
"budget",
"development",
"eu budget",
"farmers",
"meps",
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EU Budget
|
[] |
2025-10-28T17:49:37Z
|
2025-10-28T17:49:37Z
|
2025-10-28T18:07:25Z
| 7,405,914
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-parliament-budget-talks-ursula-von-der-leyen-epp-finance/
|
London Playbook PM: Asylum madness
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By EMILIO CASALICCHIO with NOAH KEATE PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser IN THE LAST HOUR: Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to carry out “powerful” strikes on Gaza, according to the Israeli PM’s office, after accusing Hamas of a “clear violation” of the ceasefire deal’s terms on handing over the remains of dead hostages. In response: Hamas accused Israel of seeking to “fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps.” The BBC has a live blog on a fast-moving story that will dominate. Good afternoon. This is Emilio Casalicchio. — Labour launched itself into the same battle the Tories fought about moving migrants to military bases. — Politicians from the areas in question kicked up a fuss. — Danny Kruger said Reform will close some government buildings … which might already be closed before the next election. — Keir Starmer spoke to his Turkish counterpart about Russia. But it’s still not clear whether oil was mentioned. — SCOOP: Reform voters want Nigel Farage to go harder on Prince Andrew. He is reluctant. **A message from Intuit: Approximately 60% of small businesses use generative AI for writing, design, or admin tasks, often to support their marketing and communications. Explore how AI is reshaping how small businesses work in new research from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** ASYLUM MADNESS: Ministers are gearing up for a proper battle with local MPs outraged at plans to house asylum seekers in ex-armed forces bases on their patches. Do not adjust your set: Nope, it’s not 2023 again. This time it’s Labour doing the thing the Tories tried and failed to do — and which Labour criticized at the time — while the Tories carp from the sidelines. And MPs wonder how to quell outrage among the public about our broken politics. Grinning and bearing: Keir Starmer confirmed in a TV clip this afternoon that his government will attempt to move asylum seekers into disused military bases before the end of 2025 and said he had been “bearing down” on departments to move as fast as possible. The government is not repeating the quote in the Times about ending the use of hotels within the next 12 months. But officials argue the PM is working to “accelerate that as quickly as possible.” Do not adjust your set ii: Readers might have assumed a government elected on the promise of “change” would have been working on this problem as fast as possible already, and not have much scope to accelerate further. But it seems there are indeed higher gears that have been going unused. Officials blame the Tories (natch) and argue: “It’s not something that can be fixed overnight.” Now that we’re in a higher gear: As Playbook noted this morning, the current plan is to use the Cameron Barracks in Inverness and a Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex to house asylum seekers. The hope is to test the concept at the two bases before scaling it up. Industrial buildings and other disused accommodation are also being looked at alongside military bases, as the government seeks to end the use of “luxury sites” (translation: hotels) to house migrants, a spokesperson for Starmer said. The problem is: This kind of thing never lands well with the MPs for the areas in question. Indeed, Sussex Weald MP (and deputy Commons speaker) Nus Ghani said she was “furious” about the plans to use the Crowborough site in her seat. She said in a statement that the previous government rejected the site “due to its layout and the difficulty in it being adapted, and the extra costs that would be involved.” And there’s more: Shaun Fraser, Labour’s Holyrood candidate for Inverness and Nairn, said the proposal to use the Cameron Barracks was “a bizarre one given its status as a 19th-century military installation.” And Lib Dem MP for Inverness Angus MacDonald said the site was “not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants.” Starmer defended the plan in comments to the Scotsman’s Andrew Quinn. Bear in mind: Ministers are insisting this is all a bit up in the air — meaning there’s a good chance these MPs have little to be bothered about. Communities Secretary Steve Reed told LBC’s Andrew Marr show “disused army bases look like a good option” but issues like the small question of costs are being worked through. Defense Minister Luke Pollard told Times Radio this morning the costs will depend on the bases in question. But it’s worth noting: The government is willing to spend more on bases than it is right now on hotels. A spokesperson for Starmer said it’s a “core issue of public confidence. The public is very clear it does not want asylum seekers housed in hotels, and neither does the government.” So it’s worth the extra cost if it means getting migrants out of hotels, in short. The problem with that is … putting them in bases might not remove them from local communities. The Inverness site is in the town, for example. And No.10 is not being clear about whether migrants will have the freedom to roam or be detained on the bases. “If you’ve got a large number of concentrated young males in one area, and if they are then allowed to roam freely, yes, I can see that could be a problem,” Conservative MP Roger Gale told Times Radio. Speaking of the Tories: “There are still more illegal immigrants in hotels today than there were at the election,” Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp — who was (natch) in the Home Office when hotel use for asylum seekers reached record levels. “This is because the first nine months of this year have been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel, and all Labour have delivered are gimmicks.” Speaking of gimmicks: It was Northeye near Bexhill, Catterick Garrison in Richmond and Portland Port in Dorset the Tories tried to use when some bloke named Robert Jenrick announced plans to house asylum seekers in bases. There were local rows then too, and the plan never got off the ground. Of course, then-Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the whole idea was “an admission of failure” on asylum policy at the time. Funny how things turn out. WAR ON WHITEHALL: Reform (and former Conservative) MP Danny Kruger said he wants to get his claws into the civil service but insisted Nigel Farage and co are “not Leninists” seeking to obliterate the status quo. “We don’t want to wreck the British state, we actually want to make it work,” the Reform policy chief told a press conference at their Westminster HQ this morning. Kruger’s dreams: The East Wiltshire MP said a Reform government would close the justice, welfare, transport, education, health and local government department buildings — sacking civil servants or moving them to fill space in other government offices, to save cash. He said the targets are all “great glass and steel towers, mostly empty because everyone’s working from home.” Which isn’t true, but let’s not let facts cloud a solid dose of populism. However however however: Labour pointed out that the government announced in spring plans to close the justice, welfare and health offices, alongside eight other central London buildings, as thousands of mandarins are moved out of the capital. “You can’t save money by closing government buildings that are already closing,” Labour Chair Anna Turley said. “It’s a serious case of Doge-ja vu.” Indeed: The Reform efforts to save cash in their new local authorities are going so well that council taxes are set to go up across the board, including in their flagship Kent administration. “Danny Kruger should ask the people of Kent how they feel about Reform’s approach to power,” the Lib Dems said in response to the press conference. Former PM John Major took a few pot shots at Reform during a lunch this afternoon, too. See here and here. Also awks: The Mirror’s Ash Cowburn highlighted Kruger’s comments made in a weekend video, warning that the next election could see an “appalling Hamas-supporting, LGBT-supporting” coalition running Britain. Kruger insisted at his press conference he was pointing out the contradiction between supporting Hamas and supporting LGBT rights. But as polling expert Luke Tryl noted in this piece for the Spectator, regular Reform comments that might be seen as attacks on minorities risk repelling their “soft” supporters. SWEATLESS PRINCELING LATEST: Farage said Monday that he thinks Prince Andrew’s had enough of a “kicking.” But two-thirds of Reform voters (68 percent) reckon the embattled royal should have the honorific title of prince “officially removed,” according to a survey by the More in Common think tank shared with POLITICO. More fun findings in top colleague Annabelle Dickson’s story, which is just up. THIS GOVERNMENT ISN’T SCARED OF ANYONE OR ANYTHING LATEST: Keir Starmer said he would not let China push him around, after Beijing warned about “consequences” if its mega-embassy plans in London aren’t approved. The decision on the embassy will be taken in the proper way regardless of any views or pressure from anyone,” the PM told Bloomberg’s Alex Wickham. Speaking of China: Former Conservative (then Labour) MP Mark Logan this week became the first former (or serving) MP to visit Tibet in more than a decade and a half. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Rachel Reeves announced some £6.4 billion in trade and investment deals between the U.K. and Saudi Arabia. During her Saudi trip the chancellor also held bilats with Qatari and Saudi ministers, had a high tea with her British business delegation and slagged off Brexit again during a panel event — blaming higher inflation on the new trade barriers with the EU. She’s on the red-eye flight back home tonight. What else the government wants to talk about: Plans to assess car headlight glare and whether new international regulations on vehicle design are needed, as the BBC scooped and Playbook PM can confirm is accurate. Official research into the causes and impact of glare will be published in the next few weeks and feed into the upcoming Road Safety Strategy. But ministers have also commissioned extra research into vehicle design and glare, which could feed into proposed amendments to UN vehicle lighting regulations. More controversial: The Road Safety Strategy is also expected to recommend lower drink driving limits (the booze lobby won’t like the sound of that.) Although don’t expect Britain to follow the likes of Hungary and Slovakia and impose zero tolerance. We will, of course, continue to allow alcohol lovers to get behind the wheel a little light-headed, but might bring rules in line with Scotland and Wales. Although bear in mind: Self-driving cars could stop drink driving being a thing at all, as Labour MP Sarah Coombes argued in Westminster Hall this afternoon. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT: Officials revealed Keir Starmer did raise Russia with Turkish President Recep Erdoğan during a one-to-one, as the pair prepared to ink their fighter planes deal yesterday — but would not confirm whether the mention related to Turkish reliance on Russian oil. Reminder: Starmer last Friday said he and allies were “choking off funding for Russia’s war machine” via oil and gas sanctions, and vowed to take Russian fossil fuels “off the market.” But 72 hours later he was signing a deal to sell fighter jets to one of Russia’s best oil customers. No comment: Playbook PM has been asking the government how the planes deal Starmer signed this week is not inconsistent with his promises to Ukraine. But despite bigging up other support the U.K. has offered the Ukrainians, there is no clear answer. COURT CIRCULAR: Cambridge Crown Court sentenced Lee White to 23 months in prison for sending racist emails to Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan, as well as for offenses against his probation officer and the Cambridge Junction theatre. WHAT THE TORIES WANT TO TALK ABOUT: Chair Kevin Hollinrake has created a new campaigning unit, which newbie MP Andrew Snowden is heading up. Harriet Symonds got the scoop in PolHome. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: Labour MP Mark Sewards wrote for the House about setting up the U.K.’s first AI MP — and the battles his alter ego had to face across the globe. “Some people spent hours trying to break him,” the Leeds South West and Morley MP admitted. “One person from Ukraine had long conversations with him, trying to get him to declare support for one repressive regime or another. But AI Mark held firm in his love for democracy.” Shock: Sewards said the AI didn’t save him time and needed lots of refinement. Don’t tell Keir Starmer, who is hoping the dodgy tech will transform government. IN THE RUNNING? The New Statesman spotted that domain name (LamforLeader.com) was registered over the weekend. But a spokesperson for Conservative rising star Katie Lam insisted it “has nothing to do” with her or her team. It was set up in Essex, it turns out. SWEEPING ACROSS JAMAICA: Category five Hurricane Melissa will make landfall on Jamaica imminently as government officals issue final warnings for people to stay indoors. Energy Minister Daryl Vaz confirmed more than 240,000 people are without power while Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie told the public “this is not the time to be brave” and “don’t bet against Melissa — it is a bet we can’t win.” The U.S. National Hurricane Center called Melissa an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.” Help from afar: Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed the U.K.’s “support and solidarity” and reiterated the Foreign Office’s 24-hour consular support. The U.K. is sending specialist “Rapid Deployment Teams” to the region and says it’s ready to provide aid and specialist support to affected areas if needed. The BBC has more. IN SUDAN: British military equipment — including engines for armored personnel carriers — were found on battlefields used by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group, according to U.N. Security Council documents.The Guardian got the exclusive. IN THE PACIFIC: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces killed 14 people in four alleged drug boats, with one survivor rescued by Mexican authorities. At least 57 people have now been killed in controversial American strikes targeting drug traffickers. The Wall Street Journal has his words. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, 6 in 10 say they are turning to generative AI for writing, editing, design, and brainstorming. By comparison, 30% use AI integrated into business software for administrative tasks and note-taking, while 10% apply it to internal systems or operations. AI is helping level the playing field for small businesses. Intuit will soon introduce new agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. These AI agents are designed to manage everything from routine tasks to complex workflows, giving entrepreneurs more time to focus on customer service. Learn more about how AI is shaping small business growth in a new British Chambers of Commerce report in partnership with Intuit.** LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) and ITV Evening News (6.30 p.m.) focus on the impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica … as does Channel 4 News (7 p.m.), which has interviews with former U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and Jamaican Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda. Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Stand Up to Racism Joint Secretary Sabby Dhalu (5.05 p.m.). Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): the Refugee Council’s Imran Hussain … former Tory MP Steve Brine … former Bill Clinton Senior Adviser Sidney Blumenthal. BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak … former government trade adviser Shanker Singham … London School of Economics academic Tony Travers. Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Housing Secretary Steve Reed … Tory peer Francis Maude … Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey. Dewbs and Co (GB News, 6 p.m.): Former Labour adviser James Schneider … former Tory PPC Alex Deane. Farage (GB News, 7 p.m.): Former Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena … former Lib Dem adviser Jo Phillips. Politics Hub (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine … former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng … Paul Nowak. The Evening Edition with Kait Borsay (Times Radio, 7 p.m.): Tory peer Robert Hayward (7.15 p.m.) … former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (7.35 p.m.) … former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (8 p.m.). Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Labour MP Peter Swallow … Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho … the Good Growth Foundation’s Theresa Bischof … the Free Speech Union’s Connie Shaw. Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News, 8 p.m.): Labour MP Samantha Niblett. Patrick Christys Tonight (GB News, 9 p.m.): Labour councilor Sebastian Salek … Reform UK councilor Jaymey McIvor. TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Louis O’Brien. REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Journo Alicia Fitzgerald and Talk’s Peter Cardwell … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): LBC’s Ali Miraj and journo Sonia Sodha. HAPPENING OVERNIGHT: The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has an interim report out on energy bill rises, the Public Accounts Committee has a report out about bus services, and the International Development Committee has a report out about the FCDO’s approach to value for money amid aid cuts. FEELING THE HEAT: It’s the final day for the U.K. to publish its Carbon Budget Delivery Plan. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Cracking down on illegal work, pharmacies giving out meds and trade with the Gulf. WHAT THE TORIES WANT TO TALK ABOUT: Law and order. FOR YOUR EARS ONLY: Attorney General Richard Hermer and Chief Secretary to the PM Darren Jones appear at the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy about the collapsed China espionage case, from 9.45 a.m. WHAT NIGEL FARAGE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: There’s another Reform press conference at 10 a.m. This time it’s Zia Yusuf in the hot seat, talking economics. TURN UP THE HEAT: DESNZ’s Lead Climate Negotiator Kate Hughes talks to the Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee about COP30, from 10 a.m. DYING DAYS: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee probes witnesses including Care England’s Policy Manager Fraser Rickatson (10.15 a.m.), Age UK Director Caroline Abrahams (11.30 a.m.) and Justice Minister Sarah Sackman (2.15 p.m.). IN THE LORDS: Peers scuttle in from 11 a.m. with the fourth day at report stage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, then questions from 3 p.m. IN THE COMMONS: MPs swan in from 11.30 a.m. for Wales questions, PMQs and a 10-minute rule bill from Reform’s Nigel Farage, before the remaining stages of the Sentencing Bill. NEW GIG: Labour head of PLP support Ella Watson has been promoted to PLP secretary — replacing the outgoing Matthew Faulding. The long-serving adviser to various Labour politicians will take up the role on Nov. 10. More new gigs: The Resolution Foundation’s Emily Fry and the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ David Sturrock joined Rachel Reeves’ Council of Economic Advisers (per Bloomberg) ahead of the budget. SPOTTED IN PARLIAMENT: A fox (or a marauding mammal, as PA’s Sophie Wingate put it) scampering about in the parliament grounds. So much for the big new security gates. Writeup from Sophie here. OH JEZ HE IS: Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is leaning into the “magic grandpa” thing by, er, playing the “the Wizard of Oz-lington” (geddit?) in a Wicked Witches production at the Pleasance Theatre in his seat. Whoever said the pantomime antics were restricted to Your Party’s inaugural conference? Sadly, the Islington North MP’s appearance was pre-recorded (boo!) WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Political hack Ellen Milligan’s fascinating Bloomberg dispatch from the frontline in Latvia, where British troops conducted extensive training exercises just a few hundred miles from the Russian border. What I’ll be reading in future: Political chronicler (and former POLITICO hack) Seb Whale launched a new Substack on which he plans to share juicy anecdotes about the whips office that didn’t make it into his recent book on the topic. PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Paprika, chili and garlic lamb kofte with mint yoghurt and banana peppers on khobez bread; haddock and leek fish cake with peppers and zucchini, rocket and tomato compote; chestnut mushroom and Marmite macaroni cheese with parsley crumb and sourdough … The Debate: Mumbai vada pav potato fritter roll with green chili chutney and masala salt; roast cod with rocket, caper and cherry tomato buckwheat, topped with pesto and pine nuts; chicken gyoza miso ramen with pak choi and tea egg … Terrace Cafeteria: Garlic tiger prawn and mussel risotto with lemon; cheddar, celeriac and spring onion pasty with rainbow coleslaw; braised beef steak with horseradish mash, root vegetables and gravy. SPEAKING OF LUNCH: Kudos to the APPG on U.K. Spirits, which spent lunch today drinking hard alcohol at a distillery in Battersea to celebrate the launch of their latest Budget asks report. APPG chair Carolyn Harris was on the Autumn Spritz. MEA CULPA: Ex-MP David Warburton died earlier this year. Apologies and thanks to those who flagged. ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: On Oct. 28, 1962 the Soviet Union announced it would dismantle its missiles based in Cuba — ending the Cuban missile crisis. On the same day in 1971, MPs voted to join the European Economic Community by 356 votes to 244, a majority of 112. WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Dan Bloom. THANKS TO: My editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Digital Bridge | China Watcher | Berlin Bulletin | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
|
Emilio Casalicchio
|
[] |
Uncategorized
|
[] |
2025-10-28T17:27:40Z
|
2025-10-28T17:27:40Z
|
2025-10-28T17:28:50Z
| 7,388,193
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/london-playbook-pm-asylum-madness/
|
|
Brigitte Macron’s daughter hits back at transphobic rumors in court
|
Tiphaine Auzière testified in a cyberbullying trial on Tuesday. AI generated Text-to-speech PARIS — Brigitte Macron's youngest daughter testified in court on behalf of her mother on Tuesday as part of the family's effort to forcefully combat transphobic rumors that the French first lady was assigned male at birth. "Not a week goes by without someone telling her about this," Tiphaine Auzière told the court. "She cannot ignore all the horrible things people say about her." Auzière was the sole witness to take the stand in a two-day trial of 10 people charged with cyberbullying Macron by sharing messages on X promoting conspiracy theories that metastasized online. The claims included that her mother was assigned male at birth; is transgender; or was born under her brother’s name, Jean-Michel Trogneux, before assuming a new identity — an allegation first circulated by fringe French conspiratorial outlet Faits et Documents. A verdict, which was expected Tuesday evening, will be handed at a later date. Auzière said the conspiracy theories had made it "impossible" for her mother "to have a normal life." When asked about her uncle Jean-Michel, she testified she had seen him "a few months ago" and that he was "doing very well." The 10 defendants — eight men and two women from their 40s to their 60s — cut an unlikely cross-section of France. They range from a well-off computer scientist working in Switzerland to a heavily disabled man "who spends a lot of time on Twitter," a self-described spiritual medium crippled by debt and a soft-spoken deputy mayor in a rural town. The messages read aloud in court swung between crude jokes about Brigitte Macron’s alleged gender identity, conspiracy theories about a media cover-up, and sneers at the 24-year age gap between her and the president. Most cited free expression in their defense, invoking the legacy of Charlie Hebdo — the satirical weekly famed for its provocative cartoons and its defiance in the face of the 2015 terrorist attack on the magazine that left 12 people dead. Auzière said the widespread rumors had led her mother to change her behavior, constantly worrying that the way she dressed or presented herself could be used by conspiracy theorists to attack her. She also said her mother had grown "anxious" that her seven grandchildren could face bullying at school. While she was not on trial, the impact of American far-right influencer Candace Owens was palpable throughout the proceedings. Several defendants had shared videos about Macron by Owens, who is being sued by the French presidential couple in a separate case in Delaware, or said they had been influenced by her content. Presented during the trial as a key node in spreading the rumor, Aurélien Poirson-Atlan also tried to shift responsibility onto Owens. Poirson-Atlan, whose X account, ZoeSagan, once counted hundreds of thousands of followers before being suspended last summer, claimed he was “being used as a replacement for Ms. Owens” in the proceedings. One of the cited posts he published was a translation of a post by Owens. Brigitte Macron, 72, met her current husband Emmanuel when he was her teenage student at a private school in Amiens, a city about 1.5 hours north of Paris. The Macrons’ U.S. lawsuit states that "at all times, the teacher-student relationship between Mrs. Macron and President Macron remained within the bounds of the law." The suit also provides pictures of Brigitte as a child and of her first marriage in 1974. This article was updated. CORRECTION: This article was updated on Oct. 29 to correct the spelling of Tiphaine Auzière's name. A team of thieves accomplished in minutes what museum employees have been trying to do for years: expose the French icon’s fragility due to decades of underfunding. But the French president still thinks the retirement age will need to rise eventually. MEP Marion Maréchal called France the “laughingstock of the world” after the robbery. The fallen conservative star is expected to start serving his sentence Tuesday.
|
Victor Goury-Laffont
|
Tiphaine Auzière testified in a cyberbullying trial on Tuesday.
|
[
"courts",
"gender discrimination",
"macron",
"media",
"rights"
] |
Technology
|
[
"France"
] |
2025-10-28T16:57:16Z
|
2025-10-28T16:57:16Z
|
2025-10-29T08:08:43Z
| 7,405,875
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/brigitte-macron-daughter-confronts-claims-about-mothers-gender-identity/
|
Farage’s voters would love to give Prince Andrew another kicking
|
Britain’s populist party thinks Prince Andrew has been punished enough. Its supporters disagree. AI generated Text-to-speech LONDON — Nigel Farage thinks there’s no need to give Prince Andrew a further kicking. His voters disagree. Asked if parliament should intervene in the Andrew saga, the leader of Britain’s populist party, Reform UK, on Monday suggested King Charles’ brother is already “down, and on the way out,” adding there was “no particular need” to give him “a kicking on the way.” Under growing pressure over his links with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and other scandals, Andrew announced earlier this month that he would be giving up his titles, including as duke of York. He will, however, remain a prince. Reform voters, however, think Andrew should lose that title too due to his alleged behavior. Two-thirds of Reform voters (68 percent), Green voters (69 percent) and Liberal Democrat voters (63 percent) reckon he should have the honorific title of prince “officially removed,” according to a survey by the More in Common think tank. That compares with just 51 percent of mainstream Conservative and Labour Party voters. Officially removing Andrew’s prince title would require either an act of parliament, or could be done using the legal powers of the royal prerogative, but that would likely need to be done on the advice of a minister, according to a House of Commons briefing note. “It perhaps shouldn’t be surprising that those voters who most want to see the Prince stripped of his title are those who are now voting for populist parties on the right or left,” Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common, said. “For Green voters, who tend to be among the least supportive of the monarchy, the desire to see the Prince stripped of his title shouldn’t be surprising. “But support is almost as high among Reform voters, a timely reminder that many Reform voters are particularly exasperated by what they see as a rigged system with ‘one rule for the rich and powerful and another for anyone else,'” he said. There are growing calls for Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to move out of the 30-room Royal Lodge following the publication of the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused him of sexual assault, which he strenuously denies, and after it emerged he pays a “peppercorn rent” – a quirk of British law that reduces the ground rent paid on a property by a leaseholder to a small, nominal fee, or “peppercorn” – to live in the vast property on the Windsor Estate. The Green Party’s four MPs have signed a parliamentary motion calling for the government to take legislative steps to remove the dukedom granted to Prince Andrew. A total of 27 MPs, including Scottish and Welsh nationalists, have signed it. Speaking at a press conference in London on Monday, Farage attacked the “nice liberals” he claimed would like to hound Andrew physically out of the country, never to be seen again, warning parliament should only interfere in a “real extreme situation,” such as if Andrew refused to leave Royal Lodge, or he started reusing his duke title. “[Andrew] has renounced the dukedom. He undoubtedly will be looking for a new home very soon, probably somewhere where it’s a lot warmer and sunnier than it is here. I think for somebody who is down, and on the way out, there’s no particular need to give them a kicking on the way,” Farage said. Populist challengers Reform say “serious surgery on the system” is required. Can the British prime minister turn things around? Revelations that King Charles’ disgraced brother appears to be living rent-free prompt fresh scrutiny of the royal coffers. Amid a row over a collapsed China spying trial, it’s not just Keir Starmer who relies on veteran Northern Ireland peace negotiator Jonathan Powell. After years of staying quiet, Britain’s ruling party is preparing to blame its economic woes on leaving the EU.
|
Annabelle Dickson
|
Britain’s populist party thinks Prince Andrew has been punished enough. Its supporters disagree.
|
[
"monarchy",
"parliament",
"sexual assault",
"uk"
] |
Politics
|
[
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-28T16:36:03Z
|
2025-10-28T16:36:03Z
|
2025-10-28T16:36:09Z
| 7,405,068
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-reform-uk/
|
EU staff rally against restructuring as job loss fears grow
|
Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency. BRUSSELS — A major overhaul of the EU’s executive branch has staffers worried for their livelihoods, as the bloc sets its sights on delivering value for money and doing more for less. On Tuesday, the European Commission’s TAO staff association wrote to its tens of thousands of employees in Brussels, calling on management to ensure that the voices of rank-and-file workers are heard as part of what the Commission has called an ongoing “large-scale review” of the civil service. POLITICO reported last month that the bloc’s budget and public administration chief, Piotr Serafin, has been asked to conduct the reassessment to bring about a “modern, efficient public administration to deliver on our political priorities,” while reducing both complexity “and, where possible, costs.” According to the TAO, “this change cannot come about without discussing with staff to co-build new ways of working.” The email warns “it is impossible to pave the way for a new Commission organization based on simple polls or consultations — we must therefore involve staff through its representative trade unions from the outset.” The working group responsible for the restructuring, advised by former Commission Secretary-General Catherine Day, has held a series of workshops with staff. However, internal documents obtained by POLITICO reveal they have encountered “resistance and cynicism” from colleagues, “hierarchical and rigidity issues” as well as “poor communication and engagement” compounded by a “lack of leadership.” In their notes, senior Commission officials warn the review will now have to navigate a “loss of trust” among their teams and tackle “perceived hidden agendas or lack of transparency [that] can endanger change efforts.” In a statement, a spokesperson for the Commission insisted that “staff members will be an important stakeholder throughout the review process … Staff representatives will also be engaged once the review starts in Autumn.” The push for a more streamlined administration comes as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seeks to ensure the service can respond faster to changing geopolitical situations, with potential mergers of departments under consideration. The review’s recommendations will be delivered by the end of 2026. However, without a clear sense of which jobs — if any — could be cut or restructured, fears are growing that junior staff could be the ones bearing the brunt. “Those who have an indefinite contract have a bit less of a worry about losing their job, at least so far,” said one mid-level official granted anonymity to speak about the mood inside the Commission. “They’re more worried about losing some of their benefits or employer contributions.” “The ones who are more at risk are the ones on short-term contracts and contract agents,” the official added. “They are who we need to support right now and they don’t have representation because they are afraid of being vocal and to participate in trade unions. They tend to be like phantoms, they don’t want to be exposed so you don’t hear their voice.” According to a 2023 staffing breakdown, over a quarter of the Commission’s more than 30,000 staff are temporary or contract workers. Responsible for delivering the EU’s day-to-day administrative functions, they include researchers, lawyers, policy officers and translators. Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries. Repeated incursions, some relating to “hybrid war,” should be met with trade restrictions, tariffs and air defense investments, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys tells POLITICO.
|
Gabriel Gavin
|
Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency.
|
[
"budget",
"communications",
"new commission",
"rights",
"services",
"trade",
"transparency"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-28T16:00:01Z
|
2025-10-28T16:00:01Z
|
2025-10-28T16:19:14Z
| 7,404,546
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-staff-rally-against-restructuring-job-loss-fear-grow/
|
Commission says no power to take action on Ireland’s tech regulator appointment
|
Complaint filed Tuesday asked EU to investigate former tech lobbyist’s appointment to key privacy role following POLITICO report. BRUSSELS — The European Commission said it is “not empowered to take action” amid concerns about the appointment of a former tech lobbyist to Ireland’s privacy regulator. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties — a nonprofit transparency campaign group — on Tuesday filed a complaint calling on the Commission to launch an inquiry into how Niamh Sweeney was appointed to co-lead the Irish Data Protection Commission. Citing reporting from POLITICO, the complaint alleges the appointment process “lacked procedural safeguards against conflicts of interest and political interference.” It’s the first formal challenge to the decision after Sweeney took up her role as one of three chief regulators at Ireland’s top data regulator this month. Her prior experience as a lobbyist for Facebook and WhatsApp reignited concerns that the regulator is too close to Big Tech. In response to the complaint, Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said that “it is for the member states to appoint members to their respective data protection authorities.” The Commission “is not involved in this process and is not empowered to take action with respect to those appointments,” Mercier told a daily press briefing Tuesday. He emphasized that countries do need to respect requirements set out in EU law — that the appointment process must be “transparent,” and that those appointed should “have the qualifications, the experience, the skills, in particular in the protection of personal data, required to perform their duties and to exercise their powers.” The complaint asked the Commission to look into the appointment as part of its duties to oversee the application of EU law, claiming these responsibilities had not been met by Ireland. Sweeney was appointed by the Irish government on the advice of the Public Appointments Service, the authority that provides recruitment services for public jobs, which has previously expressed its full confidence in the process. Commission president is under fire for auto-deleting text messages “for space reasons.” Politicians and campaigners fear that an advertising law designed to improve transparency could stifle it. Former Meta lobbyist Niamh Sweeney will co-lead the Irish Data Protection Commission from mid-October. The company president says its terms of service prohibit the use of its tech for spying on civilians.
|
Ellen O'Regan
|
Complaint filed Tuesday asked EU to investigate former tech lobbyist’s appointment to key privacy role following POLITICO report.
|
[
"big data",
"big tech",
"cross border",
"data",
"data / privacy",
"data protection",
"enforcement",
"platforms",
"privacy",
"regulation",
"technology"
] |
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
|
[] |
2025-10-28T13:17:44Z
|
2025-10-28T13:17:44Z
|
2025-10-28T13:58:49Z
| 7,404,963
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commission-no-power-take-action-ireland-tech-regulator-appointment-niamh-sweeney/
|
Commission courts top investors for up to €5B tech fund
|
Eight investment companies invited to Brussels to discuss their involvement. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — The European Commission is in talks with eight of Europe’s top investors to involve them in a fund to support homegrown companies working on critical technologies. Representatives from the private investors are in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss their involvement, according to a planning note seen by POLITICO. The fund has been in the works since the spring and will combine EU money with private investment to fill a late-stage financing gap for European tech startups — buying stakes to support companies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum. It could range from €3 billion to €5 billion, depending on how much investors contribute. The investors invited to meet with the Commission on Tuesday are Danish investment company Novo Holdings, the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, Spanish CriteriaCaixa and Santander, Italian Intesa Sanpaolo, Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management, Swedish Wallenberg Investments, and Polish Development Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, according to the planning note. The fund will focus on “strategic and enabling technologies,” the note read, including advanced materials, clean energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technology, robotics, space and medical technologies. The Commission is seeking to address the issue of companies struggling to scale in Europe. Many turn to investors from the U.S. or elsewhere for late-stage financing, after which they often relocate. The goal of the fund is to make sure that startups that have completed their early funding rounds can “secure scaleup financing while maintaining their headquarters and core activities in Europe,” the note said. The fund follows an earlier effort to take direct equity stakes in companies through the European Innovation Council Fund. Investments under the EIC Fund are capped at €30 million, while the new fund would invest €100 million or more. The fund will launch in April. Other investors could still come in at a later date. In November, the Commission plans to begin the search for an investment adviser — a process that should be wrapped up by January, according to the planning note. “I’m not ordered to be the funniest or to make the craziest remarks,” said Christian Democrat Henri Bontenbal. Automakers worry they’re in for a repeat of pandemic-era chip shortages after Dutch seizure of Nexperia. Deepfake video showed Catherine Connolly had withdrawn from race. Far-right PVV and GreenLeft-Labor were overrepresented as suggested picks, in a test of how four chatbots gave voter advice.
|
Pieter Haeck
|
Eight investment companies invited to Brussels to discuss their involvement.
|
[
"asset management",
"banks",
"companies",
"development",
"energy",
"exports",
"innovation",
"investment",
"pensions",
"quantum",
"regions/cohesion",
"robotics",
"space",
"startups",
"state of the union",
"technology",
"competition and industrial policy"
] |
Technology
|
[
"Spain",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-28T12:20:34Z
|
2025-10-28T12:20:34Z
|
2025-10-28T12:22:10Z
| 7,403,946
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/commission-courts-top-investors-for-multi-billion-scale-up-fund/
|
Zelenskyy vows harder, better, faster, stronger strikes on Russian oil facilities
|
Ukraine’s president also wants the EU to step up by unlocking Moscow’s frozen assets to help Kyiv. KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to expand his military offensive against major oil facilities deep in the Russian interior. “We hit a certain number of their refineries; they've got a problem. When they started to restore and saw the queues of cars, they redistributed the volumes to other refineries,” Zelenskyy said during a meeting with a small group of journalists, including POLITICO, in Kyiv. “Therefore, our task is absolutely clear — to continue our work at other plants that have started to increase the volume, especially diesel. And we just have to work on it every day,” Zelenskyy added. Ukraine has reportedly struck 21 out of Russia's 38 large oil refineries across the country since January, according to the BBC. Ukraine aims to cripple the Russian oil industry and cut the key source of revenue to Moscow's war machine. And Zelenskyy believes that long-range oil strikes, plus U.S. sanctions and a mega loan to Kyiv from the EU financed by frozen Russian assets, could push Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Zelenskyy said that, even though Kyiv wants allies to continue providing long-range missiles, expanding domestic long-range capabilities is a key priority. He added that Ukraine conducts 90 percent of its deep strikes into Russia with its own long-range drones and cruise missiles, but sometimes Kyiv uses the U.K.’s Storm Shadow and French SCALP missiles to hit targets. “Long-range capability is a component of independence and will be the greatest component for ensuring peace," Zelenskyy added in an evening address to the nation Monday. "All deep-strike goals must be fully locked in by year’s end, including expansion of our long-range footprint.” Earlier, he met with Ukrainian producers of long-range weapons and ordered the government to lock in 57 long-term contracts with makers of key long-range drones and missiles by the end of the year. Ukraine is also building a stockpile of its latest home-made cruise missiles, the Flamingo, “to launch a [...] massive strike on Russia by the end of the year," Zelenskyy warned. “We must work every day to weaken the Russians. Their money for the war comes from oil refining,” the Ukrainian president added. Zelenskyy said strikes on Russian energy facilities are just part of a pressure campaign he hopes can force Putin to end his full-scale invasion. A key part of that package of measures, Zelenskyy said, is the EU unfreezing €140 billion in Russian assets held in the bloc to use as a massive reparation loan to help Ukraine — and he's keen for the EU to green-light that in December at a leaders' summit. “For Putin, the scariest part in the whole Russian-assets-for-Ukraine story is that Europe would give a signal that there is no point for him to continue his war of attrition against Ukraine, as there will be no financial attrition,” Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy said he was very grateful for American sanctions on Russia's Lukoil and Rosneft oil companies and now hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump, during his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, will be able to persuade Beijing to buy less oil from Moscow. “This is all the right direction to put pressure on Russia to be ready to end the war — sanctions, weapons, use of assets,” Zelenskyy said. Pyongyang’s soldiers helped the Kremlin repel an offensive by Ukraine on Russian territory in 2024. Moscow digests the U.S. decision to target its oil giants. “The beauty of this decision is its comprehensiveness,” says Ukraine’s sanctions envoy. Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes ideas from Europeans about the terms of a truce but says no final proposal has been agreed yet.
|
Veronika Melkozerova
|
Ukraine’s president also wants the EU to step up by unlocking Moscow’s frozen assets to help Kyiv.
|
[
"companies",
"counteroffensive ukraine",
"diesel",
"drones",
"energy infrastructure",
"fuels",
"missiles",
"oil",
"sanctions",
"war",
"war in ukraine",
"weapons",
"energy and climate",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Defense
|
[
"China",
"India",
"Russia",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-28T10:37:08Z
|
2025-10-28T10:37:08Z
|
2025-10-28T10:38:10Z
| 7,403,532
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin-ukraine-russia-oil-facilities/
|
Trump rallies aboard aircraft carrier, tying trade agenda to military goals
|
The president brought signature elements of his campaign events, and announced a $10 billion Toyota commitment in the US. AI generated Text-to-speech YOKOSUKA, Japan — President Donald Trump brought his signature rally style on his trip across the Pacific, taking the stage Tuesday aboard the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo. But this time, his usual “Make America Great Again” banner was swapped out for one reading “Peace Through Strength.” Instead of swing-state voters, his audience consisted of roughly 6,000 U.S. service members and more than 200 personnel from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. Wearing a white “USA” hat, Trump strode into the ship’s hangar bay to his familiar walkout song, “God Bless the USA.” Over the course of a 53-minute address, Trump engaged in a lively back-and-forth with the soldiers and offered a mix of administration updates and bravado. He linked his administration’s trade agenda to what he described as a broader mission to keep American forces out of foreign conflicts. “When we don’t get you involved, it’s a good thing,” Trump told the sailors. “People want to get you involved, but we stopped a lot of those wars based on trade. They’re getting ready to fight, and we tell them: ‘No more trade with the U.S.’” And Trump touted news he said he’d received from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Toyota plans to invest $10 billion in new U.S. auto plants. He also said the first batch of missiles for Japan’s F-35 jets would be delivered this week. Takaichi, who spoke briefly before Trump, invoked the pair’s shared friendship with her predecessor, recalling Trump’s 2019 visit to Yokosuka with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “Together once again,” she said, “we reaffirm our determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open, as a foundation for peace and prosperity across the entire region.” Trump worked the crowd, calling out groups by their function on the ship — the “white shirts” who handle safety, “blue shirts” who run equipment, and “yellow shirts” who direct aircraft. Each mention drew cheers from different corners of the hangar. At one point, he polled the audience on whether steam or electric catapults were better for launching aircraft. “Steam!” the sailors roared back. Trump agreed. “We’re spending billions of dollars to build stupid electric ones.” He promised to sign an executive order requiring future aircraft carriers to use steam catapults and hydraulic elevators. The former president also took aim at his predecessor. “Biden used to say he was a pilot. He was a truck driver. He was whatever, whoever walked in,” Trump claimed, drawing a muted response from the assembled service members.It’s not clear that Biden ever referred to himself as a pilot, though he talked about his aviator uncle. Trump nevertheless added: “He wasn’t a pilot. He wasn’t much of a president either.” U.S. president confirms he and the billionaire have been chatting again since last month, marking a revival of a key alliance. U.S. president also floats JD Vance and Marco Rubio as top alternate contenders, given the constitution bars him from running for a third term. A new $500 million federal program will help arm state and local governments against potential attacks, part of an increasing focus by tournament planners on securing airspace over stadiums. The first lady, in rare public remarks, said eight children have been reunified in past 24 hours.
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Sophia Cai
|
The president brought signature elements of his campaign events, and announced a $10 billion Toyota commitment in the US.
|
[
"americas",
"maritime",
"missiles",
"missions",
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"trade"
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Uncategorized
|
[
"Japan",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-28T10:31:46Z
|
2025-10-28T10:31:46Z
|
2025-10-28T10:33:42Z
| 7,404,096
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-rallies-tying-trade-agenda-military-goals/
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AI: Digital sovereignty without damaging the climate
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Europe cannot guarantee its sovereignty in artificial intelligence (AI) without facing up to its ecological cost. Responsible AI requires transparency, rigorous measurement and informed use. AI is intensifying the strategic rivalry between the European Union and the United States, reshaping models of industrial policy and regulatory sovereignty. Amid a flurry of investment announcements, the exposure of security vulnerabilities and the contest over global standards, one critical factor remains largely in the shadows — seldom acknowledged, scarcely quantified and rarely debated: its environmental footprint. The environmental blind spot of a strategic technology The silence surrounding the impact of AI is surprising. A study carried out by Sopra Steria and Opsci.ai analyzing over 3 million posts about AI on social media reveals that its environmental impact accounts for less than 1 percent of the global conversation.1 Worse still, among the 100 most influential AI personalities,2 ecological concerns are only eighth on the list of subjects they discuss most, far behind technological and economic issues. A study carried out by Sopra Steria and Opsci.ai analyzing over 3 million posts about AI on social media reveals that its environmental impact accounts for less than 1 percent of the global conversation AI relies on energy-intensive infrastructure that consumes resources and water, the footprint of which remains largely underestimated, poorly measured and therefore little considered in industrial and political trade-offs. This misalignment can also be explained by the trajectory of the sector itself: driven by the rise of AI, the digital sector is one of the few areas whose environmental impact is continuing to grow, contrary to the climate objectives set out in the Paris Agreement. While American players are already crushing the AI market, technological dependence must not be compounded by a setback on Europe’s carbon trajectory. This omission undermines the credibility of any European industrial strategy built on AI. To serve as genuine drivers of transformation, the leading AI companies must bring full transparency to their environmental trajectory — one they are progressively shaping for Europe. Measuring for action: The need for transparency and rigor We must not rush to condemn AI, but we must insist on setting the conditions for its long-term sustainability. This means measuring its impact objectively and transparently, equipping stakeholders with the tools for informed debate, and guiding decision-makers in their technological choices. Recent research indicates that the environmental footprint of a given model can vary significantly depending on where it is assessed, the energy mix of the countries hosting the data centers,3 the duration of the training, the architecture employed and the extent to which low-carbon energy sources are used. Breaking through the methodological vagueness means providing developers, purchasers and decision-makers with common frames of reference, impact simulators, libraries of low-carbon models and low-carbon computing infrastructures. Numerous levers for action and choice exist, provided we have the necessary data and tools. This requirement is not a regulatory whim but a strategic steering tool. Sustainability must be given as much weight as performance or security in industrial and economic trade-offs, because it determines the very viability of Europe’s strategic autonomy. At a time when free international trade faces headwinds, and as the second phase of the AI Act — in force since August 2025 — continues to overlook environmental sustainability, transparency on environmental impact must become a prerequisite for access to European markets, financing and large-scale deployment. Making sustainability a central pillar of European competitiveness Europe has an opportunity to seize. It has a robust standards base that is a powerful lever for competitiveness and responsible innovation, provided that it is supported by targeted investment, shared standards and an industrial strategy aligned with our climate objectives. But Europe can rely on something even more decisive: its people. We have world-class researchers, visionary entrepreneurs, and thriving companies that embody the best of technological and industrial excellence. The recent strategic partnership between ASML, a key supplier to the world’s semiconductor industry, and Mistral, an AI start-up, illustrates Europe’s capacity to connect its industrial and digital strengths to shape a sovereign and sustainable future4. It would be dangerous to suggest that Europe’s technological strength could be built on deferred ecology. What is tolerated as a gray area today will be a competitive handicap tomorrow. Customers, investors and citizens will increasingly demand transparency. The emergence of responsible AI does not mean making it perfect, but making it readable, controllable and adjustable. In a technological landscape dominated by two superpowers that have hitherto favored efficiency and technological competitiveness to the detriment of ethical safeguards, Europe can chart a singular course. It has the means to assert itself by defending responsible AI, at the service of the common good and in line with its fundamental values: the rule of law, individual freedom, social justice and respect for the environment. This orientation is not a brake on innovation, but on the contrary a lever for differentiation, capable of inspiring confidence in a digital ecosystem that is often perceived as opaque or threatening. By betting on ethical, explainable and sustainable AI, Europe would not be giving up global competition, but it would be redefining the rules of the game. More than ever, it must give priority to clarity, stringency and rigor. Only then will AI cease to be a technological equation to be solved and become a genuine project at the service of our society, consistent with our democratic and ecological imperatives. The above column is sponsor-generated content. To learn more about our advertising solutions, click here. The above column is sponsor-generated content. To learn more about our advertising solutions, click here. §§cs§§
|
Yves Nicolas, AI program director and deputy CTO, Sopra Steria
|
Europe cannot guarantee its sovereignty in artificial intelligence (AI) without facing up to its ecological cost. Responsible AI requires transparency, rigorous measurement and informed use.
|
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Technology
|
[
"United States"
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2025-10-28T09:37:51Z
|
2025-10-28T09:37:51Z
|
2025-10-28T09:37:58Z
| 7,388,406
|
https://www.politico.eu/author/yves-nicolas-ai-program-director-and-deputy-cto-sopra-steria/
|
Lukashenko bites back at Lithuania over balloons-induced border closure
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Vilnius is just being “petty,” Belarusian leader says. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko called Lithuania’s decision to close the two countries’ borders a “crazy gamble.” Lithuania shut its border with neighboring Belarus after a wave of balloons entered its airspace last week, prompting airport closures and significant travel disruptions. On Sunday night alone, Lithuanian authorities detected 66 objects heading from Belarus into Lithuania. Lukashenko slammed the move as “absurd” and “a crazy gamble,” according to Belarus’ state-run news service. “Even for a small country, Lithuania, it is petty,” he said, adding: “We are not talking about any extraordinary smuggling.” The Belarusian strongman, who has cracked down on civil dissent in his country, is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Monday the balloons, used to smuggle cigarettes, were a “hybrid attack” and vowed to respond with the “strictest measures,” including shooting them down. She also did not rule out invoking NATO’s Article 4, which convenes the alliance’s member countries for urgent talks. Lithuania’s roughly 680-kilometer border with Belarus was temporarily closed pending a government meeting on Wednesday, which will likely result in it being shut indefinitely. However, diplomats and EU nationals leaving Belarus will still be able to cross. European countries, from Denmark to Estonia, have struggled with how to defend their skies in recent weeks following a spate of incursions by drones and jets linked to Russia. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared last month that the continent is embroiled in a “hybrid war.” “The battle is not over yet,” Hungarian prime minister says, teeing up a possible fight with the White House. A packed agenda promised a summit of fireworks. Nothing really took off. From the climate to critical minerals to Russia’s frozen assets, the agenda of Thursday’s European Council is jam-packed. Whatcha gonna do when they veto you?
|
Seb Starcevic
|
Vilnius is just being “petty,” Belarusian leader says.
|
[
"airports",
"baltics",
"drones",
"war"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belarus",
"Lithuania",
"Russia"
] |
2025-10-28T09:34:00Z
|
2025-10-28T09:34:00Z
|
2025-10-28T09:34:36Z
| 7,403,652
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/alexander-lukashenko-bite-back-lithuania-balloon-border-closure/
|
Theresa May accuses Tories of ‘chasing votes’ from Farage’s Reform
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Former British PM says Tory pledges to roll back climate reforms are an “extreme and unnecessary measure.” LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Theresa May laid into her own political party Monday night, accusing it of taking a populist tilt to the right that risks emboldening Nigel Farage. May criticized the Conservatives’ decision to repeal the Climate Change Act 2008, which requires the government to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, as an “extreme and unnecessary measure” that would “fatally undermine” Britain’s leadership on climate issues. The U.K. committed to reaching net zero under May’s administration, something Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch has since called “impossible.” Badenoch has also advocated extensive oil and gas extraction from the North Sea. “This announcement only reinforces climate policy as a dividing line in our politics, rather than being the unifying issue it once was,” May told fellow members of the House of Lords. “And, for the Conservative Party, it risks chasing votes from Reform at the expense of the wider electorate.” May also lambasted the “villainization of the judiciary” by politicians “peddling populist narratives” and said this would “erode public trust in the institutions of our democracy and therefore in democracy itself.” Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who narrowly lost the Tory leadership contest last year, used his conference speech earlier this month as a tirade against “dozens of judges with ties to open-borders charities” and said “judges who blur the line between adjudication and activism can have no place in our justice system.” Though May recalled “frustrating” experiences coming up “against the courts” as a minister, she urged her party to “tread carefully.” “Every step we take to reduce our support for human rights merely emboldens our rivals and weakens our position in the world,” the former prime minister said. “Those politicians in the Western world who use populism and polarization for their own short-term political ends risk handing a victory to our enemies.” She will serve as Keir Starmer’s deputy from the backbenches — and could cause a headache for the embattled British prime minister. Counterterrorism official says there’s been a spike in ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services. Man claimed to be a victim of modern slavery from smugglers in northern France and wants to claim asylum in Britain. The former deputy prime minister reenters the fray with her first Commons speech since quitting the Cabinet in scandal. Is there a way back for her?
|
Noah Keate
|
Former British PM says Tory pledges to roll back climate reforms are an “extreme and unnecessary measure.”
|
[
"british politics",
"carbon",
"climate change",
"courts",
"democracy",
"emissions",
"human rights",
"judiciary",
"net zero",
"north sea",
"oil",
"populism",
"rights",
"westminster bubble"
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Politics
|
[
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-28T09:03:18Z
|
2025-10-28T09:03:18Z
|
2025-10-28T10:47:48Z
| 7,403,499
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-accuse-tories-chase-votes-nigel-farage-reform/
|
Poll plunge: Why has Labour sunk so low?
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Listen on As Labour sinks to record lows in the latest YouGov poll, and the chancellor wrestles with how to fill a £20bn budget gap, Sir Keir Starmer’s government faces fresh pressure on migration, the economy, and trust. Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy break down the day’s biggest stories in British politics.
|
Anne McElvoy
|
[
"british politics",
"politics at sam and anne’s"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-28T08:11:56Z
|
2025-10-28T08:11:56Z
|
2025-10-28T08:12:04Z
| 7,403,481
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-annes/poll-plunge-why-has-labour-sunk-so-low/
|
|
Stormy weather
|
AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By DAN BLOOM with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser BRACE FOR IMPACT: The Foreign Office has stood up a crisis center in the last hour as a Category 5 hurricane inches toward Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa is predicted to make landfall shortly with 175 mph winds, a 4 meter-high storm surge and torrential rain. Playbook is told that more than 5,000 British nationals are on the Caribbean island — many on holidays in resorts or visiting family — along with 50,000 U.K. dual nationals. If this storm is as bad as feared, this story will escalate up the London news agenda very, very quickly. On standby: Navy ship HMS Trent is in the region, and Playbook is told officials have already been in talks about sending humanitarian aid to Jamaica if needed. Ministers have also been speaking to tour operators and the governors of Britain’s two overseas territories in the path of the storm (the Turks and Caicos and Cayman Islands), while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper visited the crisis center in the FCDO’s London HQ while it was being set up on Monday. The risk is described as catastrophic and life-threatening. Hold tight. Good Tuesday morning. This is Dan Bloom. GLOOM AND MISERY EVERYWHERE? Two of the issues that could make or break this government — migration and the economy — will be high on minds when the Cabinet meets this afternoon. Keir Starmer is hunting for new sites to move asylum-seekers out of hotels … while Chancellor Rachel Reeves searches for even more cuts and tax rises to fill a budget hole. Both issues are getting desperate. And both ministers have moments in front of TV cameras today when they’ll try to convey a sunny story instead. Best of luck! **A message from Intuit: Only 11% of UK small and mid-sized businesses say they use technology to a ‘great extent’ to automate or streamline operations. Despite rising AI usage, many face barriers to AI adoption. Explore insights like these and learn how AI can level the playing field for small businesses.** What Starmer wants to talk about: Monday’s £8 billion deal to send 20 Typhoon jets to Turkey from 2030. The PM landed late last night from Ankara and is off on a victory lap mid-morning to meet workers and record a pool interview. The story tops the government news grid, Defence Procurement Minister Luke Pollard is doing a broadcast round and No. 10 aides say the PM is personally exercised about the boost to British jobs. Hard landing: Starmer may well be banging the same drum when the Cabinet meets at the (later than usual) time of 2.45 p.m. It’s not the only thing on ministers’ minds, though. STOP THE HOTES* (*er, hotels): Here’s one question for Starmer: Have you told ministers you want to end the practice of housing asylum-seekers in hotels within a year? Early checkout: That line (attributed to government sources) is in a story by the Times’ Matt Dathan and Ben Clatworthy. It scans, because the PM had promised to empty asylum hotels by 2029 before telling the BBC he wanted to “bring that forward.” But setting a more precise timeline, even privately, would be loaded with as much danger as ambition. We all remember how “stop the boats” went, right? And so … It will be fascinating to see if the PM commits to a timeline publicly (or refuses to deny he said it), and if so, where he places his ambition on the gradient between “pledge” and “hope.” Anything that looks like a target will either prove his much-hoped-for delivery or end up as a hostage to fortune. How he wants to do it: Starmer has ordered ministers to find military sites where asylum-seekers can be placed instead of hotels. Talks are underway about placing 900 newly arrived men in Cameron Barracks, Inverness and Crowborough training camp in East Sussex. Defence Secretary John Healey started telegraphing this change two months ago, the Times and i Paper reported the specifics last night and the story was swiftly stood up by the rest of the Lobby. This is a U-turn: In case we’ve all forgotten, it’s barely a year since Labour shifted away from the Tories’ focus on “large and novel sites” like military barracks and barges. One source behind that shift said last summer that using military barracks was bad because “services in those areas are then stretched and those asylum-seekers can’t get the basic or crucial support they need.” So what’s changed? It might simply be … the sheer acridity of the public mood on this issue. Migration was not in Labour’s five “missions” yet dominates headlines day after day. New solutions are needed. Housing Secretary Steve Reed suggested “modular” buildings, which the i’s Arj Singh says are essentially “Portakabins.” And the Mail’s David Barrett has some well-timed figures claiming large sites now cost less to run than hotels, even though the Home Affairs Committee suggested the opposite. The problem is … we’ve been down many of these roads before. Starmer and new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood can only hope they do it better than the last lot. Luck of the draw: The local MPs for the two sites are Lib Dem Angus MacDonald and Tory MP Nus Ghani. Perhaps they’ll have views? New gig: At least Joanna Rowland, the Home Office official in charge of asylum accommodation, won’t have to stick around to see if it works. She is leaving next month to head up the RSPCA, the Times reports. MEANWHILE IN RIYADH: Rachel Reeves is planning to trumpet a load of investments on Day 2 of her trip to the Gulf — but she has a difficult headline to think about too. Read it and weep: Today’s FT splashes on a well-sourced story by Sam Fleming and George Parker, which reveals the Office for Budget Responsibility is set to downgrade the U.K.’s productivity outlook by 0.3 percent at the budget. That’s more than the 0.1 to 0.2 percent that analysts were expecting — and could create a £21 billion black hole in its own right, before any other shifts in headroom. This is a big deal. A word of caution … Wonks last night were emphasizing that headroom is always a moving target until budget day (yes, yes, under our ridiculous forecast system). And as the FT’s analysis points out, the OBR could upgrade its forecasts for wage growth and GDP. All things for Reeves’ right-hand man Torsten Bell to ponder at his completely normal desk. Feeling the heat: Reeves could be asked about all this at the Saudi Future Investment Initiative, otherwise known as Davos in the Desert. She will appear on a panel about “the balance between sovereignty and globalization” with the finance ministers of Turkey and Qatar at 8.35 a.m. U.K. time — livestream here. It never ends: The chancellor, of course, already made news on Monday by suggesting she would give herself more of a cushion on headroom (and repeating that she’s looking at tax rises and spending cuts). Do her words point more firmly to a “go hard or go home” strategy — one where Reeves gives herself little choice but to impose a big, manifesto-busting hit like putting 2p on income tax, to avoid coming back for more yet again? Especially when … painful budget measures remain a mere drop in the ocean. Even a mansion tax (the Mail on Sunday’s predictions of which have prompted a Mail splash from pissed-off estate agents) “wouldn’t raise anywhere near enough to fill a significant hole,” ex-IFS Director Paul Johnson told the Independent. Every little helps: Likewise, even the trade deal Reeves covets with the Gulf Cooperation Council would boost our GDP by only 0.06 to 0.11 percent in the long run. At least this is off the table: On Monday ministers ruled out any changes to the PIP benefit or the Motability car scheme until at least autumn 2026. Via the i’s Chloe Chaplain. BEHEADING HOME SOON: Still no word on whether Reeves will seal a U.K.-GCC trade deal before flying home tonight, but officials are set to pump out announcements of billions of pounds’ investment between the U.K. and Gulf states. It’s less clear whether and how she raised Saudi human rights — a similarly tricky issue for Starmer, who spent Monday hanging out with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Some things are worth chumming up for: The benefits of keeping allies sweet are evidenced in Starmer’s interview with Bloomberg in Ankara. The PM told Alex Wickham he had a phone call with Donald Trump on Sunday in which he urged the U.S. president to pressure China to stop buying Russian oil. U.S. sanctions — which Starmer said have put the fight for Ukraine “in a better place” — have already “finished” the international operations of Moscow-based energy firm Lukoil. Part 2 of Bloomberg’s interview should land later this morning. Compare and contrast all this … to the No. 10 readout of Starmer’s meeting with Erdoğan. It makes no mention of Turkey’s love of Moscow crude and No. 10 aides would not be drawn on whether Starmer brought it up. The case for this, of course, is that selling Erdoğan a bunch of British fighter jets keeps him on our side and helps draw Turkey further from Russia’s financial reach. Our friends aren’t perfect, but we love them anyway. BLOB BEWARE: Reform UK’s new “preparing for government” chief has his first big press conference about that topic at 11 a.m. Labour and Tory attack teams will be watching closely. Here’s Danny: Tory convert Danny Kruger is promising a dramatic but unspecified cut in civil service headcount, and to end the leases on buildings used by the Ministry of Justice (102 Petty France) and Department for Education (Great Smith Street), to save £500 million over five years. Reform would also rip up the existing civil service code to make officials answerable directly to ministers, rather than permanent secretaries. The trail went to the Spectator and Telegraph. Needless to say … this will be seized upon by critics who say Reform has had too long in the spotlight without proper scrutiny of what it would do in government. Expect the critics to pick as many holes in the detail as they can. Kruger, after all, never had a government job and Reform’s council woes in places like Kent show this business is not as easy as it looks. On the other hand … Reform’s criticisms of a creaking state are not a million miles from Labour — though they’re hardly bedfellows either, considering Reform folks tend to think the civil service is the biased woke left. My colleague Annabelle Dickson has taken a look at how this factor is doing Reform a favor. Question of the week: Kruger has a morning broadcast round, in which he may be asked for his view on Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s comments about the lack of white people in TV adverts. But Kruger’s old boss Kemi Badenoch … is sick of it. The Tory leader avoided saying Pochin’s remarks were racist last night, telling ITV’s Peston: “Frankly, and I say this as a Black person, I’m tired of having to argue about whether or not what Reform is doing fits into a particular category.” Blue on turquoise: Meanwhile Reform Leader Nigel Farage has been continuing to push his suggestion that parliament should lead the grooming gangs inquiry. He even met Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle last night to discuss it. Badenoch told Peston she reckons the idea is a non-starter because evidence given in parliament could end up prejudicing an ongoing court case. Dave vs. Nige: Deputy PM David Lammy offered Labour MPs his take last night on the lesson from Friday’s dismal by-election result in Caerphilly (won by Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru). He told a PLP meeting the race showed people can mobilize to stop Reform — it’s just Labour won’t always be the beneficiary. Curiously enough … Andy Burnham said the same last night, Playbook’s Bethany Dawson writes. The Greater Manchester mayor told an event in London (deets of which below) that the by-election result proves Reform is “beatable” and that there is “an appetite out there to stand up to them.” Scoop — Head spin: All the while, Reform even gets defections among press officers these days. Conor Holohan, who was the Senedd Conservatives’ head of media until last November, has taken up a job as Reform UK’s Wales press officer. Former Welsh Tories’ head of media Denise Howard defected this month too. TICK, TOCK: There are fresh murmurings from industry about whether Labour’s flagship “clean power by 2030” target will be met. The U.K.’s new £1.08 billion annual budget to support offshore wind farms is likely to help control rising energy bills but probably won’t be enough to meet Labour’s goal, energy experts tell the FT. My colleagues on POLITICO’s Energy and Climate Pro newsletter hear similar. This all follows the Guardian’s reporting last week that Starmer was considering watering down climate promises to prioritize lowering energy bills. Keep a close eye on this one. What Ed Miliband does want to talk about: More than 250,000 households will be told this week if they will receive the £150 warm homes discount this winter. Getting hot in here: In his only interview before next month’s COP30 summit, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the Guardian the world has failed to limit global heating to 1.5C. TOUGH GIG: Labour’s workers’ rights bill returns to the Lords this afternoon after a noisy few days from business groups — and even the Labour-friendly Resolution Foundation — trying to water it down. Downing Street has insisted this ain’t happening … though of course the plans could be changed in a later consultation on probation periods. Some 20 pages of amendments landed overnight and the Liz Truss-founded Growth Commission is suggesting the bill would cost between £38 billion and £76 billion in GDP growth in the next decade. THEM’S THE JAILBREAKS: Prison officers have complained they’re being scapegoated over the accidental release of Epping sex offender Hadush Kebatu given so many problems are baked into the system, the Guardian’s Rajeev Syal reports. The Times notes that the same jail was conned by a fake email into releasing an inmate in 2023. And the i’s Cahal Milmo has startling detail on how a dodgy computer system has left staff working out release dates by hand. NEXT EPISODE: The Tories will use an opposition day vote at 7 p.m. to demand paperwork around the collapsed China spying case (wording here) — though of course, it’s all non-binding and the party can’t command anything close to a majority. Park your Enthusiasm: As expected, there are hefty write-ups of Monday’s committee grilling of top prosecutor Stephen Parkinson and national security dude Matthew Collins. And as expected, MPs are still scratching their heads about it all — including why Parkinson could not put the case before a jury. Even Collins said he was “surprised” (via Sky News). There’ll be more of this on Wednesday when the same committee quizzes Cabinet ministers Darren Jones and Richard Hermer. MONEY PIT: The Covid-19 inquiry has cost £192 million so far, its quarterly financial report reveals. The Mail’s Chris Pollard picked up on the gory details. LOOK OUT FOR … a written statement on local government reorganization. NEXT! Thought Labour’s deputy leadership election was fun? Er … mega-union UNISON is balloting its 1.3 million members from today to pick their general secretary — and it could become another referendum on the state of the left. Incumbent Christina McAnea is in a two-horse race against Andrea Egan, a Jeremy Corbyn-backed lefty lay member who has pledged to review the union’s financial ties with Labour. It’s one to watch: UNISON was one of the most Starmer-loyal unions but McAnea now accuses Labour of “stealing the clothes of the right” and “attacking benefits for disabled people.” These attacks could ramp up now she has members to win — but dividing lines between the pair will emerge nonetheless. “If [Egan] wins, all bets are off,” says one pro-McAnea union official. Voting closes on Nov. 25 with a result on Dec. 17. STEEL YOURSELVES: The Times team has more detail to follow Monday’s scoop from my Trade Pro colleagues that the U.K., U.S. and EU are in talks about creating a trading bloc on steel. The paper reckons the U.S. is pushing those involved to replicate Trump’s universal 50 percent tariff but London and Brussels want flexibility. (NOT) SET IN CONCRETE: Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson — keen to show she’s on the day job after her deputy leadership run — has announced she wants all schools and colleges to be RAAC-free by the end of this parliament. Though Playbook notes this isn’t actually a deadline or a promise, only an ambition. SUBTLE: Theresa May got out the big guns against her own party last night. The ex-PM used a Lords speech to say the Conservatives “risk chasing votes from Reform at the expense of the wider electorate” … to slam Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to rip up the Climate Change Act … and, without naming names, to criticize those seeking to “villainize” the judiciary. Reminder: Robert Jenrick told Tory conference he had identified a group of “activist judges” in immigration courts. PA has a write-up. BUILD ME UP: The government’s delay in publishing a long-term housing strategy has left the industry without an “overarching plan” for how the target of 1.5 million new homes will be met, the Housing, Communities and Local Government has said. The MPs also raised “serious concern” about the London social housing target being cut. CALL FOR CHANGE: In a pre-recorded interview on Good Morning Britain — alongside broadcaster Vicky Pattison, who discusses her experiences of medical misogyny — Health Secretary Wes Streeting said there needs to be a “change of culture in the NHS, and the NHS needs to listen to women.” COURT CIRCULAR: Nineteen people will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today accused of showing support for Palestine Action. REPORTS OUT TODAY: The National Wealth Fund must take risks and be prepared for individual projects to fail if it is to fulfill its purpose, says the Treasury Committee. HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with FCDO questions … an opposition day debate … and a motion on behalf of the Committee of Selection. Lib Dem MP Liz Jarvis has the adjournment debate on support for disabled veterans. WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on the impact of agricultural property relief and business property relief on family farming in Northern Ireland (DUP MP Carla Lockhart) … lasting power of attorney (Labour MP Fabian Hamilton) … World Stroke Day 2025 (Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson). On committee corridor: The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee quizzes Science Minister Patrick Vallance and Health Innovation Minister Zubir Ahmed on support for life sciences (9.30 a.m.) … the Education Committee grills Education Minister Josh MacAlister on RAAC on school estates (9.30 a.m.) … the Industry and Regulators Committee discusses the Building Safety Regulator with Building Safety Minister Samantha Dixon (10 a.m.) … the International Development Committee questions Development Minister Jenny Chapman on how the government will support Sudan (1.30 p.m.) … and the Secondary Legislation Committee quizzes Migration Minister Mike Tapp on poor explanatory material accompanying Home Office immigration rules changes (4 p.m.). HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with questions including ending routine non-emergency venting and flaring on offshore oil and gas infrastructure … urgent repeats including the role of the Attorney General’s Office in the decision to drop the China spy prosecution … committee stage of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill … consideration of Commons amendments to the Employment Rights Bill … Day 1 of report stage of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill … and a statement on Heathrow Expansion: Launch of the Airports National Policy Statement Review. KENT WATCH: Five Reform UK county councilors have now been booted out of the party for bringing it into “disrepute” and displaying a “lack of integrity” after a video was leaked last week showing Kent Council Leader Linden Kemkaran swearing and berating councilors during a meeting. The BBC has more. TRUMP ON TOUR: U.S. President Donald Trump met Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo overnight, where they lavished each other with compliments and signed deals on trade and rare earths, per Reuters. He’ll head for the South Korean city of Busan on Wednesday, ahead of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. FOUR MORE YEARS? Trump has refused to rule out a third term as president, saying he would “love to do it.” Obviously, that’s not allowed. The BBC has a write-up. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, only 11% say they use technology to automate or streamline operations “to a great extent,” revealing a significant efficiency gap despite growing AI adoption. Larger firms with 250+ employees and business-to-business firms were more likely to report using AI tools to streamline their business operations. AI is helping level the playing field for small and mid-sized businesses to compete globally, but many face barriers to adoption. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. These agents are designed to manage everything from routine tasks to complex workflows, freeing up time to focus on what matters most. Discover how UK small and mid-sized businesses are leveraging AI in the new report from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard broadcast round: Times Radio (7 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.). Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart broadcast round: Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … GB News (8 a.m.) … Sky News (8.15 a.m.) … LBC News (8.45 a.m.) … Talk (9.05 a.m.). Reform MP Danny Kruger broadcast round: LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today (7.30 a.m.) … Talk (8 a.m.) … Times Radio (8.20 a.m.) … Sky News (8.30 a.m.) … (GB News (8.40 a.m.) … ITV News (8.50 a.m.). Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (8.05 a.m.) … Matthew Hicks, leader of Suffolk County Council and chair of the County Councils Network (8.35 a.m.) … former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (9 a.m.). Also on Sky News Breakfast: Former Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption John Woodcock (7.30 a.m.). Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): Labour MP Danny Beales … Conservative MP Harriet Cross … CityAM’s Alys Denby. POLITICO UK: Britain’s failing state is handing Farage win after win. Daily Express: Grooming gang probe ‘rigged from the start.’ Daily Mail: Threat of a mansion tax sparks house market chaos. Daily Mirror: £10m slap in the face. Daily Star: Boxing Day footie red card. Financial Times: Reeves’ Budget sums face £20bn blow from steeper productivity downgrade. Metro: NHS printed me a new face. The Daily Telegraph: NHS to offer same-day prostate cancer test. The Guardian: Ministers warned not to scapegoat prison staff over sex offender case. The Independent: Reeves is warned against Budget mansion tax plan. The i Paper: Bigger tax hikes and spending cuts on way in crunch Budget, Reeves signals. The Sun: Costmore cottage. The Times: Small boat migrants to be housed in barracks. WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny spells. High 15C, low 11C. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO: Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram popped up together at the London book launch of “Head North: A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain” … where Burnham skirted any direct comment about his leadership ambitions. Wise, given what happened at Labour conference. But the Greater Manchester mayor criticized Keir Starmer for removing the whip from MPs who voted to scrap the two-child benefit cap, saying it created a “climate of fear amongst MPs.” In lighter news … Rotheram announced he is set to be a grandfather for the first time. SPOTTED: Labour MP Carolyn Harris in PCH wearing a matching magenta blazer, trousers, cowboy hat and faux fur. Also spotted … Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Executive Director Luke de Pulford zipping straight from sitting through the China committee hearing to meeting Richard Gere. SPAD MOVES: Labour Research Officer Milly Lynch has joined the Cabinet Office as a comms SpAd on secondment, while Maria Herron does a secondment on briefings in No. 10 … and former Sky News Political Correspondent Liz Bates starts today as Steve Reed’s comms SpAd. NEW GIG: Spectator Political Correspondent Lucy Dunn is leaving the magazine to become STV’s new Westminster correspondent in the new year. FEET UP: Business Secretary Peter Kyle spent 10 hours and 40 minutes enjoying scheduled “downtime,” lunches without any attached meetings and travel stints without any scheduled briefings on his trip to China last month, compared to 8 hours and 40 minutes in meetings with companies or Chinese officials, according to a Guido FOI. NOW READ: A whistleblower sent an email to Just Stop Oil’s 100,000 members in September alleging that the group’s cause had been prioritized over sexual assault allegations, the i’s Eleanor Peake and Alexa Phillips write. WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio. WRITING PLAYBOOK WEDNESDAY MORNING: Dan Bloom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: POLITICO Europe’s Regional Director Jamil Anderlini … Culture, Media and Sport Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage … Liverpool Walton MP Dan Carden … former Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills … former North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen … retired Lib Dem peer and “gang of four” member Bill Rodgers … retired crossbench peer Digby Jones … Home Office SpAd Jamie Williams … broadcaster David Dimbleby … Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens … Microsoft founder Bill Gates turns 70. PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell. CORRECTION: This newsletter was updated on Oct. 28 to remove an erroneous entry in the birthday list. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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Dan Bloom
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2025-10-28T06:59:40Z
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2025-10-28T06:59:40Z
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2025-10-28T14:10:01Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/stormy-weather-2/
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A very Mercosur Christmas
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Google By GERARDO FORTUNA with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser CIAO THERE. Gerardo Fortuna with you this Tuesday morning. CHRISTMAS IN BRASÍLIA? Things are finally moving on the Mercosur front. At last week’s EU leaders’ meeting, European Council President António Costa floated a date for the long-awaited trade deal with the South American bloc, my colleagues Antonia Zimmermann and Camille Gijs report. A Christmas gift: The plan — if it holds — is for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to fly to Brazil for a formal signing ceremony on Dec. 20, sealing the pact just in time for the holidays. But first … She’ll need a supermajority of EU countries to give the green light. Leaders are due to gather for their final summit of 2025 on Dec. 18–19 — conveniently right before von der Leyen’s tentative departure date. **A message from Google: Find out what 7,000 teens in Europe told us about the future of technology.** Agree/disagree: Confusion spread last week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the pact was “unanimously agreed.” Not quite. Costa later clarified leaders had simply agreed to let their ambassadors take the talks forward — not to sign off just yet. Still not convinced: France remains the biggest holdout, wary of the deal’s impact on its farmers and food standards — and unlikely to cave without extra assurances. Sending in Hansen: European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen is in Paris today to meet Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. On the agenda: le Mercosur, bien sûr — plus the next Common Agricultural Policy. How to win over Paris: According to a Commission official, expect talk of “mirror measures” and tighter import controls — Brussels’ way of convincing France that South American beef won’t trample EU farmers. More in today’s Morning Trade newsletter. GOOD COP: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever today. The meeting comes as European leaders and officials rush to convince Belgium to lift its opposition to the European Commission’s plan to use frozen Russian assets as a reparation loan for Kyiv. BAD COP: As Playbook reported Monday, the Commission, meanwhile, is using the specter of joint debt to scare Belgium straight. Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of EU ambassadors — the traditional post-EUCO mop-up — the chatter in town is how to avoid a December debacle, and the big guns are coming out. Use Russian assets or open your own wallets: POLITICO’s Bjarke Smith-Meyer, Gregorio Sorgi, Nicholas Vinocur and Gabriel Gavin have an essential piece this morning unpacking the politics behind the move. The Commission is delivering a blunt message to capitals — agree to use Russia’s frozen assets or brace for eurobonds — knowing that Plan B is even less palatable than the plan Belgium is blocking. “Frugals” like Germany and the Netherlands are hostile to joint borrowing, while the likes of France and Italy are too laden with debt to take on more. But that’s the point. Officials are betting Belgium, which hosts nearly all the frozen assets via Euroclear, will be swayed by the alternative prospect of eurobonds. “This is diplomacy,” one envoy said. “You offer people something they don’t want, so they accept the lesser option.” Joint borrowing is the scarecrow meant to push the skeptics toward the original plan. There’s really still only one game in town: A second diplomat dismissed Plan B outright. “The idea that eurobonds could seriously be on the table is simply laughable,” they said. Few in town believe there’s any real alternative to the Russian asset-backed loan. “It’s going to happen,” one EU official said. “Not a question of if, but when.” Sharing the risk: Belgian diplomats told Playbook they remain “collaborative” but want respect. “There’s time, but Ukraine needs this money,” said a diplomat from a different EU country. A Commission spokesperson said any proposal will “build on collective risk-sharing.” Translation: Belgium won’t be left holding the bag alone. Complicating matters: De Wever is locked in bruising budget talks at home — and has threatened to resign if there’s no deal by Nov. 6. A new caretaker government wouldn’t make negotiations easier. Clock’s ticking: Kyiv could run out of cash by March, and with Hungary cozying up to Czechia and Slovakia in a Ukraine-skeptic alliance, the window for action is closing fast. Nick Vinocur has more on that. LIVING LA DOLCE VITA LOCA: Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán was living la dolce vita in Rome Monday — meeting both Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Leo. “I asked His Holiness to support Hungary’s anti-war efforts,” Orbán posted on X after his private audience. But the real show happened later. After leaving the Vatican, Orbán ran into reporters from La Repubblica and Il Messaggero and repeated some of his greatest hits, bashing the EU and calling it irrelevant. But then he went off script. Orbán, usually Donald Trump’s most ardent EU fan, said the U.S. president had “made a mistake” sanctioning Russian oil companies, adding: “I will speak to him personally about how we can correct it.” (Orbán is due in Washington next week to meet Trump.) Context check: Last week, the U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on Russia due to lack of engagement in peace efforts, primarily targeting its two largest oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. The announcement dropped just 30 minutes after the EU’s 19th sanctions package was approved — a coincidence that didn’t go unnoticed by one EU diplomat talking to Playbook. Lukoil’s last gasp: These U.S. sanctions are so bad for Russia that one of the country’s largest industrial giants is calling it quits on its international operations. “Lukoil is finished,” a former executive of the company told POLITICO’s Gabriel Gavin and Victor Jack. UP IN THE AIR: Another twist in Europe’s hybrid war drama: car-sized balloons from Belarus are pushing Lithuania to consider permanently closing its border and shooting down aerial intruders, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said on Monday. Not fun and games: The balloons — used by smugglers to ferry contraband cigarettes into the EU — are suspected to be part of hybrid operations orchestrated from Minsk. Vilnius is now mulling harsher penalties for smuggling. Grounded flights, rising tensions: Lithuania has been forced to shut its airspace due to the balloons on multiple occasions recently: four times last week and three times over the weekend. More than 170 flights were disrupted, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The border remains closed pending a decision at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “There must be consequences,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO. “We have to expand the Belarusian sanctions regime to include hybrid activities,” he added, calling for synchronized measures against Moscow and Minsk. Article 4 on the table: PM Ruginienė didn’t rule out invoking NATO’s Article 4, which triggers emergency consultations among allies when a member feels its security is threatened. The clause has been used only nine times in NATO’s 76-year history — and twice in the last month alone, after Russia violated Estonian and Polish airspace. EU solidarity: On Monday night, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa both condemned Belarus’ actions. “This is destabilisation. This is provocation. We call it by its name: a hybrid threat,” von der Leyen posted. Costa added that the EU “will keep up pressure on the regime for its complicity in Russia’s war … and will support the protection of the EU’s eastern border.” MARIO WHO? An Italian is winning hearts across the EU — and it’s not Mario Draghi, whose latest speech landed with less buzz than the one before. It’s Carlo Calenda — former industry minister, ex-MEP and centrist Azione leader — who is suddenly all over our X feeds, going viral for a fiery on-air clash with Russia-friendly U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs. When Sachs claimed Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests were CIA-funded, Calenda called him a liar and fact-checked him live on air. Enough with the Kremlin talk. “Many are tired of hearing the same lies, statements distorted by the Kremlin,” Calenda told POLITICO’s Elena Giordano. There’s deep fatigue, he said, among those defending liberal democracy, who see colleagues go to Moscow, meet with figures like propaganda-philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, then spread disinformation. Your job, journos: Calenda said Italian talk shows push this kind of narrative for ratings. “Democracies are built on opinions,” he said, “but you can’t just say whatever you want without being challenged.” His message to journalists: call out falsehoods. Asked if things got heated off camera, Calenda shrugged. “He was offended, so I let him be offended. I couldn’t care less.” Euro admiration: The clip went viral across the continent — even catching the eye of Martin Selmayr, once the Commission’s most powerful official. NO HANDSHAKE DIPLOMACY: Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský didn’t mince words about his potential successor, MEP Filip Turek. “He would not be a good minister, because no one in the world would even shake his hand — not even a bathroom door handle,” Lipavský told Nick Vinocur. “His glorification of Nazism and his hateful rhetoric toward Jews, Muslims, Black people, Germans, Arabs and many others are utterly unacceptable abroad,” Lipavský added. Why the hostility? Turek, from the Motorists for Themselves (Motoristé sobě) party, has courted controversy since winning a seat in the European Parliament last year. His social media history reportedly includes racist, sexist and homophobic remarks — and he’s faced allegations of rape and abuse from an ex-girlfriend, which he calls “absurd.” Fuel to the fire: The feud escalated last Friday when Turek, asked if he was ready to be foreign minister, quipped: “If Lipavský can do it, so can I.” Kafkaesque coalition: Czechia is inching toward a new government between election-winner Andrej Babiš’ ANO, the Motorists, and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy. President Petr Pavel on Monday tasked Babiš with cobbling together a government — which Babiš predicted “can be formed by mid-December at the latest.” “A grave mistake.” Lipavský said Babiš is “making a grave mistake” by aligning with Turek. “The name of the Czech Republic must never be associated with such behavior. That’s why I consider Filip Turek unfit not only to serve as foreign minister but to hold any government or parliamentary position whatsoever.” WATERED-DOWN CLIMATE LAW: The EU is considering allowing its heavy industry to pollute for longer under a new draft proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock on the bloc’s 2040 goal for cutting planet-warming emissions. Louis Guillot has the story (and the leak). WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER: The Catalan separatist Junts party on Monday voted to break up with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, further weakening his minority government. SWIFT DIPLOMACY: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas quoted Taylor Swift in a speech to College of Europe students, advising them to “Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes.” (That’s from “The Fate of Ophelia,” for those playing along at home.) DUTCH ELECTION WALKUP: The Dutch liberals were dominant for years, but the party is bleeding support ahead of Wednesday’s election. Hanne Cokelaere has more. HURRICANE MELISSA: The strongest storm on the planet this year is set to hit Jamaica imminently. CNN has a live blog. — Agriculture and Fisheries (Fisheries) Council. — Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Stockholm for the Nordic Council Summit. Press conference expected 10:45 a.m. with Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson, Finnish PM Petteri Orpo, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen and Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre … von der Leyen will deliver a speech at 2 p.m. — Council President António Costa meets President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. — Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen meets French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. — Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis meets Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in Bucharest (joint press conference after). — Parliament President Roberta Metsola is in Washington. Meets Speaker Mike Johnson and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte meets Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. WEATHER: High of 15 C, windy and chance of rain. NARCO STATE: An anonymous Antwerp judge has appealed to Belgium’s government for help, warning that mafia-like structures have taken root and that the rule of law is under threat. More here. FOR FILM BUFFS: The Festival International du Film de Bruxelles kicks off at the White Cinema today and runs until Saturday. Details here. BIRTHDAYS: Former MEPs Romeo Franz, Michaela Šojdrová, Joachim Schuster, Enrique Calvet Chambon, Olle Ludvigsson; former MEP and POLITICO 28 alum Marietje Schaake; POLITICO’s Jamil Anderlini; Klaus-Heiner Lehne, former president of the European court of auditors; Jill Craig of Penta Group; tech.eu founder Robin Wauters; Vince Chadwick of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Foundation of the independent Czechoslovak State. THANKS TO: Jakob Weizman, Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Ferdinand Knapp and producer Dean Southwell. **A message from Google: The next ten years of European tech innovation will be shaped by the digital habits of a generation that’s never known life without wi-fi. What do teens really want out of technology? And where do they intend to take it? To find out, Google partnered with the youth consultancy Livity on a landmark research initiative, surveying more than 7,000 teens aged 13-18 across Ireland, Poland, Greece, Spain, Italy, France, and Sweden. “The Future Report” reveals a generation of Europeans who aren’t simply using technology, but are actively shaping its evolution to better benefit their learning, creativity, and wellbeing. Learn more here.** SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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Gerardo Fortuna
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Uncategorized
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2025-10-28T06:00:15Z
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2025-10-28T06:00:15Z
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2025-10-28T11:31:32Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/a-very-mercosur-christmas/
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En réservé de la République
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Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA Le briefing politique essentiel du matin, par Élisa Bertholomey, Anthony Lattier et Sarah Paillou. Par ELISA BERTHOLOMEY Avec SARAH PAILLOU Envoyez vos infos | Abonnez-vous gratuitement | Voir dans le navigateur NOUVEAU JOB POUR UNE NOUVELLE VIE. Ça y est, Lucie Castets a trouvé un nouveau boulot. L’ancienne candidate du Nouveau Front populaire pour Matignon, qui avait quitté la Mairie de Paris où elle officiait comme directrice des finances, a commencé la semaine dernière une mission auprès du Médiateur des entreprises à Bercy, a appris mon collègue Paul de Villepin hier. Même si être Première ministre semble derrière elle, la politique reste dans un coin de sa tête. Pourrait-elle replonger ? La réponse se trouve dans Paris Influ (dès 7h30 pour nos abonnés PRO). Bon réveil à toutes et tous, nous sommes mardi 28 octobre 2025. LE GRAND ABSENT. Ces derniers temps, à l’exception de cette réunion rocambolesque avec les chefs de partis à l’Elysée, il était resté plutôt discret, effacé presque, ce qui commençait à étonner ses soutiens les plus fervents, peu habitués à autant de retenue de la part du “chef”. Oui mais voilà, Emmanuel Macron s’agite. Ou plutôt recommence à faire parler de lui sur le plan intérieur. Agenda chargé. Hier, il présidait une réunion ministérielle consacrée au dossier délicat de l’Algérie, a appris Playbook, au moment où l’on constate quelques signaux faibles indiquant une volonté de reprise de dialogue de part et d’autre de la Méditerranée. Ce matin, il reçoit un panel de spécialistes pour un échange sur le délitement du débat public et la régulation des réseaux sociaux (mes collègues de Tech Matin en parlent plus longuement à nos abonnés PRO). “Le climat est un tout petit peu moins éruptif. Il essaye de réinvestir des sujets, alors que le gouvernement est quasi à 100% sur le budget”, analysait un conseiller ministériel hier après-midi. Faire des trucs. Selon un autre conseiller gouvernemental, il aurait l’intention, dans les semaines à venir, “de monter sur le régalien”. D’après son entourage, le président s’en tient à son “domaine réservé et des sujets de temps long, civilisationnels”. “C’est pas totalement aberrant que les Français aient un sentiment qu’il y a un chef de l’Etat”, le défend un macroniste historique insistant sur la “logique” à ce que “l’autre partie de l’exécutif existe” à côté du Premier ministre tout à ses négociations budgétaires. Dit en des termes plus fleuris par le même : “Il n’y a pas que l’épicier-grossiste aux manettes à Matignon.” LA MENACE BIENTÔT FANTÔME. A propos des négociations, il a soufflé hier comme un petit vent de panique chez certains socialistes. En cause : ce papier de L’Opinion dans lequel le constitutionnaliste Benjamin Morel soutient qu’il deviendrait quasi impossible pour Emmanuel Macron de dissoudre l’Assemblée nationale passé le 15 novembre. L’article a circulé dans les boucles roses, quelques camarades s’inquiétant de se voir privés d’une arme majeure dans leurs tractations avec l’exécutif — ceci à considérer que la menace de censure du gouvernement ne vaut que si elle entraîne quasi automatiquement une dissolution. Pas serein. Leur crainte est remontée jusqu’aux oreilles de Boris Vallaud, qui s’en est ouvert à certains de ses amis, a ouï dire Playbook. “Les partenaires à gauche (écologistes et communistes) lui refoutent la pression sur la censure”, ajoutait hier un bon connaisseur de la matrice socialiste. A en croire un interlocuteur avec qui Vallaud échangeait récemment, le président du groupe à l’Assemblée serait donc prêt à durcir encore un peu plus le ton avec Sébastien Lecornu. Quitte à appuyer sur le bouton de la censure plus vite que ce que préconise Olivier Faure. Dissonances. Il n’en fallait pas plus pour que votre infolettre s’interroge : y aurait-il un peu de friture sur la ligne entre Faure et Vallaud ? Dernièrement, les deux hommes n’ont pas toujours été totalement alignés. Sur le renoncement à l’usage du 49.3, par exemple, une idée poussée par Olivier Faure. Boris Vallaud exprimait ses réticences en privé, craignant notamment que le gouvernement trouve une autre manière de passer en force — le président du groupe a cependant toujours soutenu publiquement cette demande du PS. Désaccord mineur. Chacun des deux camps s’échine à minimiser les divergences entre les chefs. “Les différences de ligne ne sont pas frappantes”, balaie un “vallaudiste” qui admet tout de même ressentir “une forme d’impatience chez les socialistes sur l’apparent refus du bloc central à accepter des mesures de justice fiscale”. “Est-ce qu’Olivier Faure a été plus allant à accrocher un accord ? Probablement plus que Boris Vallaud”, appuie de son côté un “fauriste”, le même reconnaissant que la situation de Vallaud est plus compliquée puisqu’il doit composer avec les différentes nuances de son groupe. Une certitude : la date du 4 novembre, jour du vote solennel de l’Assemblée sur la partie recettes du budget, sonnera comme l’heure de vérité pour le PS. En cas de rejet, les Roses seraient unanimes pour “ne pas continuer de faire semblant pour aller dans le mur fin décembre”, poursuivait notre fauriste, et tous d’accord donc pour baisser le pouce au moment d’une censure. POINT DÉBAT. Dans l’hémicycle hier, les députés ont adopté une version alourdie de la surtaxe sur l’impôt sur les sociétés mais ont épargné les ETI … Ils ont validé l’article 11 sur la suppression de la CVAE et un amendement Wauquiez sur la défiscalisation des pourboires. MINUTE, PAPILLON. Dans l’entourage de Gabriel Attal, on le répète, après l’avoir glissé à La Tribune Dimanche ce week-end : l’accord avec Horizons pour les municipales à Paris, qui doit être officialisé ce soir, inclut le soutien des philippistes aux candidats macronistes dans cinq autres villes, qui sont Annecy, Lille, Bordeaux, Dijon et Nîmes. Sauf que c’est un brin plus compliqué, nous a indiqué une source au fait des conciliabules. On reprend. Dans la capitale, donc, Renaissance doit annoncer ce soir son soutien au candidat Horizons, Pierre-Yves Bournazel. Un choix qui provoque son lot de tensions en interne puisque Sylvain Maillard, le patron de la fédé parisienne, et le ministre Benjamin Haddad, élu dans le 16e arrondissement, désapprouvent ce choix et continuent d’afficher leur appui à la ministre de la Culture. Dernier exemple en date : cette réunion en visio avec des militants Renaissance organisée par Rachida Dati hier soir et largement relayée sur ses réseaux sociaux. Cela a déclenché quelques réactions salées sur les boucles internes. “Je ne trouve pas normal que Dati affiche une réunion avec Renaissance Paris alors que le parti ne s’est pas prononcé et que nous avons un copol (comité politique) et une CNI [ce soir]”, râlait un référent d’arrondissement. “C’est grave, ça veut dire qu’ils ont donné des contacts à [Dati]”, s’indignait un autre dans des messages dont Playbook a eu copie. Histoire de contre-balancer l’offensive des datistes, une tribune de soutien à Bournazel, signée par “les trois quarts des membres du copol” va paraître ce soir, nous précisait un membre de la direction de Renaissance. Mais revenons à nos histoires d’alliances avec Horizons. A Annecy et Lille, le parti d’Edouard Philippe avait déjà rallié la cause des candidats macronistes, respectivement Antoine Armand et Violette Spillebout. A Bordeaux, ce devrait être le cas sous peu, s’est-on fait confirmer hier auprès de deux interlocuteurs suivant de près la situation. Dès sa prochaine commission nationale d’investiture, la semaine prochaine, Horizons devrait prendre fait et cause pour le député Thomas Cazenave… qui doit encore trouver un moyen de faire l’union avec Nathalie Delattre (on vous le racontait ici). Fait divertissant : A Horizons, la personne chargée des investitures pour les municipales est un certain… Pierre-Yves Bournazel. De quoi donner le sentiment aux pro-Delattre d’une décision un poil intéressée dans laquelle le candidat parisien serait à la fois juge et partie. “Les magouilles intra-périph, en mode ‘je te passe Paris, tu me donnes Bordeaux’, c’est pas possible”, s’agaçait un soutien de l’élue radicale hier soir. Pas sortis des ronces. Les représentants girondins du “socle commun” pourraient à nouveau discuter de la possibilité d’un deal en fin de semaine, selon un élu macroniste. Parmi les causes de maux de tête : un futur sondage, que Renaissance a proposé à la présidente du Parti radical comme moyen de départager les deux concurrents. Or les deux écuries s’écharpent ces jours-ci sur les questions à poser aux interrogés, nous expliquait le même. Le nœud. Les macronistes plaident pour tester deux hypothèses de listes d’union, l’une menée par Thomas Cazenave, l’autre par Nathalie Delattre. Les soutiens de l’ancienne ministre souhaitent ajouter un troisième scénario, où ils seraient tous deux sur la ligne de départ. De quoi nourrir le sentiment que le camp Delattre chercherait à “gagner du temps”, soupirait dans l’après-midi notre source Renaissance. PRIMAIRE ÉCOLO. Surprise surprise ! Alors que le petit monde des écologistes pensait que Marine Tondelier serait la seule en lice pour représenter le parti à l’hypothétique primaire de la gauche pour la présidentielle de 2027, un autre candidat s’est invité in extremis dans ce scrutin interne (on vous en parlait ici). Il s’agit de Waleed Mouhali, enseignant-chercheur en physique de l’énergie et conseiller municipal à La Garenne-Colombes depuis 2020. Un militant peu connu en interne et qui dit vouloir se présenter pour “refuser l’hyperprésidentialisation”. Pour du beurre. Fait notable et noté : Mouhali a réuni 25 parrainages, soit pile le nombre minimum nécessaire pour pouvoir se présenter — Marine Tondelier plafonne elle à 129 signatures. Mais encore : la plupart des signataires semblent issus d’une motion proche de la patronne des Ecolos, glissait un fin connaisseur du parti à ma collègue Kenza Pacenza hier. De quoi laisser penser à certains que cette candidature a été montée de toutes pièces pour légitimer Tondelier qui a de (très) fortes chances de l’emporter lors de l’élection prévue du 5 au 9 décembre prochain. “Il vaut mieux gagner en faisant 97%, avec un candidat avec lequel on a débattu, que faire 100% en étant toute seule”, souriait, pas dupe, notre interlocuteur. Emmanuel Macron préside, dans la matinée, une réunion sur le thème de la démocratie à l’heure des algorithmes et des réseaux sociaux, en présence d’Edouard Geffray et Stéphanie Rist. A 14h30, il s’entretient avec le prince Rahim Aga Khan V, imam des musulmans chiites ismaéliens et président du Réseau Aga Khan de développement, dans le cadre de la 8ème édition du Forum de Paris sur la paix. Dans l’après-midi, il tient une réunion du Conseil présidentiel de la science consacrée à la santé mentale à l’heure des réseaux sociaux. Dans la soirée, il dîne avec une vingtaine d’acteurs de la tech. Sébastien Lecornu s’entretient dans la matinée avec Christophe Hansen, commissaire européen à l’Agriculture. A midi, il participe à la réunion du groupe Droite républicaine à l’Assemblée nationale. Monique Barbut s’entretient successivement avec Christophe Hansen, commissaire européen à l’Agriculture, et Teresa Ribera, vice-présidente exécutive de la Commission européenne pour une transition propre, juste et compétitive. Annie Genevard participe à la remise du rapport de l’INRAE sur le thème “Alternatives chimiques et non chimiques existantes à l’usage des néonicotinoïdes”. Edouard Geffray s’entretient avec des représentants de la FNEC FP-FO et avec Mark Sherringham, président du Conseil supérieur des programmes. Jean-Noël Barrot est à un petit-déjeuner d’affaires avec Juraj Blanar, ministre des Affaires étrangères slovaque. Françoise Gatel rencontre successivement Boris Ravignon et Dominique Faure sur leur mission respective. Marina Ferrari reçoit Claire Thoury, présidente du Mouvement associatif. Benjamin Haddad poursuit son déplacement à Chypre. Nicolas Forissier s’entretient avec Bruno Bonnell, secrétaire général pour l’investissement (SGPI). Eléonore Caroit s’entretient avec Louise Mushikiwabo, secrétaire générale de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Yaël Braun-Pivet s’entretient successivement avec Naïma Moutchou, les membres de l’Académie Goncourt et Marianne Laigneau, présidente du Directoire d’Enedis. Assemblée nationale : A 9 heures, en commission des Affaires sociales, suite de l’examen du PLFSS 2026. A 15 heures, séance de questions au gouvernement. A 16h30, lors de la commission d’enquête sur les défaillances des politiques publiques de prise en charge de la santé mentale et du handicap et les coûts de ces défaillances pour la société, audition de Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq. A 17 heures, en commission des Affaires économiques, audition de Philippe Aghion, économiste, lauréat du Prix Nobel d’économie 2025, sur la croissance, l’innovation et l’industrie. En commission des Affaires culturelles et de l’Education, audition de Philippe Baptiste sur le PLF. A 21h30, deuxième séance publique, suite de la discussion du PLF. Sénat : A partir de 14h30, discussion en séance publique sur le projet de loi (PJL) de lutte contre la vie chère dans les outre-mer. Dans les commissions respectives, examen de plusieurs rapports relatifs au projet de loi de finances (PLF) 2026. A 16h30, auditions sur le PLF 2026, en commission des Affaires étrangères, de Jean-Noël Barrot et en commission de la Culture, Rachida Dati. A 17h30, en commission des Affaires sociales, audition de Jean-Pierre Farandou sur le PLFSS. Renaissance tient un comité politique à 17h30, suivi d’une Commission nationale d’investiture dédiée aux municipales à Paris à 19 heures. Bruno Retailleau assiste à la réunion du groupe LR au Sénat Jordan Bardella assiste à la réunion du groupe RN à l’Assemblée nationale. A 20 heures, il organise la soirée de lancement de son livre, Ce que veulent les Français, aux éditions Fayard. Marine Tondelier est à Anglet pour assister, à 18h30, à une réunion publique inversée. 7h15. France 2 : Olivier Adam, bioacousticien, professeur à Sorbonne Université. 7h20. RFI : Eléonore Caroit, ministre déléguée chargée de la Francophonie des Partenariats internationaux et des Français de l’étranger. 7h30. Public Sénat : Micheline Jacques, sénatrice LR de Saint-Barthélemy. 7h40. TF1 : Marc Fesneau, président du groupe MoDem à l’Assemblée nationale … RTL : Laurent Wauquiez, président du groupe Droite républicaine à l’Assemblée … RMC : Hugo Micheron, cofondateur d’Arlequin AI, professeur associé à Sciences Po. 7h45. Radio J : Pascal Perri, journaliste et économiste, auteur de Ces Présidents qui nous ont fait tant de mal. 7h50. France Inter : Stanislas Niox-Chateau, PDG cofondateur de Doctolib. 8h00. Public Sénat : Nicolas Forissier, ministre délégué chargé du Commerce extérieur et de l’Attractivité. 8h10. Europe 1/CNEWS : Eric Coquerel, président LFI de la commission des Finances à l’Assemblée nationale … France 2 : Philippe Tabarot, ministre des Transports. 8h15. Radio Classique : Julien Damon, sociologue, auteur de Petit éloge de la Sécu … Sud Radio : Karl Olive, député Renaissance des Yvelines. 8h20. France Inter : Carlos Tavares, ancien PDG de Stellantis et auteur de Un pilote dans la tempête. 8h30. Franceinfo : Aurore Bergé, ministre déléguée chargée de l’Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes et de la Lutte contre les discriminations … BFMTV/RMC : Maud Bregeon, porte-parole du gouvernement. DANS NOS NEWSLETTERS PRO CE MATIN : PARIS INFLUENCE : Une mini hausse dans le recours public aux cabinets de conseil en 2024 à prendre avec des pincettes … Budget : c’était l’heure de l’IS, avec une surtaxe pour les grandes entreprises … Loin de Matignon, la nouvelle mission de Lucie Castets à Bercy. TECH MATIN : Emmanuel Macron repart à l’assaut des réseaux sociaux … Les Big Tech serrent les rangs face au risque de taxation … Exclu : Tech Matin publie le projet de décret sur le filtre anti-arnaque. ÉNERGIE & CLIMAT : L’exécutif célèbre les dix ans de l’Accord de Paris, sans cotillons ni trop d’ambitions… Le RN vend son prêt à taux zéro auprès des députés ; les spécialistes de la rénovation n’achètent pas… EDF Power solution s’est pris un vent sur l’éolien offshore, son CSE contre-attaque. DANS LE JORF. Sarah Magnien est nommée directrice adjointe du cabinet de Laurent Panifous. La sous-préfète de Lannion Pauline Dubus devient conseillère libertés publiques, administration territoriale et élections de Laurent Nuñez. Anne Le Hénanff fait appel à Audrey Nieuwmunster (cheffe de cabinet et conseillère spéciale) et Grégoire Cazcarra (conseiller communication, stratégie, presse et discours). Julien Bouchard (directeur de cabinet adjoint, chargé des Français de l’étranger), Zoé Escobar-Cameleyre (conseillère parlementaire en charge des Amériques et des affaires réservées) et Charles Tetu (conseiller chargé du suivi des opérateurs, du pilotage et de l’efficacité de la politique de développement et des financements innovants) rejoignent l’équipe d’Eléonore Caroit. MÉTÉO. C’est un temps nuageux mais sec qui nous accompagne aujourd’hui à Paris. Le mercure grimpera jusqu’à 15 °C. ANNIVERSAIRES : Christine Cloarec-Le Nabour, députée EPR d’Ille-et-Vilaine … Viviane Malet, sénatrice LR de La Réunion … Jean-Luc Brault, sénateur LIRT du Loir-et-Cher … Alexandre Léchenet, chef énergie-climat chez POLITICO. PLAYLIST. Soirée disco après le copol de Renaissance Paris. Un grand merci à : notre éditeur Matthieu Verrier, Kenza Pacenza pour la veille et Dean Southwell pour la mise en ligne. ABONNEZ-VOUS aux newsletters de POLITICO (en anglais): Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | Berlin Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | POLITICO Pro newsletters
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Elisa Bertholomey
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Uncategorized
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2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/playbook-paris/macron-en-reserve/
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Merz goes East
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KI generierte Text-to-Speech Präsentiert von YouTube Von GORDON REPINSKI Mit CARLOTTA DIEDERICH PRÄSENTIERT VON Schicken Sie uns Ihre Tipps hier, hier oder hier | X @GordonRepinski @vonderburchard @R_Buchsteiner | Das Playbook anhören oder online lesen Guten Morgen Berlin! Hier ist Gordon Repinski aus dem verwehten Regierungsviertel. Friedrich Merz ist on Tour, wir nutzen die Zeit für eine kurze Umfrage zum Podcast. Heute im Playbook: Merz besucht den Osten, Rentenstreit in der Koalition, Losverfahren-Reloaded im Bendlerblock. Und: Sie lesen hier heute, warum die AfD schon wieder mit den USA anbandelt. Der gerechte Zorn: Im Playbook Podcast gibt es einen Renten-Rant, Annika Klose verteidigt die Beschlüsse aber tapfer in 200 Sekunden. Merz noch weiter östlich: Im Update spricht Rixa Fürsen mit Deniz Yücel über Erdoğans Methoden – und über Merz’ bevorstehenden Antrittsbesuch in Ankara. **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: Der Beruf "Creator*in" existierte vor einigen Jahren noch gar nicht – heute ist er Teil eines florierenden Ökosystems, das die deutsche Kreativwirtschaft stärkt. So unterstützte das kreative Ökosystem von YouTube 2024 in Deutschland über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze (Vollzeitäquivalent). Hier klicken und mehr über YouTubes Beitrag zur deutschen Wirtschaft erfahren.** TOLLES STADTBILD: Dresden, Elbflorenz, alles sehr beeindruckend, dürfte Friedrich Merz heute Nachmittag denken. Auf dem Weg dahin Kopfschütteln über Stadtbild-Debattenbeiträge eins, zwei und besonders drei. Ruhe, bitte, endlich. Dann wollen wir die Aufgabe hier mal angehen: Merz reist heute Nachmittag zum Antrittsbesuch nach Sachsen. Um 14:45 Uhr nimmt er an einer Kabinettssitzung in der Staatskanzlei teil. Es hat etwas gedauert, bis der erste Termin im Osten gefunden war, man säuerte im Kanzleramt schon etwas vor sich hin. Wo ist die Brücke? Von dort können Merz und Gastgeber Michael Kretschmer direkt auf die Lücke in der Elbe blicken, wo einst die Carolabrücke stand. Vor fast einem Jahr ist die Brücke eingestürzt, seitdem haben Bagger den Schutt beiseite geschafft – mehr ist nicht passiert. Der Ausbau der Infrastruktur soll Tagesordnungspunkt 1 der Gespräche sein, hört Tom Schmidtgen aus der Staatskanzlei. Und damit automatisch auch Forderungen von Bundeshilfen beim Wiederaufbau der Carolabrücke. Außerdem wichtig für Sachsen: der Ausbau der aktuell vierspurigen A4 zwischen Dresden und Görlitz, ein Anschluss der aktuellen Kulturhauptstadt Chemnitz an den Fernverkehr. Im Anschluss besucht der Kanzler die Handwerkskammer. Mit dabei: Handwerkskammer-Präsident Jörg Dittrich. Dort wird Merz sich mit Schülern und angehenden Meistern austauschen. Am Abend besucht Merz den Chiphersteller GlobalFoundries, wird durch den Reinraum geführt und eine Rede halten. Die US-Amerikaner wollen den Ausbau ihres Standorts verkünden. Was dort genau geplant ist und ob das die Rettung der Chipkrise ist, lesen Sie in unserem Pro-Newsletter Industrie und Handel. Zwischendurch immer mal wieder AfD: Wie ist es denn jetzt hier mit den Regierungsmehrheiten? Ach ja, schwierig. RENTENDEBATTE: SPD-Sozialpolitikerin Annika Klose verteidigt die Stabilisierung des Rentenniveaus bis 2031 und darüber hinaus. „Das ist genau der richtige Schritt, den wir jetzt brauchen“, sagt die SPD-Sozialpolitikerin im Playbook Podcast. Ich wehre mich vehement, aber hören Sie bitte selbst. Auch sonst ist bei der SPD der demografische Wandel neoliberale Propaganda: „Es ist hoch ungerecht, die Lebensarbeitszeit pauschal zu verlängern“, sagt etwa Bremens Andreas Bovenschulte bei Hart aber Fair. CDU-Mann Johannes Volkmann wehrt sich und betont, auch er wolle die Renten nicht kürzen: „Es geht nur um die Frage, steigen sie so wie die Lohnentwicklung oder steigen sie etwas weniger als die Lohnentwicklung.“ Anzeige PISTORIUS AM ZUG: Nach der Blutgrätsche von Boris Pistorius bei der Wehrdienst-Einigung haben Union und SPD einen neuen Kompromiss ins Ministerbüro geschickt – samt Bitte um Hilfe bei den Gesetzesänderungen, erfuhr mein Kollege Lars Petersen. Zurück auf Los: Trotz der Skepsis des Ministers halten beide Fraktionen am Losverfahren fest. Das 4-Stufen-Modell bleibt. Wenn sich nicht genug Freiwillige melden, soll – wie in Dänemark – je nach Bedarf per Zufallsprinzip ausgewählt werden. Eiserne Union: Statt 2039 soll die Bundeswehr schon 2035 auf 260.000 Reservisten kommen, fordern CDU und CSU. Das Verteidigungsministerium soll dem Bundestag künftig halbjährlich berichten, ob wenigstens das Militär in Deutschland ordentlich wächst. ALICE GOES US? Über X erhielt Alice Weidel am Sonntag eine Einladung nach Washington. US-Republikanerin Anna Paulina Luna bat Weidel an, sie und eine Delegation der AfD zu empfangen. Wie es zu der Einladung kam, weiß auch Weidel nicht. Kontakt zwischen ihr und Luna habe bis dato keiner bestanden, hört Pauline von Pezold. Weidel wolle sich bei ihr melden, „um zu besprechen, wie wir das umsetzen können.“ Nicht Weidels erster US-Kontakt: Anfang Januar nahm sie mit Fanboy Elon Musk an einem X-Space teil und turtelte immer wieder mit ihm auf X, im Februar traf sie JD Vance, als der die Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz besuchte. Von Antiamerikanern zu Transatlantikern? Die AfD sucht vermehrt den Kontakt in die USA. In diesem Jahr waren bereits Tino Chrupalla, Beatrix von Storch, Markus Frohnmaier oder Kay Gottschalk drüben. Nicht ohne Hintergedanken: Es soll der Eindruck vermittelt werden, man verfüge über internationale Partner – vor allem, nachdem die AfD letztes Jahr aus der ID-Fraktion im Europaparlament flog. Außerdem sollen Verbündete in den USA künftig auf die Bundesregierung einwirken, wenn es um das Thema Parteiverbot geht. WER WAGT, GEWINNT? Gestern stellte Felix Banaszak gegenüber linken Kritikern klar, keineswegs Merz „zur Seite gesprungen“ zu sein mit seinem Stadtbild-Beitrag. Er forderte darin: Über Stadtbild-Probleme müssen auch „Progressive“ reden. Britta Haßelmann kommentierte: „Felix Banaszak hat Recht, wer Innenstädte stärken will, muss investieren“. Katrin Göring-Eckardt nannte den Beitrag „ein Angebot des Gemeinsamen“, das der Kanzler annehmen sollte. Lob kam auch aus Sachsen-Anhalt, BaWü und NRW. Linke Verbände schwiegen, bis auf eine Grüne-Jugend-Kritik in der Taz blieb es zunächst ruhig. STIFTE RAUS: Die Europäische Union strebt die endgültige Unterzeichnung des Mercosur-Abkommens noch vor Weihnachten an. Kommissionschefin Ursula von der Leyen plant, am 20. Dezember nach Brasilien zu fliegen – vorausgesetzt, die EU-Hauptstädte geben grünes Licht. Mit welchem Kniff die Kommission die Mehrheitsfindung erleichtern will, erfahren Sie im Pro-Artikel von Camille Gijs und Antonia Zimmermann. KLIMA DER ANGST: Vieles wurde zur Stadtbild-Debatte schon gesagt, jetzt meldet sich noch die Vorsitzende der Frauen Union zu Wort: Im Interview mit Table Briefings spricht Nina Warken von „No-go-Areas“ in Deutschland. Viele würden bestimmte Orte oder Züge meiden und Pfefferspray dabei haben. Warken nennt die Problematik auch ein Migrationsthema – viele Frauen schilderten unangenehme oder bedrohliche Begegnungen mit Männern mit Migrationshintergrund. Ton runter: SPD-Fraktionschef Matthias Miersch schreibt an seine Abgeordneten, man müsse die Stadtbild-Debatte versachlichen: „Wir dürfen Menschen nicht gegeneinander ausspielen.“ Mit Jens Spahn sei vereinbart, dass Fachpolitiker sich nun an die Sache machen. „ANYTHING YOU WANT“: Bei ihrem gemeinsamen Treffen vor wenigen Stunden in Tokio tauschten US-Präsident Donald Trump und Japans Premierministerin Sanae Takaichi viele warme Worte und verkündeten eine „neue goldene Ära“ der bilateralen Beziehungen. Auf dem Papier: Die neue Ära wurde unter anderem in einen Vertrag zur Versorgung mit kritischen Mineralien und Seltenen Erden gegossen. ‚Vielen Dank für Ihren Einkauf‘: Trump würdigte zudem Japans „gestiegenen“ Verteidigungsanstrengungen: „Wir haben Ihre Bestellungen für eine sehr große Menge neuer militärischer Ausrüstung erhalten“, sagte er und versprach umfassende Unterstützung. „Alles was Sie wollen, jeden Gefallen, den Sie brauchen“, gab sich Trump großzügig und betonte: „Wir sind Verbündete auf stärkster Ebene.“ Gar nicht gut zu sprechen ist der Präsident auf Nachbar Kanada. Mit Premierminister Carney will er „für lange Zeit“ kein Wort mehr wechseln – dabei ist dieser auch in Asien unterwegs. Wie die Stimmung so schnell kippte, lesen Sie heute Morgen in unserem US-Newsletter DC Decoded. VERBRENNER-KOMPROMISS: Nach 2035 könnten nur noch Range-Extender und E-Fuel-Only-Fahrzeuge zugelassen werden – keine Hybride. So hören es Josh Groeneveld und Hans von der Burchard. Widerspruch gibt es allerdings von der CSU, weshalb die Koalition weiterhin uneinig ist. Angezählt: Hintergrund der jüngsten Entwicklung könnte eine Studie des Verbands T&E sein, die beziffert, dass Hybride real eine schlechtere Umweltbilanz haben als auf Papier. Demnach werden sie seltener elektrisch betankt als bei den WLTP-Grenzwerten angenommen. Im Pro Industrie und Handel bezieht T&E heute Stellung zu der Idee von Kanzleramt und Umweltministerium. Hier können Sie sich testweise kostenlos anmelden, um alle weiteren Hintergründe zu dem Vorhaben zu erfahren. AUSNAHMEZUSTAND: Die Bundesregierung verhandelt mit den USA darüber, eine Ausnahme von Sanktionen für die deutschen Töchter des russischen Energiekonzerns Rosneft zu erhalten. Wie die Verhandlungen laufen und welche Lösung im Raum steht, weiß Energie und Klima – außerdem weiß man von einer bedeutungsvollen Mail aus Washington. Hier können Sie ein kostenloses Probeabo abschließen. BEIM HOST & SPEAKER DINNER des Berlin Global Dialogue am Freitagabend im Hotel Adlon aßen beim Drei-Gänge-Menü unter anderem: Albaniens Premier Edi Rama, Kosovos Präsidentin Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, ihr Botschafter Faruk Ajeti, die kanadische Geschäftsträgerin Evelyne Coulombe und René Obermann. Außerdem dabei: BMWE-Staatssekretär Frank Wetzel, Jörg Kukies beim Sektempfang im Gespräch mit Veronika Grimm, Unternehmer Christoph Gottschalk, Jan Kallmorgen, Moderator Ali Aslan und Udo van Kampen. MEINUNG ODER HETZE: Die Berliner Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt gegen Nius-Chef Julian Reichelt – der Verdacht lautet Volksverhetzung wegen eines Tweets über die „Unterwanderung und dann die Übernahme unserer Polizei“ durch arabische Clans. Reichelts Reaktion bei meinen Kollegen dazu lesen Sie hier. 2 Uhr – Kämpfe im Sudan: Nach der Einnahme der Großstadt Al Faschir durch die RSF-Miliz fordert UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres Verhandlungen über ein Ende der Gewalt. 4 Uhr – Säbelrassen in Asien: Taiwans Außenminister Lin Chia-lung macht sich keine Sorgen, dass Donald Trump die Insel im Stich lassen könnte. „Die Beziehungen zwischen den USA und Taiwan sind stabil“, sagt er Reportern in Taipei. 6 Uhr – Zweite Nacht in Folge: Russland wehrt nach eigenen Angaben einen ukrainischen Drohnenangriff auf Moskau ab. Insgesamt werden 17 Drohnen zerstört, teilt das Verteidigungsministerium mit. — In Schloss Bellevue: Um 11 Uhr spricht Frank-Walter Steinmeier beim Empfang für die Stipendiaten von „Afrika kommt!“. — Außenwirtschaftstag des Wirtschaftsministeriums: Um 9:30 Uhr tauscht sich Katherina Reiche mit Vertretern der Exportwirtschaft aus. — Heimatgespräche: Um 11:30 Uhr setzt Alois Rainer seine Reihe in Weimar und um 14:30 Uhr in Pfiffelbach fort. — „Rising Stars in Oncology“: Im Rahmen der nationalen Dekade gegen Krebs eröffnet die Veranstaltung um 13:30 Uhr Dorothee Bär. — Bitkom: Um 18:40 Uhr spricht Karsten Wildberger beim politischen Abend. HIBERNATION ICH KOMME: Bis zur erwarteten Rückkehr der Sonne in etwa sechs Monaten bleibt es regnerisch, heute zunächst bei herrlichen 11 °C und tief hängenden Wolken. Allerdings werden die Tage bereits in zwei Monaten wieder länger. GRUSS AUS DER KÜCHE: — Mitarbeiterrestaurant JKH: Gebratene Hähnchenbrust mit Zwiebel-Pfefferrahmsoße, Kaisergemüse und Penne oder Ofenkartoffel mit Spinat-Tsatsiki und gebackenem Kürbis — Lampenladen PLH: Tortellini Tricolore, dazu Tomatensoße und Blumenkohlröschen im Backteig oder Hähnchenbrust im Sesamkleid, dazu Blattspinat in Rahm und Pilaw-Reis GEBURTSTAGE: Jessica Rosenthal, Mitglied im SPD-Vorstand (33), Johannes Winkel, CDU-MdB und Vorsitzender der Jungen Union (34), Anja Schulz, stellvertretende Landesvorsitzende der FDP Niedersachsen (40), Erhard Brucker, AfD-MdB (53), Magnus Jung, Minister für Arbeit und Soziales im Saarland (54) Regierungsviertel: Jasper Bennink, Rasmus Buchsteiner, Hans von der Burchard, Carlotta Diederich, Rixa Fürsen, Jürgen Klöckner, Franziska Nocke und Pauline von Pezold Internationales Team: James Angelos, Chris Lunday und Nette Nöstlinger Industrie und Handel: Laura Hülsemann, Thorsten Mumme, Romanus Otte, Frida Preuß und Tom Schmidtgen Energie und Klima: Josh Groeneveld, Frederike Holewik, Joana Lehner und Johanna Sahlberg. Brussels Decoded: Oliver Noyan und Anouk Schlung DC Decoded: Julius Brinkmann, Maximilian Lembke, Franziska Nocke und Oliver Noyan Produktion: Dean Southwell Das war die 413. Ausgabe des Berlin Playbook! Schicken Sie mir Feedback hier. Wenn Sie es noch nicht abonniert haben, können Sie das hier kostenlos tun. Ich wünsche Ihnen den besten Dienstag! Herzlich Gordon Repinski **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: Die vielfältigen Monetarisierungsoptionen auf YouTube ermöglichen es Kreativen, ihre Leidenschaft in ein Unternehmen zu verwandeln. Dieser unternehmerische Erfolg hat einen direkten Effekt auf den Arbeitsmarkt, denn er schafft und sichert Arbeitsplätze. Mit wachsendem Erfolg bauen Kreative professionelle Teams unter anderem aus Redakteuren, Videografen und Verkaufspersonal auf. Ihr Erfolg verdeutlicht den positiven Beitrag von YouTube für die deutsche Kreativwirtschaft. So hat das kreative Ökosystem von YouTube 2024 in Deutschland über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze unterstützt. Den ganzen Bericht lesen und mehr erfahren.** ABONNIEREN Sie die Newsletter von POLITICO: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | POLITICO Pro
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Gordon Repinski
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[] |
Uncategorized
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[] |
2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T06:00:00Z
| 7,402,218
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/berlin-playbook/merz-goes-east/
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Hungary worst for rule of law in EU, new report says
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While Budapest received the worst marks for justice in the bloc, Russia and the U.S. led a broader global retreat from the rule of law in 2025. Hungary continues to slip down rule-of-law rankings amid a global decline, according to a new report by the World Justice Project released Tuesday. The country, led by right-wing strongman Viktor Orbán, received a score of 0.50 out of a possible 1.0 — the lowest rule-of-law score in the 27-member European Union — and 0.02 below its 2024 score. Only Slovakia, down 0.023 from last year to 0.64, saw a sharper decline in its rating within the bloc. But Hungary wasn’t the only place justice fared poorly: The report awarded lower rule-of-law scores to two-thirds of EU member states compared with 2024, thanks to “reduced open government, deteriorations in the justice system, and weaker regulatory enforcement.” The study noted similar downtrends in the U.K. (0.78, down 0.01), the U.S. (0.68, down 0.028), Russia (0.41, down 0.049) and Ukraine (0.48, down 0.007). Russia recorded the sharpest overall decline between 2024 and 2025 of any nation studied, while the marked retreat of the rule of law in the U.S. placed it between Slovenia and Portugal in a ranking of EU, EFTA and North American countries. At the other end of the scale, Denmark was the EU’s strongest rule-of-law performer (0.90) within the EU and EFTA, followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden. The study identified a weakening in how government regulations are implemented across the EU. “Notably, improper influence on government regulations worsened in 63% of EU countries, and delays in administrative proceedings increased in 70% of EU countries,” the researchers wrote. They also found that three out of four EU countries saw declines in civil and criminal justice, with civil justice becoming less free of discrimination and criminal systems less impartial. In more than half of EU countries, the courts were increasingly subject to improper government influence. Berlin-Beijing relations are becoming increasingly fragile. “Criminal networks respond with detours, new transit countries, and often even more potent ‘substitute substances,’” German drug and addiction commissioner says. Cops questioned Norbert Bolz about a post on X that featured a Nazi-affiliated slogan. Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli named as Sakharov Prize winners.
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Ferdinand Knapp
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While Budapest received the worst marks for justice in the bloc, Russia and the U.S. led a broader global retreat from the rule of law in 2025.
|
[
"rule of law"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Bulgaria",
"Denmark",
"Hungary",
"Russia",
"United Kingdom",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-28T05:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T05:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T12:25:08Z
| 7,400,343
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/viktor-orban-hungary-rule-of-law-ranking-new-report-eu-russia/
|
Die teuren Versprechen der Rentenpolitik
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Listen on Die Rente soll stabil bleiben, aber zu welchem Preis? Union und SPD planen ein milliardenschweres Rentenpaket 2025. Es soll das Rentenniveau weiter festschreiben. Doch was gut klingt, könnte zur Kostenlawine werden. Gordon Repinski analysiert, warum die Stabilisierung der Rente zum Risiko für kommende Generationen wird und es neue, vielleicht auch unbequeme Ideen braucht. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview verteidigt Annika Klose (SPD) das Vorhaben: Stabilität koste Geld, aber auch Vertrauen. Sie erklärt, warum die Rentenpolitik auf dem Generationenvertrag beruht und weshalb höhere Beiträge für sie „ein Preis für soziale Sicherheit“ sind. Außerdem: In Washington bereitet Donald Trump ein neues Kapitel seiner Außenpolitik vor. Vor seinem Treffen mit Xi Jinping erklärt Jonathan Martin, warum Trump plötzlich auf Annäherung setzt – und sich auf einmal lieber mit Friedensverträgen als mit Handelskriegen profilieren will. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski:Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.
|
Ferenc Reinke
|
[
"budget",
"der podcast",
"german politics",
"pensions",
"playbook",
"tariffs",
"trade agreements",
"trade war",
"zölle china",
"politics"
] |
Playbook
|
[
"China",
"Germany",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-28T04:50:20Z
|
2025-10-28T04:50:20Z
|
2025-10-28T04:50:27Z
| 7,401,966
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/berlin-playbook-podcast/die-teuren-versprechen-der-rentenpolitik/
|
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EU plays hardball: If you won’t seize Russia’s cash, open your wallets
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The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — The EU is ratcheting up pressure on governments reluctant to agree on funding for war-ravaged Ukraine — telling them if they don’t force Russia to foot the bill, they’ll have to do it themselves. The European Commission is acutely aware that its plan B — joint EU borrowing known as eurobonds — is even more unpalatable for funding a €140 billion reparations loan for Kyiv than its idea of using frozen Russian state assets, which hit a roadblock last week. Governments historically hostile to big spending, especially Germany and the Netherlands, nicknamed the "frugals," loathe the prospect of piling greater debt onto taxpayers. Spendthrift nations, France and Italy in particular, are too indebted to take on more. But that's the point. European officials are betting that Belgium, which houses nearly all the assets and has expressed concerns about the legitimacy of seizing them, along with other countries that have raised objections more quietly, will be won over to the plan by the prospect of the joint borrowing alternative, which they’ve long considered toxic. "The lack of fiscal discipline [in some EU countries] is so high that I don’t believe that eurobonds will be accepted, certainly by the frugals over the next 10 years," said Karel Lannoo, chief executive of the influential Centre for European Policy Studies, a Brussels think tank. That's why using the frozen Russian assets looks like the only game in town. "€140 billion is a ton of money and we have to use it. We have to show that we’re not afraid." European governments and the European Central Bank have slowly come round to using seized Russian assets to fund the €140 billion. Initially they were wary, considering snatching another country's cash ― no matter how badly that country had acted ― legally and morally dubious. But Ukraine's pressing needs, and Washington's uncertain approach, has focused minds. At last week’s summit of EU leaders, however, Belgium’s Bart De Wever refused to budge on the plan, which needs the backing of all 27 governments, forcing the bloc to postpone its approval until December at the earliest. Now the EU is in a race against time on two fronts. First, Ukraine is set to run out of money by the end of March. And second, decision-making of any kind could soon become far tougher as Hungary looks to join forces with Czechia and Slovakia to form a Ukraine-skeptic alliance. There's a sense that it's now or never. That means Commission officials are engaged in a delicate balancing act to get the assets plan across the line, three EU diplomats said. “This is diplomacy,” said one of the diplomats with knowledge of the choreography, granted anonymity to speak freely about the plans. “You offer people something they don’t want to do, so they accept the lesser option.” A second diplomat familiar with the situation was equally dismissive of plan B. "The idea that eurobonds could seriously be on the table is simply laughable,” they said. So although De Wever told his fellow leaders at the EU summit last week that the Commission had underestimated the complexity of using Russian assets and the legal knock-on effect it could have in Belgium, the EU doesn't think he'll hold out past December, when leaders are scheduled to meet again. The Russian asset-backed loan “is going to happen,” an EU official said. “Not a question of if ― but when.” Many European nations have long opposed the idea of eurobonds, believing they shouldn't be on the hook for indebted governments they perceive as unable to keep their finances in order. The Covid pandemic weakened their resolve, with governments agreeing to joint borrowing to finance an €800 billion recovery fund to revive the bloc's economy. Brussels has continued to mutualize EU debt since then to fund other initiatives, most recently involving a series of loans to help capitals procure military contracts to bolster their defenses against Russia, but capitals are still broadly against its widespread use. There is a third option on the table: The EU could embark on a €25 billion treasure hunt for Russian assets in other countries across the bloc. This, though, is likely to take more time than Ukraine has so it could look as if Europe is taking its foot off the gas. "Support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia, that is ultimately what could bring Putin to the table and that's why it's so important that the European countries step up," Swedish Europe Minister Jessica Rosencrantz told reporters after Thursday's summit. The vast majority of the assets are under the guardianship of a financial depository called Euroclear in Belgium, leaving the country with considerable financial and legal risk. “The Commission has engaged in intensive exchanges with the Belgian authorities on the matter and stands ready to provide further clarifications and assurances as appropriate," a Commission spokesperson said. "Any proposal will build on the principle of collective risk sharing. While we see no indication that the Commission`'s original approach would lead to new risks, we certainly do agree that any risk coming with our future proposal will of course have to be shared collectively by member states and not only by one.” The Commission has played down the risks to Belgium, stressing that the €140 billion would only be repaid to Russia if the Kremlin ends the war and pays reparations to Ukraine. The chance of that happening is so remote that the money is unlikely ever to be repaid. But Belgium fears Moscow could send in an army of lawyers to get its money back, especially considering the country signed a bilateral investment treaty with Russia in 1989. The officials and diplomats interviewed for this article remain confident of an agreement. “I really expect that at the next European Council [scheduled for Dec. 18] there will be finally progress,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO. Gerardo Fortuna contributed to this report. Western allies race to forge united G7 response after China tightened grip on rare minerals key to green and defense industries. Brussels fears Europe’s aging population will cause fiscal crises unless member countries address unsustainable retirement systems. The bloc already has its eyes on €140 billion in Moscow’s frozen assets, but the European Commission is tempted to take additional funds from private bank accounts. Brussels wants other countries to follow the EU’s lead in issuing reparation loans to help war-torn country.
|
Bjarke Smith-Meyer
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The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine.
|
[
"banks",
"budget",
"debt",
"diplomacy",
"economic governance",
"eu summit",
"eu-russia relations",
"european monetary union",
"finance and banking",
"investment",
"kremlin",
"markets",
"military",
"refugees",
"risk and compliance",
"russia sanctions",
"war",
"central banker",
"politics"
] |
Financial Services
|
[
"Belgium",
"France",
"Germany",
"Italy",
"Lithuania",
"Russia",
"The Netherlands",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T10:29:06Z
| 7,399,971
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/russian-assets-ukraine-loan-eurobonds/
|
Hungary plans new anti-Ukraine bloc with Czechia, Slovakia
|
Budapest wants to boost its political alliances in Brussels, Viktor Orbán’s political director says. AI generated Text-to-speech Hungary is looking to join forces with Czechia and Slovakia to form a Ukraine-skeptic alliance in the EU, a top political adviser to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told POLITICO. Orbán is hoping to team up with Andrej Babiš, whose right-wing populist party won Czechia’s recent parliamentary election, as well as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, to align positions ahead of meetings of EU leaders, including holding pre-summit huddles, the aide said. While a firm political alliance remains some way off, the formation could significantly impede the EU’s efforts to support Ukraine financially and militarily. “I think it will come — and be more and more visible,” said the prime minister’s political director, Balázs Orbán, when asked about the potential for a Ukraine-skeptic alliance to start acting as a bloc in the European Council. “It worked very well during the migration crisis. That’s how we could resist,” he said of the so-called Visegrad 4 group made up of Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia and Poland at a time when the Euroskeptic Law and Justice Party was in power in Warsaw following 2015. Then-Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki led the charge as the alliance’s biggest member, with the “V4” group promoting pro-family policies as well as strong external borders for the EU, and opposing any mandatory relocation of migrants among member countries. The Visegrad 4 alliance split after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as Poland advocated hawkish positions toward Moscow and Hungary took the opposite stance. A new Visegrad alliance would count three rather than four members. Poland’s current center-right prime minister, Donald Tusk, is staunchly pro-Ukraine and is unlikely to enter any alliance with Orbán. Fico and Babiš, however, have echoed the Hungarian leader’s viewpoints on Ukraine, calling for dialogue with Moscow rather than economic pressure. Babiš has been criticized for his public skepticism on supporting further European aid to Kyiv, with Czechia’s current foreign minister warning in an interview with POLITICO that Babiš would act as Orbán’s “puppet” at the European Council table. Even so, it might take some time for any version of the Visegrad alliance to reform. While reelected as Slovakia’s prime minister in 2023, Fico has stopped short of formally allying with the Hungarian leader on specific policy areas. Babiš has yet to form a government after his party’s recent election victory. Hungary’s push for political alliances in Brussels goes beyond the European Council, Balázs Orbán said. The Hungarian prime minister’s Fidesz party — part of the far-right Patriots for Europe group — could expand its partnerships in the European Parliament, he said, naming the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group, the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations group and “some leftist groups” as potential allies. Mainstream parties such as the center-right European People’s Party could sooner or later turn against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, destroying the centrist majority that supported her reelection, the adviser said. “So this reconstruction of the [Visegrad 4] is going on. We have the third-largest European parliamentary faction. We have a think tank network, which is widely here [in Brussels], and it has a transatlantic leg as well. And we are looking for partners, allies on every topic.” The Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a think tank that receives most of its funding from allies of the Hungarian leader and is chaired by Balázs Orbán, has expanded its presence in Brussels since its launch in 2022. The Hungarian prime minister, who has been in power for the past 15 years, faces a reelection battle next year. Opposition leader Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is currently more popular than Orbán’s Fidesz party, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.Asked about the coming election campaign, the aide said it would be “tough, just as always,” blaming Brussels for what he called an “organized, coordinated effort to try to push out the Hungarian government” which included “politically supporting the opposition.” The European Commission states that measures to withhold funds from Hungary stem from Budapest’s defiance of EU law rather than a political agenda. Asked whether Budapest continues to back Hungary’s Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who’s been alleged in media reports to have led the recruiting of spies in EU institutions when he was working as an EU diplomat, Orbán said the commissioner was “doing a great job.” “They are just … issues which are used to portray Hungary as some country which is not loyal to the institutions,” he added. “We want to be inside. We are part of the club.” The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Jan Lipavský told POLITICO he’s worried Czechia will be diminished on the world stage under likely incoming PM Andrej Babiš. France, Austria and the Netherlands say funding should be stripped from groups that fail to uphold EU values. The French president’s domestic woes have dimmed his ambitions and weakened his influence within the European Union.
|
Nicholas Vinocur
|
Budapest wants to boost its political alliances in Brussels, Viktor Orbán’s political director says.
|
[
"crisis",
"elections",
"energy",
"euroskeptics",
"media",
"migration",
"poll",
"rights",
"tanks",
"war in ukraine"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Hungary",
"Poland",
"Slovakia",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T12:26:34Z
| 7,390,254
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-anti-ukraine-bloc-czechia-slovakia-viktor-orban-andrej-babis-robert-fico/
|
Britain’s failing state is handing Farage win after win
|
Populist challengers Reform say “serious surgery on the system” is required. Can the British prime minister turn things around? AI generated Text-to-speech LONDON — Nigel Farage is on the march. And every lever Britain’s prime minister pulls seems broken. More than a year after his center-left Labour Party stormed to victory on a promise of change, Keir Starmer is yet to show voters he is truly in command. With Reform UK’s Farage eclipsing him in the polls, Starmer’s government has now been hit by a series of unforced errors on the issue on which he’s acutely vulnerable on the right: migration. Small boats carrying asylum-seekers continue to cross the English Channel, with numbers for this year already surpassing the 2024 total. In a farcical twist, one migrant, removed to France with much fanfare under the government’s flagship “one in, one out” deterrent scheme, arrived back on U.K. shores by small boat less than a month after being deported. More damaging still, on Friday an asylum-seeker jailed for sexually assaulting a teenager — and whose crimes sparked a wave of protests in the U.K. over the summer — was mistakenly released from prison, prompting a weekend manhunt. He was eventually re-arrested on Sunday morning — but not before torrid headlines and a declaration from Farage that Britain is “broken.” It’s been “deeply damaging,” a Labour MP in a marginal seat, who had been door-knocking over the weekend, said of the latest events. It is “playing into the hands of Reform that Britain is ungovernable by traditional parties,” the MP, granted anonymity to speak candidly, added. Unlike some of his centrist contemporaries in Europe battling populist insurgents, Starmer should be ascendant. He has a commanding House of Commons majority, and isn’t due to face an election until 2029. But events last week are “grist to the mill” to Reform’s argument that the British state is “totally dysfunctional,” Reform MP Danny Kruger, who defected to Farage’s outfit from the Tories and is leading its preparations for the prisons system, said. Kruger will make a speech Tuesday and told POLITICO he is calling for “serious surgery on the system.” The frustration in Starmer’s top ranks is evident. “There is a deep disillusionment in this country at the moment and I would say a growing sense of despair about whether anyone is capable of turning this country around,” Wes Streeting, the health secretary and a close ally of Starmer, acknowledged in a broadcast interview on Sunday. Starmer — who has hit out at the legacy handed to him by the Conservatives from their 14 years in power — has hardly been shy about criticizing the state either. His claim last December that “too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline” even prompted accusations from civil service unions that he was using “Trumpian language.” MPs are not so squeamish. A parliamentary committee on Monday launched a blistering attack on the Home Office — Britain’s interior ministry — which it said had squandered billions of pounds on the U.K.’s “failed, chaotic and expensive” asylum accommodation system. Reform — which, apart from recently gained footholds in local government, currently has the luxury of observing rather than running things — insists it would take a different tack. Kruger said Tuesday’s speech would be “high level.” He argues the country is facing a “multifactor crisis,” which makes an argument for “wholesale reform” of the machinery of state more “politically compelling and acceptable.” “Being radical is becoming something that respectable mainstream parties need to do. We’re not diluting our radicalism, it’s that our radicalism is becoming more acceptable,” he said. While Reform wants to make “quite serious surgery on the system,” the party is not going to come in with a “chainsaw or wrecking ball,” he insisted. Kruger will on Tuesday pledge to reduce the civil service head count (though he will not specify by how much), make officials directly answerable to ministers and close some government buildings. When asked on Monday about his own plans for government after the prison release debacle, Farage pointed only to his party’s existing plan to recruit experienced people to develop policy, who could then become ministers in a Reform government. Labour MPs hope a simultaneous racism row in Reform will halt its momentum. Farage on Monday admonished one of his own MPs for saying she was driven “mad” by advertisements featuring Black and Asian people. The comments were “ugly” and “wrong,” the Reform UK leader told a press conference. The Labour MP quoted above said that row had “stemmed the bleeding” for Starmer’s party over the weekend. Labour MPs repeatedly bring up infighting at Reform-run Kent County Council, too, hoping it will demonstrate the challenges the party would face if it’s actually given power. But pollsters aren’t so sure. YouGov’s Patrick English said “any stories which relate to issues surrounding or adjacent to immigration and small boat crossings will move conversations onto grounds upon which Farage and Reform are more comfortable.” Reform currently leads the pollster’s “best party to handle immigration” tracker by some distance, with 36 percent of the public picking them compared with just 10 percent picking Labour, and 6 percent picking the Conservatives, English points out. Starmer’s predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak, discovered the cost of failing to get a grip on the Home Office and to stop the flow of small boats across the English Channel when he led his party to a historic defeat last year. His former Deputy Chief of Staff Rupert Yorke said the recent debacles were “yet more evidence for the public that the British state is completely broken.” “Worrying about a lack of vision — which MPs understandably demand — is missing the point,” Yorke warned. “The government has to instead focus on solving these knotty problems which are so ingrained in the public psyche. “Otherwise they are in deep trouble, and support for Reform will continue to grow.” Martin Alfonsin Larsen contributed reporting. Britain’s populist party thinks Prince Andrew has been punished enough. Its supporters disagree. Revelations that King Charles’ disgraced brother appears to be living rent-free prompt fresh scrutiny of the royal coffers. Amid a row over a collapsed China spying trial, it’s not just Keir Starmer who relies on veteran Northern Ireland peace negotiator Jonathan Powell. After years of staying quiet, Britain’s ruling party is preparing to blame its economic woes on leaving the EU.
|
Annabelle Dickson
|
Populist challengers Reform say “serious surgery on the system” is required. Can the British prime minister turn things around?
|
[
"asylum",
"crisis",
"elections",
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Politics
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[
"France",
"United Kingdom"
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2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T03:01:00Z
|
2025-10-28T12:02:26Z
| 7,399,593
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-nigel-farage-reform-uk-keir-starmer/
|
Lecornu buys time — but to what end?
|
The French prime minister has set aside his guillotine powers at the expense of endless complications — though he has one more constitutional weapon in his arsenal. AI generated Text-to-speech Mujtaba Rahman is the head of Eurasia Group’s Europe practice. He tweets at @Mij_Europe. When French President Emmanuel Macron reappointed his ally and confidante Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister, he was widely accused of being obstinate and out of touch. Coming just four days after Lecornu’s resignation, the decision turned out to be a prelude to the most humiliating U-turn of Macron’s eight years in the Elysée Palace. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Lecornu announced he’d suspend the only significant domestic reform of the president’s second term — the gradual increase in France’s official retirement age from 62 to 64. A costly concession that will increase French social spending by €2 billion over two years, it was demanded by the Socialist swing group in the country’s National Assembly as their price for allowing Lecornu’s survival, so that he can negotiate a deficit-cutting budget. The prime minister’s concessions didn’t stop there. He also promised the Socialists he’d moderate the pain of deficit cuts next year, and that he’d allow the much-splintered assembly and senate to negotiate the final details of the 2026 budget without using the government’s power to impose its choices under Article 49.3 of the constitution. But by offering to set aside his guillotine powers, Lecornu has bought time at the expense of infinite complication. Despite his huge giveaways, Lecornu barely survived two no-confidence votes, which were supported by the far right and part of the left, by only 18 votes. Sixty-nine Socialists, with seven exceptions, stood aside, warning they’d shift their pivotal weight to bring down the government unless its draft 2026 budget was reshaped to their liking — take that as code for fewer spending cuts and big tax increases on big business and the wealthy. This isn’t where the bad news ends for Lecornu: During the first two days of negotiations in the National Assembly’s finance committee, an unholy alliance of left and far right added another €9 billion to next year’s deficit. The amendments — numbering more than 1,500 in total — also included a radical reversal of the government’s plan to freeze income tax bands next year. So, for the moment, France seems likely to avoid the threat of a snap parliamentary election, which could bring the far-right National Rally party to power. But the budget crisis remains far from resolved. Without the government’s magic wand to shorten debate, each line of the budget — actually two budgets, both government and social security — will now be the object of intense haggling between the governing center, a divided left and a bloody-minded far right. The 2026 budget draft sent to the assembly follows the broad lines drawn up by Lecornu’s predecessor, François Bayrou — though the new prime minister describes it is a “point of departure.” And if they can agree on anything, the two houses of parliament will have the final word. National Rally is anti-tax and pro high social spending — save on immigrants. Whereas center-right leader Bruno Retailleau, who has been increasingly hostile after leaving the government earlier this month, has called on his deputies to reject the budget outright unless all tax rises are kept to a minimum. Meanwhile, the Socialists will have a hard time swallowing the proposed spending cuts in the budget draft. No doubt the left will also try to revive the so-called Zucman tax — a 2 percent annual levy on all fortunes above €100 million. And while the government may tactically agree to some increases in taxes on the wealthy next year, it will face fierce opposition on the matter from the center right and even its own centrist camp. There is, however, room for compromise. Lecornu has conceded in advance that the deficit target for 2026 can be softened to “below 5 percent of GDP” instead of the 4.7 percent in the draft budget. This means any budget that emerges is likely to disappoint France’s creditors, the rating agencies and the European Commission. And without Article 49.3, the result will likely be a “Frankenstein budget” with little fiscal logic — or no budget at all. Still, Lecornu has another constitutional weapon, or threat, on his side. If no opinion is given by parliament within 70 days, or in 50 days for the social security budget, the government has the right under the constitution’s Article 47 to impose a version of its original budget by decree. This outcome has never been used before — and Lecornu would almost certainly be censured and toppled if it were to happen.Yet, some veteran parliamentary insiders are regarding it as increasingly likely, which suggests France’s political and fiscal crisis is far from over. The Danes are right: If the U.S. president presses ahead in the autonomous territory, others can and will follow elsewhere. As Berlin inevitably becomes the EU’s dominant military power, its billions could either build or blur Macron’s vision of European defense. If the prime minister fails to navigate between the demands of the Socialists and his center-right coalition partners, he’ll be leading France into uncharted territory. Trump’s return to power has created the potential for a real economic revival in Europe — and the answers are in Draghi’s report.
|
Mujtaba Rahman
|
The French prime minister has set aside his guillotine powers at the expense of endless complications — though he has one more constitutional weapon in his arsenal.
|
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Commentary
|
[
"France"
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2025-10-28T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T11:41:47Z
| 7,399,221
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/sebastien-lecornu-france-prime-minister-emmanuel-macron-politics-government-budget-2026/
|
Mark Rutte’s Dutch liberals were dominant for years. Now the party is bleeding support.
|
It’s not easy being a European liberal. After years in power, the Dutch liberal party, once commanded by Mark Rutte, now faces a desperate fight for relevance in this week’s national election. A slump in the polls by the Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) since the collapse of the Netherlands’ Cabinet in June has delivered a sobering reality check for a former electoral force that became near-synonymous with Dutch government, and the face of the country’s reputed liberal tradition in the EU. Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) is projected to remain the Netherlands’ largest in Wednesday’s vote, according to the latest Ipsos I&O estimates. However, the center-left GreenLeft-Labor and liberal D66 parties are within striking distance. Meanwhile, the liberal VVD risks winning even fewer seats than in the 2023 election — which already represented a major setback for the party — casting doubt on its role in any future government. Its struggles echo the floundering of other European liberals in recent years, including President Emmanuel Macron in France, the Free Democratic Party in Germany and the Open VLD party of Belgium’s former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Like other liberal parties in Europe, the VVD is “having major trouble to remain relevant in today’s battle of narratives,” said Mark Thiessen, a former VVD campaign strategist, who now has his own communications agency, Meute. With issues like housing and migration dominating Dutch campaign discourse, internal party divisions have come to the fore as the economy and liberal freedoms don’t figure as prominently in the political debate. “You can tell that … when the debate focuses on topics like identity and open society, people really do think differently from one another. And that can become a problem,” Thiessen said. That divide was evident when Cees van de Sanden, a member of the upper house, announced this month that he’d leave the VVD to strike out on his own and take his seat with him. By cozying up to Wilders’ far-right party and supporting its stance on migration, the VVD has lost track of core values, Van de Sanden told Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. “We have lost our liberal compass,” he added. His complaints are just one side of the coin. The VVD is bleeding voters everywhere. “Both to the center and to the right flank,” added Asher van der Schelde, senior researcher at Ipsos I&O. Voters who think VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz’s style is too populist are now leaning toward the Christian-Democratic CDA or the more “optimistic” liberal D66 party of Rob Jetten, which has overtaken the VVD in recent polls. Still others are veering to JA21, a more conservative party, over complaints that Yeşilgöz didn’t do enough to halt migration, according to Van der Schelde. Some of the party’s misery is down to the “Rutte effect,” said Tom De Bruyne, another campaign strategist, about the prime minister-turned-NATO chief. He argued the fault lines between progressive liberals and conservative liberals wouldn’t be a problem for a party with a solid foundation, but that would have required a step back so a new generation could breathe fresh life into the platform. Instead, the VVD won four straight elections and led four consecutive governments under Rutte’s leadership, before collapsing over disagreements over migration policy. Rutte won those campaigns with a promise of stable leadership, rather than a compelling ideological narrative — a de facto CEO of the Netherlands. “We’ve lived with the Rutte effect for too long, and then you suddenly get the lieutenants who get to take over, only to discover they don’t have a narrative,” he said. Yeşilgöz is under pressure to turn the electoral tide. The VVD leader has brushed off the poor projections, saying polls in the Netherlands customarily change dramatically in the run-up to elections. And indeed, after a months-long slump, the party gained some ground again in pre-election surveys. One pollster projected a last-minute improvement for the VVD after a debate between leaders on Thursday, estimating it may only lose four seats, down from a previous 10-seat loss. But “we’re not seeing that kind of increase,” cautioned Ipsos I&O’s Van der Schelde. Yeşilgöz has managed to attract some new support from wavering PVV voters by excluding a new government with Wilders’ party this time around, and pitching herself as their only bet for a right-leaning Cabinet. In that sense, her strategy has been successful, “but I don’t think it has worked as well as she would have liked,” Van der Schelde said. Yeşilgöz’s decision not to rule out a government with the PVV ahead of the 2023 election overturned Rutte’s longtime veto against a collaboration with Wilders — and was blamed for the far-right party’s breakthrough success. The party positioned itself as “Wilders-lite” on the topic of migration to lure right-wing voters — but that strategic mistake only served to strengthen the original anti-migration party, De Bruyne said. Thiessen, the other campaign strategist, said the VVD’s shift to the right was not only a “dangerous strategy” but also at odds with its liberal identity. For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls. With one day to go before the Netherlands elects a new parliament, three parties are expected to win 23 seats each. Leaders pushed issue to next summit after failing to reassure Belgian prime minister that his country wouldn’t be on the hook. The Brussels leader was aghast he’d been bracketed alongside Robert Fico and Viktor Orbán. A YouGov survey finds a rift in how EU nations perceive security and their general reluctance to rearm under Brussels’ supervision.
|
Hanne Cokelaere
|
It’s not easy being a European liberal.
|
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"far right",
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Politics
|
[
"The Netherlands"
] |
2025-10-28T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-28T11:39:32Z
| 7,356,966
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/vvd-mark-rutte-geert-wilders-netherlands-dutch-liberals/
|
‘Truth is not optional’: Italy’s Calenda describes viral moment he stuffed Ukraine critic in a locker
|
American economist Jeffrey Sachs, a trenchant critic of Western policy toward Russia, met his match in a TV studio last week. Carlo Calenda told POLITICO about the clash heard round the world. AI generated Text-to-speech Veteran Italian politician Carlo Calenda went viral over the weekend after a fiery televised clash over Russia and Ukraine with American economist Jeffrey Sachs on a talk show. Sachs, a Columbia University professor known for his criticism of Western policy toward Russia, accuses the U.S. of orchestrating the 2014 Kyiv revolution and ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych — and provoking the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine. Calenda’s forceful pushback — in which he bluntly accused Sachs of lying about American involvement in the Euromaidan revolution — garnered widespread attention over the weekend and attracted praise from EU heavyweights including Martin Selmayr, once the European Commission’s most powerful official. In the clip, Sachs was visibly taken aback by the intensity of Calenda’s rebuttal. In an interview with POLITICO on Monday, Calenda — who previously worked as Italy’s minister of economic development, Rome’s ambassador to the EU and as a member of the European Parliament — reflected on the confrontation, the reaction it sparked across Europe and what it reveals about the West’s struggle to confront disinformation and define its geopolitical voice. Given an opportunity to respond, Sachs did not reply to POLITICO’s requests for comment in time for publication. This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity. POLITICO: Were you surprised by the reaction and the kind of attention your remarks have received over the past few days? Carlo Calenda: Very, very surprised, and also very honored that people such as Anne Applebaum … as well as many professors and journalists would repost it. Fundamentally, people are tired of hearing in the Western media individuals who clearly distort facts, lie and spread pro-Putin propaganda, without journalists often telling them, “What you’re saying is factually untrue.” There is a deep fatigue among those who defend liberal democracy at seeing people go to Moscow, attend events with figures like [Russian ultraconservative philosopher and ideologue Alexander] Dugin, then return here and are given airtime to carry Putin’s propaganda. That is unacceptable. For once, Professor Sachs faced a counterpoint. POLITICO: So, in your view, is it a mistake to give space in the public debate to this type of argument? Calenda: No, I’m a liberal, I believe all viewpoints should be allowed, but they must be put into context. For example, if I were introducing Sachs as a journalist, I would say: “A journalist who has over time taken positions close to Russia, and who a few months ago took part in the Forum of the Future 2050, organized by Alexander Dugin, the ideologue who believes the West is degenerate and that Russia must restore imperial values.” Viewers deserve to know this. Just as when someone claims that Euromaidan [the large-scale 2013-14 protests in Ukraine demanding closer ties with Europe and an end to government corruption] was funded by the CIA, there are two reasons why that’s false: First, you’d have to explain how millions of people could have been paid; and second, Sachs himself in 2014 said the opposite and condemned Russian imperialism. There are factual things that cannot be tolerated. And in Italy, unfortunately, TV channels and newspapers go as far as giving airtime even to [Vladimir] Solovyov, who openly calls for nuclear strikes on Europe as if that were normal. It is not. POLITICO: Do you think that in certain academic or media circles there is more naivete or more political calculation when narratives close to Kremlin propaganda are promoted? Calenda: It’s a political calculation; it gets audience attention. And above all, there’s a carelessness in never letting informed people speak. I think it’s time we bring clarity, because democracies are built on opinions, but not on the idea that you can say whatever you want without anyone challenging the truth of it. And that, first and foremost, is the job of journalists. POLITICO: When you agreed to appear on the show last Thursday, were you aware that Sachs would be there, and did you expect to have to debate him on these issues? Calenda: Yes, I expected it, in fact it was an opportunity to put him to the test. I didn’t even call him a liar outright. I said, “That’s not true,” and he asked, “Are you calling me a liar?” I said, “Yes,” because it simply isn’t true. You can’t claim millions of Euromaidan protesters were paid by the CIA. That’s outrageous. And I was struck that the journalist who had previously covered Euromaidan said, “All opinions are legitimate.” Opinions are legitimate, yes, but truth is not optional. POLITICO: After that moment on live television, did the debate continue off camera? Calenda: He was offended, so I let him be offended, I couldn’t care less. I never make it personal. POLITICO: During the debate with Sachs, you said that one of the great mistakes of your life was having taken part in business agreements after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. In your view, what should Italy and Europe have done at that time instead? Calenda: We should have understood that Putin’s move wasn’t isolated. Behind it was an imperial logic, a strategy of reclaiming a sphere of influence in line with the Brezhnev Doctrine, neighboring countries must have compliant governments. That was a mistake comparable to Munich with the Sudetenland. Yes, we imposed three rounds of sanctions, which were useless, but we kept doing business as usual. I was the first to make that mistake myself. But it should serve as a lesson: You can’t keep feeding the crocodile hoping it will eat you last; in the end, it eats you anyway. POLITICO: Is there any room today for a realistic peace negotiation with Moscow? Calenda: Unfortunately, no. Moscow knows that since the U.S. stopped supplying weapons directly and with Trump’s wavering, Russia’s situation today is stronger. There’s no real possibility of peace, at most a ceasefire, which Russia seems unwilling to accept. The outcome of this discussion is probably that I won’t be invited back to that TV show. POLITICO: Is there a lack of awareness about the geopolitical risks we face in Italy and Europe? Calenda: Absolutely. We [Azione, Calenda’s liberal-centrist party] proposed a bill called the Democratic Shield, which requires intelligence services to produce a detailed report on Russian infiltration and financing in the media through newspaper subscriptions, company sponsorships or political funding. We need evidence, because democracy is freedom, but also responsibility. The election in Romania has shown that today there is a situation where, you can invest millions of euros in social media to manipulate or subvert democracy. We must prevent this … Today, almost no country has mechanisms for that. POLITICO: How does your proposed law address this issue? Calenda: It requires a joint report from Agcom [Italy’s national regulatory authority for the communications industries] on social media trends, and from intelligence services, on anomalous funding by companies linked to Moscow. This was also a proposal we voted on in the European Parliament. Today, there’s a clear need for legislation against foreign interference, particularly from Russia and China. POLITICO: We’ve talked about the level of debate on Italian TV, but in your view is this a trend that’s also happening in other European countries? Calenda: Of course. My intervention got attention because many are tired of hearing the same lies. Statements distorted by the Kremlin, like the claim that the U.S. helped Ukraine to overthrow its government, are repeated across European media without journalists ever saying, “This is a lie; it has been disproven.” France, Austria and the Netherlands say funding should be stripped from groups that fail to uphold EU values. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to confirm the appointment in the coming days. Joint statement from U.K., Germany, France, Italy and the EU comes after U.S. president holds tense meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Anti-mafia prosecutors have opened a probe.
|
Elena Giordano
|
American economist Jeffrey Sachs, a trenchant critic of Western policy toward Russia, met his match in a TV studio last week. Carlo Calenda told POLITICO about the clash heard round the world.
|
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2025-10-27T21:13:06Z
|
2025-10-27T21:13:06Z
|
2025-10-27T21:13:13Z
| 7,399,227
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/carlo-calenda-jeffrey-sachs-italy-ukraine-critic-economist/
|
Armement : la liste de courses à 377 milliards de l’Allemagne
|
Un nouveau plan d’équipement, dont POLITICO a pris connaissance, montre que l’Allemagne entend devenir un pilier du réarmement sur le continent. Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA This article is also available in: English BERLIN — Friedrich Merz a affiché clairement ses ambitions en mai dernier : faire de la Bundeswehr “l’armée conventionnelle la plus forte d’Europe” et s’engage à lui donner “toutes les ressources financières dont elle a besoin”. Cinq mois plus tard, le chancelier allemand souhaite mettre des équipements en face de ces ambitions, selon de nouveaux documents internes du gouvernement vus par POLITICO. Une liste tentaculaire de 39 pages présente 377 milliards d’euros d’achats souhaités dans les domaines terrestre, aérien, maritime, spatial et cyber. Elle donne un aperçu de la planification des achats d’armements qui seront précisés dans le budget 2026 de l’armée allemande, mais nombre d’entre eux sont des acquisitions à plus long terme pour lesquelles il n’existe pas de calendrier précis. Dans l’ensemble, il s’agit d’une feuille de route exhaustive pour la modernisation de la défense allemande, attendue depuis longtemps, en s’appuyant fortement sur l’industrie nationale. Sur le plan politique, ce timing coïncide avec le changement de mode de financement de Friedrich Merz. Depuis le printemps, Berlin s’est efforcé d’exclure la défense de son frein constitutionnel à l’endettement, permettant ainsi des dépenses pluriannuelles soutenues au-delà du fonds spécial de 100 milliards d’euros, presque épuisé, mis en place sous le mandat de l’ancien chancelier Olaf Scholz. Des éléments de la liste arriveront par la suite, en plus petites tranches, lorsqu’ils seront suffisamment prêts pour faire l’objet d’un vote de la commission parlementaire du Budget — dont l’approbation est obligatoire pour les tous les marchés supérieurs à 25 millions d’euros. D’après les documents, la Bundeswehr compte lancer environ 320 nouveaux projets d’armement et d’équipement au cours du cycle budgétaire de l’année prochaine. Parmi ces projets, 178 ont un contractant répertorié. Les autres restent “ouverts”, ce qui montre qu’une grande partie du plan de modernisation militaire est encore à l’étude. Les entreprises allemandes dominent les appels d’offres identifiables avec environ 160 projets, représentant environ 182 milliards d’euros, liés à des entreprises nationales. Rheinmetall est de loin le plus grand gagnant. Le groupe basé à Düsseldorf et les entreprises dans lesquelles il détient des participations apparaissent dans 53 lignes distinctes pour plus de 88 milliards d’euros. Dans le détail, environ 32 milliards reviendraient directement à Rheinmetall et 56 milliards à des filiales et coentreprises, comme KNDS pour les programmes de véhicules de combat Puma et Boxer. Le document prévoit la livraison d’un total de 687 Puma, dont 662 versions de combat et 25 véhicules d’entraînement à la conduite, d’ici à 2035. Dans le domaine de la défense aérienne, la Bundeswehr a l’intention d’acquérir 561 systèmes de tourelles à courte portée Skyranger 30 pour la protection contre les drones et la protection à courte portée — un programme entièrement sous la direction de Rheinmetall. Des millions de grenades et de munitions pour fusil sont également prévues. Diehl Defence apparaît comme le deuxième pilier industriel de la Bundeswehr après Rheinmetall. Le fabricant bavarois de missiles figure sur 21 lignes d’approvisionnement pour un total de 17,3 milliards d’euros. La part la plus importante revient à la famille IRIS-T, qui devrait constituer la colonne vertébrale de la future architecture de défense aérienne de l’Allemagne. Selon le document, la Bundeswehr envisage d’acheter 14 systèmes IRIS-T SLM complets d’une valeur de 3,18 milliards d’euros, 396 missiles IRIS-T SLM pour environ 694 millions et 300 missiles IRIS-T LFK à courte portée pour 300 millions. L’ensemble de ce poste de dépenses s’élève à environ 4,2 milliards d’euros, ce qui fait d’IRIS-T l’un des programmes de défense aérienne les plus importants de la planification de la Bundeswehr. Les drones gagnent également du terrain sur la liste des souhaits militaires. La Bundeswehr souhaite étendre sa flotte de drones armés Heron TP, développés par l’entreprise israélienne IAI, et d’acheter pour environ 100 millions d’euros de nouvelles munitions ; ainsi qu’une dizaine de nouveaux drones tactiques LUNA NG pour un montant d’environ 1,6 milliard d’euros. Pour la marine, quatre drones maritimes uMAWS figurent dans le plan pour un montant estimé à 675 millions, qui comprendra les pièces de rechange, la formation et la maintenance. Plusieurs des nouveaux projets les plus coûteux de la Bundeswehr ne se situent ni sur terre, ni en mer, ni dans les airs, mais en orbite. La liste comprend pour plus de 14 milliards d’euros de programmes de satellites, dont de nouveaux gestionnaires, des stations de contrôle au sol modernisées et, plus ambitieux encore, une constellation de satellites en orbite terrestre basse d’une valeur de 9,5 milliards d’euros pour assurer une connectivité constante et résistante aux brouillages pour les troupes et les postes de commandement. Cette initiative va dans le sens du plan de 35 milliards d’euros du ministre de la Défense Boris Pistorius visant à renforcer la “sécurité spatiale” de l’Allemagne. L’un des projets les plus controversés de la liste de la Bundeswehr est l’acquisition potentielle de 15 avions F-35 de Lockheed Martin, d’un coût d’environ 2,5 milliards d’euros dans le cadre du système américain de ventes militaires à l’étranger (Foreign Military Sales). Cela permettrait à l’Allemagne de conserver son rôle de “partage nucléaire” (le pays prend part à des programmes d’utilisation de l’arme nucléaire tout en n’en étant pas pourvu), mais aussi sa dépendance aux Etats-Unis en matière de maintenance, des logiciels et d’accès aux données de mission. Cela pourrait également être le signe qu’elle se tourne davantage vers un armement américain qu’elle ne peut pas remplacer, au moment même où les tensions politiques s’aggravent au sujet de l’avion de combat de sixième génération franco-germano-espagnol, le Future Combat Air System. Ce cadre américain apparaît dans d’autres projets de premier plan. La Bundeswehr prévoit d’acheter 400 missiles de croisière Tomahawk Block Vb pour environ 1,15 milliard d’euros, ainsi que trois lanceurs Typhon de Lockheed Martin d’une valeur de 220 millions — cet équipement fournirait à l’Allemagne une portée de frappe de 2 000 kilomètres. Le plan provisoire de la marine concernant les avions de patrouille maritime, d’une valeur de 1,8 milliard d’euros pour quatre Boeing P-8A Poseidon, s’inscrit également dans le cadre des ventes de matériel militaire à l’étranger. Ces trois équipements lient les futures capacités de frappe et de surveillance de Berlin au contrôle des exportations et du soutien des Etats-Unis. Au total, environ 25 projets liés à l’étranger, d’une valeur approximative de 14 milliards d’euros, apparaissent clairement dans la planification interne de la Bundeswehr, soit moins de 5% du total des dépenses demandées, qui s’élèvent à 377 milliards d’euros. Pourtant, ils représentent la quasi-totalité des capacités stratégiques, nucléaires et à longue portée de l’Allemagne, allant des avions certifiés pour l’arme nucléaire jusqu’aux systèmes de frappe en profondeur et de surveillance maritime. En revanche, près de la moitié de la liste relève de l’industrie allemande et concerne des véhicules blindés, des capteurs et des munitions. Sur le plan financier, les entreprises nationales dominent ; sur le plan politique, cependant, les quelques systèmes étrangers définissent les rôles militaires les plus sensibles du pays. Cet article a d’abord été publié par POLITICO en anglais, puis a été édité en français par Jean-Christophe Catalon. Un plan d’achats, obtenu par POLITICO, montre que le programme de réarmement de Berlin profitera en grande partie à l’industrie européenne. Les Verts jurent de contrecarrer le plan historique du futur chancelier, qui consiste à investir massivement dans la défense et les infrastructures. Mais il ne s’agit peut-être que d’une tactique de négociation.
|
Chris Lunday
|
Un nouveau plan d’équipement, dont POLITICO a pris connaissance, montre que l’Allemagne entend devenir un pilier du réarmement sur le continent.
|
[
"actualité"
] |
Uncategorized
|
[
"Allemagne"
] |
2025-10-27T21:02:30Z
|
2025-10-27T21:02:30Z
|
2025-10-27T21:02:35Z
| 7,399,032
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https://www.politico.eu/article/armement-la-liste-de-courses-a-377-milliards-de-lallemagne/
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Catalan separatists break with Spanish Socialists, hobbling PM Sánchez
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Pulled support leaves Spain’s minority government incapable of passing legislation. Catalan separatists have voted to sever ties with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, further weakening his minority government. Citing a “lack of will” from the Socialists, separatist Junts’ party leader Carles Puigdemont said Sánchez had failed to carry out the promises made in 2023 when he persuaded Junts’ seven lawmakers in the Spanish parliament to back his bid to remain in power. The break is dire for Sánchez, whose government has no hope of passing legislation without the support of Junts’ lawmakers. The prime minister has not been able to get a new budget approved since the start of this term and has instead governed with extensions of the 2022 budget and EU recovery cash. Without the backing of Catalan separatist lawmakers, the Socialists have no way to secure the additional funds needed to comply with U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands that Madrid increase its defense spending. Puigdemont said the Socialists no longer “have the capacity to govern” and challenged Sánchez to explain how he intends to remain in power. But the exiled separatist leader appeared to reject teaming up with the center-right People’s Party and the far-right Vox group to back a censure motion to topple Sánchez outright. “We will not support any government that does not support Catalonia, this one or any other,” the separatist leader said, apparently ruling out collaboration with the parties, both of which are opposed to the separatist movement and its nationalist objectives. During his press conference in Perpignan, Puigdemont reprimanded Sánchez and his Socialist Party for failing to keep its promises. In exchange for Junts’ crucial support in 2023, the prime minister’s party committed to passing an amnesty law benefiting hundreds of separatists, and other measures. While many of those vows — among them, new rules allowing the use of Catalan in the Spanish parliament — have been fulfilled, others are pending. The Spanish parliament passed the promised amnesty bill last year, but its full application has since been halted by the courts. Spain’s Supreme Court has specifically blocked Puigdemont — who fled Spain following the failed 2017 Catalan independence referendum and has since lived in exile in Waterloo, Belgium — from benefiting from the law, citing pending embezzlement charges. The lack of change in his status quo is a source of deep frustration for the separatist leader, who in a 2024 interview with POLITICO said his greatest desire was to “go home to Girona, to enjoy my homeland and be with my wife and daughters … to lead a normal life that will allow me to become anonymous once again.” Puigdemont also cited the Socialists’ inability to get Catalan recognized as an official EU language as a reason for the break in relations. Spanish diplomats have spent the past two years lobbying counterparts in Brussels and national capitals and recently persuaded Germany to back the proposal. But numerous countries remain opposed to the idea, arguing the move would cost the EU millions of euros in new translation and interpretation fees and embolden Breton, Corsican or Russian-speaking minorities to seek similar recognition. The separatist leader added that the Sánchez government’s reluctance to give Catalonia jurisdiction over immigration within that region proved that although there might be “personal trust” between the Socialists and Junts’ representatives, “political trust” was lacking. Junts’ members are now called upon to either ratify or reject the executive committee’s decision in an internal consultation that concludes Thursday. The party’s supporters, who include Puigdemont’s most devoted followers, are expected to overwhelmingly back the move to break with the Socialists. Over the past two years Junts has hardly been an unwavering source of support for Sánchez’s weak minority government. The party has declined to back key bills and stressed that it is not part of the “progressive” coalition composed of the Socialists and the left-wing Sumar party, but rather a pragmatic partner that is solely focused on Catalonia’s interests. At a meeting of the Socialist Party leadership in Madrid on Monday, Sánchez insisted the party should “remain open to dialogue and willing to engage” with Junts. Following Puigdemont’s speech, Science and Universities Minister Diana Morant expressed doubts “Junts’ electorate voted in favor of letting Vox or the People’s Party govern” and said the Catalan separatists needed to “choose whether they want Spain to represent progress or regression.” The pressure is now on Brussels to adopt real measures — or risk pushing more voters into the arms of the far right. While the Commission president says the focus on housing is about competitiveness, it’s also about stopping the far right. Brussels proposed ending seasonal time changes in 2018, but seven years later everyone’s still winding their clocks back and forth. Competition chief said the EU must stand firm in the face of the American president’s “outbursts.”
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Aitor Hernández-Morales
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Pulled support leaves Spain’s minority government incapable of passing legislation.
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[
"catalan independence",
"defense",
"spanish politics"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belgium",
"Catalonia",
"Germany",
"Spain"
] |
2025-10-27T19:36:33Z
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2025-10-27T19:36:33Z
|
2025-10-28T11:44:56Z
| 7,399,542
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/catalan-separatists-prime-minister-pedro-sanchez-spain-government/
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Russia’s Lukoil to sell off foreign assets as US sanctions bite
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Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries. BRUSSELS — One of Russia's largest industrial empires will quit its international operations after being targeted by hard-hitting U.S. sanctions, as President Donald Trump steps up efforts to force the Kremlin to end its war in Ukraine. In a statement on Monday evening, Moscow-headquartered energy giant Lukoil confirmed it had begun looking for buyers for its foreign ventures. The decision, it said, had been taken "owing to introduction of restrictive measures against the Company and its subsidiaries by some states," forcing it to announce "its intention to sell its international assets." A former Lukoil executive, granted anonymity to speak freely, said the move could see the company’s revenues and profits plummet by “about 30 percent,” as it is forced it to sell three refineries and around half of its roughly 5,000 petrol stations worldwide. “Lukoil is finished,” they told POLITICO. The move comes days after the U.S. blacklisted Lukoil, as well as oil and gas firm Rosneft, in a surprise sanctions package that it said was "a result of Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine." “Given [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent at the time. "We encourage our allies to join us and adhere to these sanctions." The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed a deadline of Nov. 21 for the company to wind down its businesses abroad or face hefty penalties. Lukoil said in its statement Monday it would comply with the demands and request an extension if needed to facilitate the sale. Those restrictions mean the companies affected will have to sell off their European operations and stop pumping supplies of oil to their remaining buyers on the continent, opening up the prospect of legal penalties for any firm still dealing with them. Rosneft and Lukoil account for around two-thirds of the 4.4 million barrels of crude Russia exports each day. While the measures have been broadly welcomed by European leaders, a handful of nations including Hungary are seeking exemptions or additional time to implement the sanctions. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has sought to deepen his country's reliance on Russian energy exports, will visit the U.S. next week to try to secure special treatment to continue paying Moscow for oil. Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days. Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Repeated incursions, some relating to “hybrid war,” should be met with trade restrictions, tariffs and air defense investments, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys tells POLITICO.
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Gabriel Gavin
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Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries.
|
[
"companies",
"energy",
"exports",
"kremlin",
"oil",
"sanctions",
"war",
"war in ukraine",
"trade"
] |
Energy and Climate
|
[
"Germany",
"Hungary",
"Russia",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T19:34:48Z
|
2025-10-27T19:34:48Z
|
2025-10-28T10:53:07Z
| 7,400,952
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-lukoil-gas-energy-trade-kremlin-war-ukraine-donald-trump/
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EU eyes final signing of Mercosur deal before Christmas
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Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would jet into Brazil to ink the long-awaited accord on Dec. 20 — as long as EU capitals give the green light. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — The European Union is setting its sights on finally sealing a major trade agreement with the Latin American Mercosur bloc before Christmas, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looking at flying to Brazil for a formal signing ceremony on Dec. 20. But first, she needs to get a supermajority of the EU’s 27 member nations to sign off on the long-awaited deal, which would create a free-trade area covering 800 million people. The date of the signing was floated by European Council President António Costa at a meeting of European leaders last Thursday, two EU officials and an EU diplomat told POLITICO. It will still take skilled diplomatic management to firm up that signing date after talks that ran for over 25 years — and were derailed more than once by France, the EU country that has long been most skeptical toward the deal. In a departure, the bloc is eyeing a “big bang” approval process in which member countries would vote to approve its trade aspects, as well as political provisions covering issues like investor protection. In the past, the EU has sought to fast-track core trade deals while other parts have taken years to ratify. The EU could yet stumble on the home stretch. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz caused confusion at the EU leaders' summit by saying that the pact had been “unanimously agreed, all 27 agreed that the permanent representatives can then sign.” Going into damage-limitation mode, Costa stressed that he had merely sought to clarify next steps with EU leaders, insisting that they had simply agreed for their ambassadors to take the work forward. Importantly, EU leaders plan to hold their final summit of 2025 on Dec. 18-19 — right before von der Leyen’s tentative travel date. “We reiterate our commitment, as President von der Leyen has previously stated, to signing this agreement by the end of the year, subject to the completion of Council procedures,” said Olof Gill, deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission. The effort to clinch the deal comes as deteriorating trade ties with both China and the United States puts the bloc under pressure to seek new trade partners. While Mercosur — which groups Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — would remove duties on 91 percent of imports from the EU and liberalize imports of passenger cars, Mercosur countries would benefit from better conditions on exports ranging from beef to ethanol. In a bid to speed up the approval process, both the trade and the political sections of the agreement are now expected to undergo a qualified majority vote, three EU diplomats told POLITICO. That means they will need the backing of 15 of the EU’s 27 member countries representing 65 percent of the EU’s population. Initially, the expectation was for the partnership agreement to require unanimous support — as is usually required when deals touch on areas of national competence, such as investment and political cooperation. A date for ambassadors to give their final blessing hasn’t yet been set, said two other diplomats, who like others cited in this story were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive process. Brussels has meanwhile proposed a workaround to reassure countries like France, Poland and Italy that the deal won’t hurt their farmers. In it, the EU executive commits to monitor imports of sensitive commodities, such as beef, poultry and eggs — and impose tariffs should import surges or price slumps disrupt local produce markets. This additional safeguard instrument requires the backing of the Council of the EU as well as the European Parliament. Bernd Lange, the chair of the Parliament’s Trade Committee, told EU ministers earlier this month that lawmakers would pass the safeguard regulation via a simplified procedure, skipping a plenary vote. All officials and diplomats stressed the timeline was still in flux and could still evolve. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. Leaders pushed issue to next summit after failing to reassure Belgian prime minister that his country wouldn’t be on the hook. “We didn’t discuss, or take any decision” on the deal with the Latin American countries, the Council chief says. The decision comes on the eve of a crucial meeting of European leaders that will seek to stress the EU’s support for Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen is selling simplification like a Kinder Egg — sweet on the outside for European business, with a surprise inside for the U.S. president.
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Camille Gijs
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Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would jet into Brazil to ink the long-awaited accord on Dec. 20 — as long as EU capitals give the green light.
|
[
"beef",
"cars",
"cooperation",
"dumping/duties",
"eggs",
"ethanol",
"exports",
"farmers",
"imports",
"markets",
"mercosur",
"poultry",
"produce",
"regulation",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"trade agreements",
"agriculture and food",
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Trade
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[
"Argentina",
"Brazil",
"China",
"France",
"Italy",
"Paraguay",
"Poland",
"United States",
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] |
2025-10-27T17:25:08Z
|
2025-10-27T17:25:08Z
|
2025-10-28T10:27:47Z
| 7,399,911
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-mercosur-deal-latin-america-commission-trade-deal-brazil-uruguay/
|
London Playbook PM: Grid of sh*t hits the fan
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By EMILIO CASALICCHIO with NOAH KEATE PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good afternoon. This is Emilio Casalicchio at the center of a news tornado. — The China espionage trial collapse and the Epping migrant release blunder are among a news blizzard from the past hour. — Keir Starmer announced a deal to sell fighter planes to Turkey. But Russia’s war with Ukraine appears to have been forgotten. — Nigel Farage reckons parliament could finish a grooming gangs probe in a couple of months. — The No.10 Instagram account appears to have misfired. — The speaker wants to put an end to reporters haranguing MPs at their homes. **A message from Intuit: Small and mid-sized businesses are increasingly using AI, though usage varies by sector. 46% of business-to-business service firms in sectors like finance, law, and marketing use AI, compared to just 26% of business-to-consumer firms and manufacturers. Explore these insights in new research from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** GRID OF SH*T HITS THE FAN: Westminster has been thrust into a state of news chaos this evening, with numerous huge stories splattering up the walls all at the same time. Speeding bulletin train: The director of public prosecutions is live-baiting Whitehall about the collapsed China espionage case … while Whitehall waits to get its revenge in the coming minutes … David Lammy is right now explaining to the Commons how our broken justice regime managed to set a high-profile migrant sex offender free — and how it intends to crack down on a regular stream of wrongful releases … and hacks are poring over the deal Keir Starmer announced in the past hour selling European fighter jets to Turkish strongman president Recep Erdoğan … And there’s more: Nigel Farage piled pressure on Keir Starmer over the floundering grooming gangs probe while the Home Office also faced fresh heat over asylum hotels … ministers were dragged to the Commons after a North Sea oil and gas firm filed for administration … and Downing Street *checks notes* posted what looked like someone’s holiday snap to its Insta account. And breathe: Playbook PM will run through the latest on all the above. DPP HEAT: Prosecutions boss Stephen Parkinson said he could not understand why Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins refused to brand China an active threat at the time two Brits allegedly spied for the Asian giant. “We thought that could be evidence that could be given relatively easily,” he told the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy in the past half hour. “But it turned out to be a sticking point.” He said the CPS team felt “disappointed” and “frustrated.” Context blurb: His appearance of course comes amid the brawl that has gripped Westminster for the past two weeks over how exactly the alleged Chinese espionage case ended up collapsing. Parkinson argues Collins could have said China was a greater threat than the Tories were willing to state during their time in office (thus hitting the evidential bar for possible conviction.) But Collins argues he was bound by what the Tories said (or rather didn’t say) at the time. Collins will be up at the same committee from 5.30 p.m. And there’s more: Legal adviser to the DPP Tom Little said he realized the case could not happen after he met Collins in August and Collins said he would not tell a court China posed an active threat to national security at the material time. “That was the million dollar question in the case,” Little told the committee. “It brought this case to a crashing halt.” The hearing continues. ON THE LAM: Justice Secretary (and Deputy PM) David Lammy said prisons have implemented clear checklists for prison governors to make ensure criminals are not let back out on the streets by accident. “These are the strongest release checks that have ever been in place and they will apply to every release from custody, and are effective immediately,” he told the Commons in the past half hour. Context blurb: This one comes after Hadush Kebatu ended up on the run after Chelmsford Prison released him in error last week. Lammy came to the Commons for a statement on the issue — telling MPs Chelmsford will be banned from releasing prisoners for the rest of this week while retired police officer Lynne Owens conducts an investigation into the blunder. One person at the prison has been suspended pending the investigation. Political kickabout: Lammy said he was “livid” about the accident and (of course) blamed the Tories. He said the error was a “symptom of a system that we inherited from the party opposite.” The Tories gave it straight back, with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick branding his counterpart “calamity Lammy” and insisting: “The Kebatu fiasco was a creation entirely of Labour’s own making.” CHRISTMAS FOR TURKS: Keir Starmer an hour ago signed a deal his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdoğan has long hankered after: 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets in exchange for £8 billion. Downing Street was eager to claim the agreement on the planes (manufactured in Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain) will create some 20,000 jobs in the U.K. and save the Warton aircraft production line. It’s the first new order of Typhoons since 2017. What No.10 was less eager to claim … was whether there was a quid pro quo involved for Turkey to stop buying Russian oil. U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to link Erdoğan’s request for American F35s to the issue during a meeting at the White House last month. But it’s not clear whether Starmer received a single assurance on the matter. “Every country should be doing everything they can to end their reliance on Russian oil,” a No.10 spokesperson said. Translation: no comment. Also worth remembering: The U.S. has also blocked F35 sales to Turkey unless it gives up an S-400 surface-to-air missile system it bought from Russia. But No.10 said the S-400 is a matter for Turkey. Translation: no comment. Thinking face emoji: It’s a different approach to last Friday, when Starmer was desperate to show British support for Ukraine. GROOMING HELL: Nigel Farage is “helping” Keir Starmer on the grooming gangs front, with a proposal for parliament to run the long-awaited inquiry into the issue. The Reform boss vowed at a press conference in Westminster this afternoon — alongside grooming victim Ellie-Ann Reynolds — to ask the Commons speaker for a sub-panel of the Home Affairs Committee to investigate the matter. He argued a full probe could be done and dusted in a couple of months, and said lots of grooming crimes could be “attributed to racism.” Speaking of racism: Farage condemned the complaint from his MP Sarah Pochin about adverts being “full” of black and Asian people. He told his press conference he was “unhappy” with Pochin for the “ugly” and “clumsy” comments, which could inspire the “worst of all interpretations.” But he insisted the remarks were not intended to be racist, and were instead a reasonable critique of equalities “madness in the advertising industry.” Other views are available: Starmer said the comments were “shocking racism” while the Lib Dems proposed a Commons petition to rebuke Pochin. MORE HOME OFFICE HEADACHES: A big government plan to move asylum seekers out of hotels was … already debunked by the Home Affairs Committee. Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Radio 4 this morning ministers could use “modular” buildings on government land like disused military sites to create mass accommodation. “I’m expecting announcements to come on that within weeks, so we just have to wait and see,” he said. But but but: In the report it released this morning about the asylum accommodation bin fire, the Home Affairs Committee said large sites “have generally proved more costly to deliver than hotel accommodation and will not enable the department to drive down costs in the same way as expanding dispersal accommodation. If the department chooses to pursue large sites, it needs to fully understand and accept this trade off. It must learn the lessons from its previous mistakes in rushing to deliver short-term solutions that later unravel.” Eek! Of course … the government did its best to blame the Tories (despite the numbers in asylum hotels rising a little since Labour came to power.) During his visit to Turkey, Starmer said “we’re taking the action, but I can’t tell you how frustrated and angry I am that we’ve been left with a mess as big as this by the last government.” OIL BE DAMNED: Energy Minister Michael Shanks was dragged to the Commons this afternoon after fossil fuels firm Petrofac announced its parent holding firm has filed for administration. He noted that a Petrofac restructuring plan failed after a Dutch firm cancelled a contract. “This is the product of longstanding issues with their global business,” he said — stressing that the British business is not affected. But Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie insisted the blame “lies squarely with this Labour government.” Context blurb: Around 2,000 people work for Petrofac in Scotland, with the firm insisting its North Sea business will continue to operate as normal. It also has offices in London, Woking and Great Yarmouth. Administrators have been appointed to oversee its holding firm, but alternative restructuring options are being considered. The Beeb has more details. Heavy metal club: In other industrial news, Britain is pushing to form a steel alliance with the EU in a bid to avoid the tariffs Brussels plans to impose in its trade war with the U.S., my POLITICO colleagues Caroline Hug, Jon Stone and Graham Lanktree scooped earlier. Full writeup here. BUT MUCH OF THE ABOVE WAS OVERSHADOWED, WHEN … the Downing Street Instagram account mysteriously posted a snap of a woman in a bikini somewhere with clear blue skies … then swiftly deleted it. Was a No 10 press officer logged into the wrong account? Launch a public inquiry! DOORSTEP NO MORE: Reporters should stop hanging around outside the homes of politicians to harangue them, while MPs should consider deleting X, according to a committee led by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. His investigation into the abuse and intimidation MPs face said “doorstepping” MPs outside their houses to chase them with questions is “a form of harassment” and not in the public interest, and encouraged hacks to stick to MP workplaces. On social media, the report said MPs should feel “empowered to step away from platforms that pose more harm than benefit.” And there’s more: The report also said the government should legislate to crack down on “disinformation, deepfakes, and doxing” online, and said news organizations should write headlines that are *drum roll* accurate. PRINCE CHURNING: “By disgracing his office, Prince Andrew has relinquished any rights to special treatment at the expense of the taxpayer,” Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey told Radio 4 this morning, on his desire to slag off the Pizza Express-munching princeling in the Commons. Davey said pressure from parliament might encourage regal beancounters to be transparent about who funds Andrew’s 30-room digs. It never ends: A Sun scoop suggests the perspiration-free prince and his ex could move into two other posho royal piles, still covered by taxpayer-funded security. However, according to the paper, the amount the pair would need to stump up in rent is still up for debate. So Andrew might yet find out what it’s like having a normal job. OVER IN THE DESERT: Rachel Reeves is wrapping up a roundtable between U.K. and Saudi businesses over in Riyadh right now, as part of her charm offensive in the Gulf. Before that she talked up how U.K. firms and others can contribute to the whole Saudi Vision 2030 thing, during a reception at the U.K. embassy there. Before that she had bilateral meetings with the Saudi commerce and investment ministers (with good mood music on the GCC free trade talks, according to officials.) And first thing this morning she delivered a pep talk to the dozens of British firms she has in tow about seizing business opportunities in the Gulf. All of which is … a different line from the one Keir Starmer took on the Saudis in 2022, when he blasted Boris Johnson for “going cap in hand from dictator to dictator” in a bid to lower the global oil price. No.10 refused this afternoon to describe the Saudi dictators as “dictators.” The new line is: “Economic partnership can coexist with frank dialogue on areas of disagreement.” Elsewhere in Riyadh: Reeves confirmed during a public chat at the Fortune Global Forum event this morning that she’s looking at “tax and spending” in the upcoming budget, to ensure the government has “sufficient headroom” against future shocks. Which sounds like a tacit admission her £9.9 billion buffer is not enough in the era of low growth. The BBC has a writeup. And speaking of growth: The government is insisting it will stick with plans to give workers day one rights against being fired, despite a warning from its pals at the Resolution Foundation that the measure could slow hiring. No.10 said the current plan remains, while Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Radio 4 about the RF verdict: “I don’t agree with what they are saying here.” STILL TO COME: It’s still DPM David Lammy and new Labour Deputy Leader Lucy Powell addressing the PLP at 6 p.m. Lammy is expected to tell Labour MPs that the Caerphilly by-election result is not exceptional — arguing progressives in Canada, Norway and Australia “have all roared back from deep mid-term lows to win and win decisively new terms,” according to a Labour official. Bookmark that one. READ THE STANDING ORDERS: The Your Party X account resorted to individually replying to members confused about their standing orders after the initial portal debacle — and offered three months free membership as an apology. LAWRENCES OF AFRICA: Podcaster and Tory former minister Rory Stewart said he’d like to trek around the Sahara with Labour’s Armed Forces Minister (and Everest climber) Al Carns — who seemed keen. Alastair Campbell might feel left out. DROPPING LIKE FLIES: Reform UK expelled Kent County Councilors Bill Barrett and Robert Ford for “undermining” its interests and bringing the party into “disrepute.” Barrett had been critical of the council hierarchy and was one of four councilors suspended after a leaked video of council leader Linden Kemkaran swearing emerged. The Telegraph has a writeup. Meanwhile in Cornwall: Reform’s former council leader Rob Parsonage left the party alongside his wife Christine Parsonage and Anna Thomason-Kenyon. The trio joined forces with the group’s ex-deputy leader Rowland O’Connor and Karen Knight to form the breakaway Cornish Independent Nonaligned Group. It makes the Lib Dems the largest party on the local authority. Cornwall Live has more info. IN SUDAN: Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces claimed to have seized control of the besieged city of El Fasher 18 months after it tried to claim the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the western region of Darfur. At least 250,000 civilians have been trapped while hundreds of thousands of others have fled their homes. U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the city was “at breaking point.” Al Jazeera has the grim story. FLYING OVER LITHUANIA: Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Lithuania will permanently close its border with Belarus and shoot down any balloons entering its airspace. My continental colleagues have more. STUCK IN AMERICA: Downing Street confirmed the Foreign Office is “in contact with the family of a British man detained in the U.S., and is in touch with the local authorities” after British journalist Sami Hamdi was arrested by American immigration agents in San Francisco. The Independent has the rundown. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, nearly half – 46% – of business-to-business firms in sectors, such as finance, law, and marketing, say their organisation currently uses AI. This contrasts just 26% of business-to-consumer firms and manufacturers that report using AI. AI is helping small businesses boost productivity and resilience across sectors. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. These AI agents are built to handle everything from routine tasks to complex workflows, helping every business unlock efficiency, agility, and clarity. Learn more about how AI is transforming the small business landscape in a new report from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) focuses on the Home Affairs Committee report about asylum hotels … BBC News at Six leads on the trial of the alleged stalker of Madeleine McCann’s family … ITV Evening News (6.30 p.m.) looks at Justice Secretary David Lammy’s reaction to the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu … Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) analyses the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Labour MP and Home Affairs Committee member Chris Murray (5.05 p.m.). Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Chris Murray … former Director of Public Prosecutions David Calvert-Smith … former Royal United Services Institute Director General Karin von Hippel … former Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Roberts … Rud Pedersen’s Jo Tanner and former Labour adviser Matthew Laza (both 6 p.m.). BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Former Home Office civil servant Ian Acheson. News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Reform UK adviser Vanessa Frake-Harris (5.15 p.m.) … Royal United Services Institute Director of Military Sciences Matthew Savill (5.30 p.m.) … Public First’s Adam Drummond (6.45 p.m.). Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Labour peer Kevan Jones … Crossbench peer Shaista Gohir … former Met Police Detective Jon Wedger … social housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa. Dewbs and Co (GB News, 6 p.m.): Labour MP Graham Stringer … Reform UK Head of Policy Zia Yusuf. GBN Tonight (GB News, 7 p.m.): Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage. Politics Hub (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Former Tory Cabinet Minister Gillian Keegan … SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn. The Evening Edition with Kait Borsay (Times Radio, 7 p.m.): Labour MP and Home Affairs Committee member Joani Reid (7.10 p.m.) … former Attorney General Dominic Grieve (7.35 p.m.) … former U.S. Department of Defense Middle East Adviser Jasmine El-Gamal (8.15 p.m.). Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois … Lib Dem Deputy LeaderDaisy Cooper … former Tory SpAd Salma Shah … LabourList’s Emma Burnell. Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News, 8 p.m.): Labour MP Marie Tidball … Tory MP Julian Smith … former Labour MP Stephen Pound … former Tory MP John Redwood. Peston (9 p.m. on Twitter, 10.45 p.m. on ITV): Defence Secretary John Healey … Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch … Tory MP Esther McVey … Stephen Flynn. Patrick Christys Tonight (GB News, 9 p.m.): Former Tory Chair Jake Berry. Newsnight (BBC 2, 10.30 p.m.): Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft … Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron. TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Louis O’Brien. REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Broadcaster Carolyn Quinn and the FT’s George Parker … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Telegraph’s Tony Diver and the Guardian’s Jessica Elgot. KINGS OF THE NORTH: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram host the, er, West London launch of their book “Head North: A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain” at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 7 p.m. HAPPENING OVERNIGHT: The Housing Committee has a report out about government promises to build 1.5 million homes … and the Treasury Committee has a report out about the National Wealth Fund. UNION DISUNITY: Ballots in Unison’s general secretary election open. Incumbent Christina McAnea faces a challenge from Andrea Egan. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Women’s health. STILL ON TOUR: Chancellor Rachel Reeves will still be in Saudi Arabia and is expected to appear on a CNBC panel alongside Qatari and Turkish counterparts. LUCKY RACHEL GETS TO SKIP … Cabinet, which is happening at 9.30 a.m. as per. WATER BOARD: Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy faces the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee from 10 a.m. CRUMBLING CLASSROOMS: Education Minister Josh MacAlister is quizzed by the Education Committee about the RAAC crisis in schools, from 10.30 a.m. IN THE COMMONS: MPs turn up at 11.30 a.m. for FCDO questions and a Conservative opposition day debate. IN THE LORDS: Peers dribble in from 2.30 p.m. for questions, then the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill at committee stage, consideration of Commons amendments to the Employment Rights Bill and the first day at report stage of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. UNREPORTED WORLD: Foreign Office Minister Jenny Chapman is at the International Development Committee to discuss the crisis in Sudan, from 1.30 p.m. NEVER-ENDING PROBLEM: Met Police Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor faces the Home Affairs Committee on extremism, from 3 p.m. WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: On his Substack, Lib Dem President and polling expert Mark Pack notes that the Labour deputy leadership polls weren’t *too* wrong (aside from Survation giving Lucy Powell an 18-point lead when she ended up with a 9-point lead.) But the one MRP ahead of the Caerphilly by-election (also Survation — eek!) was waaay out, suggesting Reform was four points ahead of Plaid, when Plaid ended up 11 points ahead. It was correct that the Labour vote collapsed, to be fair. But it’s a reminder that MRPs carry the same health warnings as standard (often wrong) polling — because standard polling remains their basis. PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Jerk pork with rice and peas; soy and lime sea bream with pak choi, stir baby corn, beansprouts and sesame rice noodles; veggie samosa with dhal and kachumba salad … The Debate: Marinated feta with eggplant and butter bean stew, parsley quinoa, pomegranate and mint; Hanoian turmeric hake with stir-fried spring onion and dill, rice vermicelli, nuoc cham vinaigrette and crushed peanuts; jerk pork with rice and peas … Terrace Cafeteria: Moroccan chickpea stew with ginger tofu, zucchini and toasted almonds; cod and smoked mackerel fishcake with horseradish and caper mayo, roast apple and kale; jerk pork with rice and peas. ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: On Oct. 27, 1967, the Abortion Act received royal assent … while on the same day in 1986, the London financial markets were deregulated. And in 2023, Boris Johnson‘s GB News show was announced — but he’s yet to start presenting it two years on. WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Dan Bloom. THANKS TO: My editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Digital Bridge | China Watcher | Berlin Bulletin | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
|
Emilio Casalicchio
|
[] |
Uncategorized
|
[] |
2025-10-27T17:11:55Z
|
2025-10-27T17:11:55Z
|
2025-10-27T17:17:04Z
| 7,382,826
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/london-playbook-pm-grid-of-sht-hits-the-fan//
|
|
Update: Vor Merz’ Türkei-Reise – Erdoğans Gegner weiter im Visier
|
Listen on Friedrich Merz trifft den türkischen Präsidenten Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – und das vor dem Hintergrund massiver innenpolitischer Spannungen in der Türkei: Ein neuer Haftbefehl gegen Oppositionsführer Ekrem İmamoğlu, staatliche Eingriffe in die Pressefreiheit und wachsendes Misstrauen gegenüber Deutschland. Gemeinsam mit Deniz Yücel analysiert Rixa Fürsen, was die Reise des Kanzlers bedeutet – politisch, wirtschaftlich und strategisch. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und für alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Unser Berlin Playbook-Newsletter liefert jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Hier gibt es alle Informationen und das kostenlose Playbook-Abo. Mehr von Berlin Playbook-Host und Executive Editor von POLITICO in Deutschland, Gordon Repinski, gibt es auch hier: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.
|
Gordon Repinski
|
[
"defense",
"der podcast",
"eu governance",
"german politics",
"migration",
"playbook",
"politics"
] |
Playbook
|
[
"Turkey"
] |
2025-10-27T16:39:01Z
|
2025-10-27T16:39:01Z
|
2025-10-27T16:39:08Z
| 7,399,791
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/berlin-playbook-podcast/update-vor-merz-turkei-reise-erdogans-gegner-weiter-im-visier/
|
|
EU opens door to watered down climate law over 2040 emissions target impasse
|
European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. BRUSSELS — The EU is considering allowing its heavy industry to pollute for longer under a new draft proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock on the bloc's 2040 goal for cutting planet-warming emissions. Under pressure to strike a deal before the COP30 climate summit starting Nov. 10 in Brazil, Denmark, which is steering the talks among EU countries, is opening the door to slowing the EU's climate efforts. The intention is to win support from the majority of countries to back the target of an 90 percent emissions cut by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The text, obtained by POLITICO, proposes that the EU assess progress toward achieving the new 2040 climate goal every two years, taking into account "scientific evidence, technological advances and evolving challenges to and opportunities for the EU’s global competitiveness." The European Commission could then suggest legislative changes, the document adds, meaning Brussels could adjust — and potentially weaken — its target in future. The suggestion comes after EU leaders discussed competitiveness and climate policy at a summit last week and pitched ideas to unlock the stalemate in the negotiations. A number of leaders called on the EU to set pragmatic climate goals and introduce more flexibilities to reach them, something that is now reflected in the new compromise document. But allowing the EU to decelerate its climate efforts could see it miss the 2040 goal, or force it to rely on other instruments to reach it, such as outsourcing more emissions cuts to poorer countries. The Danish presidency proposes to introduce measures to avoid penalizing one sector (such as heavily polluting industries) if other sectors (e.g. forestry, which contributes to sequestering carbon in forests) can't meet their emissions reduction or absorption targets. The proposal states that "possible shortfalls in one sector would not be at the expense of other economic sectors, notably industrial sectors under the EU [Emissions Trading System]." The document does not propose changing the headline 90 percent emissions cut target as proposed by the Commission in July. But it does raise the possibility of changing how much international carbon offsets — an instrument that allows the EU to outsource emissions cuts abroad — should contribute to achieving the target. The Commission proposed capping their use at 3 percent starting in 2036, but member countries including France and Poland have suggested 5 percent or 10 percent. It's expected to be a key topic in negotiations this week and next, according to one EU diplomat. The document also states that the bloc's climate goals should not be pursued at the expense of the EU's military priorities. When designing new climate legislation, the Commission should take into account "the need to ensure the Union’s and its Member States’ capacity to rapidly increase and strengthen their defensive capacity by addressing possible burdens while maintaining incentives for industrial decarbonisation," the document reads. The compromise text will now be discussed by EU country envoys on Wednesday and Friday with the aim of allowing environment ministers to strike a deal Nov. 4. Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.”
|
Louise Guillot
|
European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal.
|
[
"2040 climate target",
"carbon",
"carbon removals",
"co2",
"competitiveness",
"cop30",
"cutting emissions",
"emissions",
"environment",
"european green deal",
"negotiations",
"pollution"
] |
Energy and Climate
|
[
"Denmark",
"France",
"Poland"
] |
2025-10-27T15:25:50Z
|
2025-10-27T15:25:50Z
|
2025-10-27T19:26:34Z
| 7,397,490
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-climate-law-2040-emissions-target/
|
Balloon-smuggling warrants new Belarus sanctions, Lithuania urges EU
|
Repeated incursions, some relating to “hybrid war,” should be met with trade restrictions, tariffs and air defense investments, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys tells POLITICO. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — The EU must impose new trade restrictions on Belarus to degrade its military industries and deprive it of the ability to wage hybrid war, Lithuania's foreign minister warned Monday. Speaking to POLITICO just hours after Lithuania closed its border with neighboring Belarus after a wave of car-sized balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes crossed into its airspace, Kęstutis Budrys said there must be consequences for the incursions, even if they're not direct security threats. "We have to expand the Belarusian sanctions regime, including hybrid activities as one of the reasons," he said. "We have to synchronize sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and there are some sectoral sanctions that we are not synchronized [on], like aviation." There are concerns that the Moscow-allied Belarusian state has become a hub for circumventing restrictions on plane parts and other key components that the Kremlin struggles to obtain due to massive sanctions imposed by the EU and its Western partners. At the same time, Budrys went on, the EU needs to "get serious" on plans to tariff Belarus' remaining exports to the bloc, calling for punitive new levies "on Belarusian exports and goods and also on Russian." According to the Lithuanian government, the balloon incursions are a tactic in its "hybrid war" against the West, which has for years also seen thousands of would-be migrants brought in and trafficked to the border to try and destabilize the Baltic countries and Poland. Dozens of balloons detected in Lithuania's airspace in recent days have seen flights grounded and the military ordered to shoot down foreign objects. Ostensibly sent by smugglers trying to bring cheap cigarettes into the EU, Lithuania's prime minister said Monday the inflatables are part of a coordinated attack on the country and has ordered the border closed to almost all traffic. Lithuania, Budrys said, will now work with NATO and the EU to determine a joint response and expects not just political support "but also very concrete measures against the Belarusian regime, sending them the clear message that it won't be tolerated when they weaponize now yet again another instrument against us." A string of warplane incursions and drones flying across EU airspace in previous months sparked efforts to agree a bloc-wide air defense program initially dubbed a "drone wall" — however, the plans failed to garner immediate support and work is ongoing to refine longer-term projects to boost joint capabilities. Lithuania and other frontier countries have been urging faster action. "The Belarusians are helping us with this," Budrys noted ironically. "They're just sending additional strong arguments and examples why we need it and what we need. And our argument is that if we are not stopping them here, they will do it elsewhere." The EU has strengthened sanctions on Belarus since autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko was accused of rigging a disputed 2020 election in his favor and offering up the former Soviet republic as a launchpad for Russian attacks on Ukraine. While the EU's 19th package of sanctions to be imposed on Moscow since the start of its war on Ukraine includes new measures against Belarusian firms and will enter into force in the coming weeks, experts warn there is still widespread circumvention that enables the two countries to sustain their war economies. Both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa condemned Belarus’ actions. “This is destabilization. This is provocation. We call it by its name: a hybrid threat,” von der Leyen wrote in a social media post on Monday. “This is yet another reason to accelerate our flagships — the Eastern Flank Watch and the European drone defense initiative.” Costa said “these hybrid activities must stop, and Belarus must prevent further incidents. The EU will continue to put pressure on the regime for its complicity in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and will support the protection of the EU’s eastern border.” Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda thanked von der Leyen and Costa, writing "together, we will protect the EU borders." Ferdinand Knapp contributed reporting. Budapest’s reluctance to point the finger has delayed the bloc’s response for days. Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Restrictions imposed by Washington will force the company to end its exports to European countries.
|
Gabriel Gavin
|
Repeated incursions, some relating to “hybrid war,” should be met with trade restrictions, tariffs and air defense investments, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys tells POLITICO.
|
[
"air defense",
"airspace",
"aviation",
"baltics",
"borders",
"defense",
"drones",
"exports",
"military",
"safety",
"sanctions",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"war",
"mobility",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Trade
|
[
"Belarus",
"Lithuania",
"Poland",
"Russia"
] |
2025-10-27T14:42:19Z
|
2025-10-27T14:42:19Z
|
2025-10-28T11:51:09Z
| 7,398,402
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/balloon-incursions-warrant-new-belarus-sanctions-lithuania-kestutis-budrys-says/
|
Make boring great again: Dutch anti-populist’s plan to beat Wilders
|
“I’m not ordered to be the funniest or to make the craziest remarks,” said Christian Democrat Henri Bontenbal. AI generated Text-to-speech EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands — “You don’t see me lash out against other parties that often.” Henri Bontenbal, leader of the center-right Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal, has just finished a two-hour event at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven when reporters asked why he avoids sparring with far-right leader Geert Wilders ahead of this month’s national elections. Bontenbal, a former energy consultant and a relative newcomer to politics, is sitting on the stage where he has nerdily lectured an audience about the importance of collaboration and trust in the political realm. “Other parties occasionally give us a slap,” he admits. “But we continue to tell our own story.” Bontenbal entered the political arena in an era defined by characters such as Wilders and Donald Trump. It’s also a time when politicians continuously attack each other and make outlandish claims in a snackable format on social media. But Bontenbal has taken a different approach. “Bontenbal is in many views the anti-populist,” wrote Simon Van Teutem, a Dutch columnist at news site The Correspondent, in a September profile. The approach is fitting for the 42-year-old, raised as one of eight in a Protestant family in Rotterdam, who takes pride in sharing that he still reads the Bible daily. After two chaotic years, Bontenbal’s message of decency, stability and trust is suddenly resonating with voters. Dutch voters head back to the polling booths on Oct. 29, after the last government fell barely a year into office. The CDA is neck and neck for second in the polls alongside a joint Socialist-Greens ticket, at around 24 seats, behind Wilders’ far-right PVV at 31 seats. That’s set to make the party one of the election’s big winners and Bontenbal a potential kingmaker in government negotiations. Bontenbal’s political career began unexpectedly in 2021, when he became a temporary member of parliament, filling in for the illustrious former politician Pieter Omtzigt. In the November 2023 elections, CDA’s support crumbled to five seats shortly after Bontenbal had taken over — in part because of the success of Omtzigt’s new rival party. Back then, Bontenbal’s leadership of the center-right seemed doomed. Fast forward two years and the mood in Eindhoven, a breeding ground for top companies including ASML and Philips, is bright. The venue in the Netherlands’ “smartest square km” is packed for an event in honor of a local candidate. But Bontenbal — known to voters as Henri — is top of the ticket. Beer mats read “Henri, one more round?” On the tables are copies of his new book, It Really Can Be Different. On stage in Eindhoven, Botenbal lists four priorities for the election, “which we all know are top of the list”: housing shortages, how to handle asylum-seekers, the country’s nitrogen emissions crisis and investments in the economy of the future. He also doubles down on the Netherlands’ longing for political calm, as the country nears the third election in under five years. He champions “stability,” “decency,” and “trust” and wears being boring as a badge of pride. Addressing a venue packed with entrepreneurs, he promises them a “reliable government” and a long-term investment agenda. “If I speak to entrepreneurs, the first they ask for is not to lower taxes, but what they ask for is: can you please keep things stable in the next few years?” Bontenbal’s spiel is geared toward welcoming the centrist Christian Democratic voters back, as much through style as substance. “The country is longing for a stable government,” he told a candidates’ TV debate Thursday — adding that while Wilders is “the best megaphone for dissatisfaction and anger,” he feels that politicians can do better. “Politics is not a theatre, not a circus,” Bontenbal told the talk show RTL Tonight recently after an analyst said that TV viewers had perceived him as decent yet boring in the first televised debate. “I’m not ordered to be the funniest or to make the craziest remarks,” Bontenbal added. Being boring is a quality, the analyst agreed. Eight investment companies invited to Brussels to discuss their involvement. Automakers worry they’re in for a repeat of pandemic-era chip shortages after Dutch seizure of Nexperia. Deepfake video showed Catherine Connolly had withdrawn from race. Far-right PVV and GreenLeft-Labor were overrepresented as suggested picks, in a test of how four chatbots gave voter advice.
|
Pieter Haeck
|
“I’m not ordered to be the funniest or to make the craziest remarks,” said Christian Democrat Henri Bontenbal.
|
[
"asylum",
"books",
"career",
"collateral",
"companies",
"crisis",
"elections",
"energy",
"investment",
"media",
"parliament",
"social media",
"stability"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-27T12:11:22Z
|
2025-10-27T12:11:22Z
|
2025-10-28T13:11:27Z
| 7,348,134
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/the-dutch-centrist-plan-beat-geert-wilders-being-boring/
|
Trump dangles prospect of Mar-a-Lago visit for Xi
|
U.S. president hints at reciprocal summits with Chinese leader next year as trade talks are revived. AI generated Text-to-speech U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to visit China next year and that President Xi Jinping would likely travel to “maybe Washington or Palm Beach or someplace” sometime after. “We pretty much agreed that I’ll be going to China,” Trump said, talking to reporters on Air Force One, as he dangled the prospect of reciprocal summits to the Chinese leader. The comments come as U.S. and Chinese officials said they had reached a framework for a trade deal ahead of Trump’s meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea this Thursday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the agreement would ensure that China does not impose export controls on rare earths and that the U.S. would not move forward with 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports slated for Nov. 1. It would also include “a final deal” on the sale of video-sharing platform TikTok in the U.S., Bessent added. Trump said Saturday, as he boarded his flight to Malaysia, that both sides may make sacrifices to ease tensions. “Sure, they’ll have to make concessions,” Trump said. “I guess we will, too.” He warned that “157 percent tariffs” on Chinese goods were “not sustainable for them,” while reiterating his willingness to “press ahead” with measures if talks falter. “I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Trump said Monday. “He likes me a lot, I believe, and respects me. And I think he respects our country a lot. We’re going to have a successful transaction for both countries.” Trump visited Beijing as U.S. president in November 2017. Xi had visited the U.S. in April of that same year, when the two leaders met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. At the time, a White House spokesperson said the Chinese delegation had requested Mar-a-Lago as the venue for the meeting. During dinner — where Trump served the Chinese leader one of his favorite meals, dry-aged steak and whipped potatoes — he joked to reporters, “We had a long discussion already and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing.” But he added the two leaders had “developed a friendship.” You need a therapist. No, you need a therapist. Commission and medicines regulator stress “no evidence” linking paracetamol in pregnancy to autism, countering Trump’s earlier remarks. A new round of discussions will involve seven bloc nations, Ukraine and the European Commission. A Kremlin spokesperson said NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe was a “root cause” of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of its neighbor.
|
Lola Boom
|
U.S. president hints at reciprocal summits with Chinese leader next year as trade talks are revived.
|
[
"apec",
"asia",
"cooperation",
"exports",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"u.s. foreign policy",
"u.s. politics",
"trade uk"
] |
Trade
|
[
"China",
"South Korea",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T12:03:03Z
|
2025-10-27T12:03:03Z
|
2025-10-27T12:04:39Z
| 7,397,622
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-dangles-return-china-xi-jinping-visit-to-the-us/
|
Musk back in Trump’s good graces after summer of public feuding
|
U.S. president confirms he and the billionaire have been chatting again since last month, marking a revival of a key alliance. AI generated Text-to-speech U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he’s been in touch with Elon Musk, saying the two have spoken “on and off” since sitting together at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral last month in Arizona and that their relationship is “good.” “I’ve always liked Elon,” Trump said in response to a question from POLITICO aboard Air Force One en route to Japan. “He had a bad spell. He had a bad moment. But I like Elon, and I suspect I’ll always like him.” The comments are the latest sign of a notable thaw between two men after a summer of public feuding. Trump and Musk clashed repeatedly, exchanging personal insults and political threats as the tech billionaire and X owner said he might back candidates to run against Republicans, and even form a political party named the “America Party.” Trump at the time warned that Musk would face “very serious consequences” if he followed through and even suggested turning the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk oversaw in its early days, against the billionaire. The renewed friendliness between Trump and Musk could carry major political and financial implications heading toward elections in 2026 and 2028. As the owner of X, Musk remains one of the most influential voices in conservative media, with the potential to move races with hefty donations. The president brought signature elements of his campaign events, and announced a $10 billion Toyota commitment in the US. U.S. president also floats JD Vance and Marco Rubio as top alternate contenders, given the constitution bars him from running for a third term. A new $500 million federal program will help arm state and local governments against potential attacks, part of an increasing focus by tournament planners on securing airspace over stadiums. The first lady, in rare public remarks, said eight children have been reunified in past 24 hours.
|
Sophia Cai
|
U.S. president confirms he and the billionaire have been chatting again since last month, marking a revival of a key alliance.
|
[
"u.s. politics"
] |
Politics
|
[
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T11:48:22Z
|
2025-10-27T11:48:22Z
|
2025-10-27T13:47:01Z
| 7,398,057
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/us-elon-musk-back-in-donald-trump-good-graces-after-summer-of-public-feuding/
|
Balloon-smuggling surge prompts Lithuania to permanently shut border with Belarus
|
“We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” prime minister says. Lithuania intends to permanently close its border with Belarus and shoot down any balloons entering its airspace, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Monday.“We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” Ruginienė said at a press conference following a meeting of the National Security Commission. “The armed forces will take all necessary measures, including kinetic measures to shoot down the balloons,” Ruginienė added. The border is currently closed pending a decision that will be made at a government meeting on Wednesday. It will remain open for EU nationals leaving Belarus and for diplomatic movement. Lithuanian authorities shut down airspace over Vilnius four times last week and three times over the weekend due to balloons from Belarus violating the country’s airspace. More than 170 flights were disrupted, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The National Crisis Management Center reported that radar systems tracking Lithuanian airspace detected 66 objects traveling from Belarus into Lithuania Sunday night, about double the number recorded the previous night.The balloons, used by smugglers to transport contraband cigarettes from Belarus, are suspected to be hybrid operations. As a result, Lithuania is considering harsher penalties for smuggling, including imprisonment. Ruginienė also said Lithuania will push for additional sanctions on Belarus at the EU level and did not rule out invoking NATO’s Article 4, which calls for urgent discussions with allies when a member fears its security is at risk. The article has been invoked only nine times in the alliance’s 76-year history, including twice in the last month alone after Russia violated Estonian and Polish airspace. Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO had said last week that the issue should be treated as an internal problem rather than a matter for the alliance.An adviser to Lithuania’s president had earlier said that shooting down balloons with firearms is “a mission impossible,” as they fly at an altitude of 8 kilometers above the ground and, depending on weather conditions, at a speed of 100 to 200 kilometers per hour.Europe has been grappling with how to protect its airspace after a spate of drone sightings and airport closures in recent months. Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents. Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention. “Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root,” judge writes in anonymous letter laying out how criminality seeps into every part of Belgian society. “It was a question of time before this would happen,” president rails amid months-long anti-government protests.
|
Ketrin Jochecová
|
“We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” prime minister says.
|
[
"air defense",
"airports",
"airspace",
"borders",
"drones",
"hybrid threats",
"intelligence"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Lithuania"
] |
2025-10-27T11:48:06Z
|
2025-10-27T11:48:06Z
|
2025-10-27T11:58:57Z
| 7,397,625
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/lithuania-plans-permanently-shuts-down-border-belarus-after-smuggling-balloons-incidents/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
|
Why we must work together for a balanced drinking culture
|
Moderation in alcohol consumption is a trend that’s here to stay. But that doesn’t mean that the conversation about creating responsible drinking habits is over. Alcohol has been enjoyed in societies for thousands of years, playing a role in celebrations and gatherings across the world. While misuse continues to cause harm, it’s encouraging to see that, according to World Health Organization data, trends are moving in the right direction. Consumers are better informed and increasingly aware of the benefits of moderation. While Diageo is only relatively young — founded in 1997 — our roots run deep. Many of our brands date back centuries, some as far back as the 1600s. From iconic names such as Guinness and Johnnie Walker to modern innovations like Tanqueray 0.0, we are proud to continue that legacy by building and sustaining exceptional brands that resonate across generations and geographies. We want to be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world — grounded in a strong sense of responsibility. That means being transparent about the challenges, proactive in promoting responsible drinking, and collaborative in shaping the future of alcohol policy. We are proud of the progress made, but we know there is more to do. Lasting change requires a whole-of-society approach, bringing together governments, health experts, civil society and the private sector. We believe a more balanced, evidence-based dialogue is crucial; one that recognizes both the risks of harmful drinking and the opportunities to drive positive change. Our brands are woven into cultural and social traditions around the world, and the industry contributes significantly to employment, local economies and public revenues. Recognizing this broader context is essential to shaping effective, proportionate and collaborative alcohol policies. Public-private collaboration brings together the strengths of different sectors, and these partnerships help scale impactful programs. We believe a more balanced, evidence-based dialogue is crucial; one that recognizes both the risks of harmful drinking and the opportunities to drive positive change. Across markets, consumers are increasingly choosing to drink more mindfully. Moderation is a long-term trend — whether it’s choosing a non-alcoholic alternative, enjoying fewer drinks of higher quality, or exploring the choice ready-to-drink formats offer, people are drinking better, not more, something Diageo has long advocated. Moderation is not a limitation; it’s a mindset. One of the ways we’re leading in this space is through our expanding non-alcoholic portfolio, including the acquisition of Ritual Beverage Company in the US and our investment in Guinness 0.0. This growing diversity of options empowers individuals to choose what’s right for them, in the moment. Moderation is about choice, and spirits can also offer creative ways to moderate, such as mixing alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients to craft serves like the ‘lo-groni’, or opting for a smaller measure in your gin and tonic. Governments are increasingly taking proportionate approaches to alcohol regulation, recognizing the value of collaboration and evidence-based policy. There’s growing interest in public-private partnerships and regulatory rationality, working together to achieve our shared goal to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. In the UK, underage drinking is at its lowest since records began, thanks in part to initiatives like Challenge 25, a successful public-private collaboration that demonstrates the impact of collective, targeted action. Moderation is not a limitation; it’s a mindset. Diageo has long championed responsible drinking through campaigns and programs that are measurable and scalable. Like our responsible drinking campaign, The Magic of Moderate Drinking, which is rolled out across Europe, and our programs such as Sober vs Drink Driving, and Wrong Side of the Road, which are designed to shift behaviors, not just raise awareness. In Ireland, we brought this commitment to life at the All Together Now music, art, food and wellness festival with the launch of the TO.0UCAN pub in 2024, the country’s first-ever non-alcoholic bar at a music festival. Serving Guinness 0.0 on draught, it reimagined the traditional Irish pub experience, offering a fresh and inclusive way for festival-goers to enjoy the full energy and atmosphere of the event without alcohol. Another example comes from our initiative Smashed. This theatre-based education program, developed by Collingwood Learning and delivered by a network of non-government organizations, educates young people and helps them understand the dangers of underage drinking, while equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to resist peer pressure. Diageo sponsors and enables Smashed to reach millions of young people, teachers and parents across the globe, while ensuring that no alcohol brands of any kind are mentioned. In 2008, we launched DRINKiQ, a first-of-its-kind platform to help people understand and be informed about alcohol, its effects, and how to enjoy it responsibly. Today, DRINKiQ is a dynamic, mobile-first platform, localized in over 40 markets. It remains a cornerstone of our strategy. Diageo has long championed responsible drinking through campaigns and programs that are measurable and scalable. In the UK, our partnership with the Men’s Sheds Association supports older men’s wellbeing through DRINKiQ. Most recently, this collaboration expanded with Mission: Shoulder to Shoulder, a nationwide initiative where Shedders are building 100 buddy benches to spark over 200,000 conversations annually. The campaign promotes moderation and connection among older men, a cohort most likely to drink at increasing or higher risk levels. Across all our partnerships, we focus on the right message, in the right place, at the right time. They also reflect our belief that reducing harmful drinking requires collective action. Our message is simple: Diageo is ready to be a proactive partner. Let’s build on the progress made and stay focused on the shared goal: reducing harm. With evidence-based policies, strong partnerships and public engagement, we can foster a drinking culture that is balanced, responsible and sustainable. Together, we can make real progress — for individuals, communities and society as a whole. The above column is sponsor-generated content. To learn more about our advertising solutions, click here. The above column is sponsor-generated content. To learn more about our advertising solutions, click here. §§cs§§
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Dan Mobley, global corporate relations director, Diageo
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Moderation in alcohol consumption is a trend that’s here to stay. But that doesn’t mean that the conversation about creating responsible drinking habits is over.
|
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"alcohol",
"beverages",
"buildings",
"companies",
"culture",
"data",
"education",
"employment",
"energy",
"industry",
"investment",
"markets",
"mobile",
"music",
"platforms",
"public-private partnerships",
"regulation",
"regulatory",
"rights",
"roads",
"space",
"uk"
] |
Agriculture and Food
|
[
"Ireland"
] |
2025-10-27T11:43:06Z
|
2025-10-27T11:43:06Z
|
2025-10-27T11:43:13Z
| 7,389,687
|
https://www.politico.eu/sponsored-content/why-we-must-work-together-for-a-balanced-drinking-culture/
|
Trump says he’d ‘love to’ run in 2028
|
U.S. president also floats JD Vance and Marco Rubio as top alternate contenders, given the constitution bars him from running for a third term. AI generated Text-to-speech U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in Monday on who might lead the Republican Party after he leaves office, naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as top contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination. But he kept the door open to … himself. Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Japan, Trump responded to suggestions that he should seek an unconstitutional third term, an idea recently floated by former White House strategist Steve Bannon. “I would love to do it — I have the best numbers ever,” Trump said when asked about Bannon’s comments. Trump, however, went on to add that he “hasn’t really thought about” running again. “We have some really good people,” he said. When pressed to name names, Trump gestured toward Rubio, who had walked back to the press cabin to speak with reporters. “We have great people — I don’t need to get into that. One of them is standing right here,” Trump said. He went on to praise his vice president, Vance, who has taken a prominent role in the administration on a range of domestic and national security issues. “Obviously JD is great. The vice president is great,” Trump said. “I’m not sure anyone would run against those two.” Bannon has been among the most vocal of those pushing for Trump to try for a third term. “There is a plan,” he said in a recent podcast, suggesting that Trump could make another run despite constitutional limits preventing him. The president brought signature elements of his campaign events, and announced a $10 billion Toyota commitment in the US. U.S. president confirms he and the billionaire have been chatting again since last month, marking a revival of a key alliance. A new $500 million federal program will help arm state and local governments against potential attacks, part of an increasing focus by tournament planners on securing airspace over stadiums. The first lady, in rare public remarks, said eight children have been reunified in past 24 hours.
|
Sophia Cai
|
U.S. president also floats JD Vance and Marco Rubio as top alternate contenders, given the constitution bars him from running for a third term.
|
[
"rule of law",
"u.s. elections",
"u.s. presidential campaigns"
] |
Politics
|
[
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T11:05:01Z
|
2025-10-27T11:05:01Z
|
2025-10-28T13:22:51Z
| 7,397,928
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/us-donald-trump-says-hed-love-to-run-in-2028/
|
Poland arrests 2 Ukrainians for spying on military
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Polish authorities have linked previous espionage and sabotage incidents directly to Russia or its close ally Belarus. AI generated Text-to-speech Two Ukrainian nationals have been detained in Poland on suspicion of spying for a foreign intelligence service, authorities in Warsaw said Monday morning. Prosecutors handling the case allege that the pair, aged 32 and 34, gathered classified data on “soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces, critical infrastructure located on the territory of the Republic of Poland, including transport infrastructure providing logistical and military support to Ukraine,” the Polish counterintelligence agency ABW said in a statement. The ABW also said the suspects had installed monitoring devices near key facilities to enable “covert tracking of critical infrastructure.” They received payments for their work, the ABW also said. Poland has been on high alert for cases of foreign espionage and sabotage both on the ground and in cyberspace, which authorities have linked directly to Russia or its close ally Belarus. The arrests, which took place on Oct. 14 in the southern Polish city of Katowice, are part of an espionage probe overseen by prosecutors and based on information from the Military Counterintelligence Service SKW. The two Ukrainian nationals were charged with readiness to work for a foreign intelligence service and collecting sensitive information, a crime subject to imprisonment from six months to eight years. Other recent incidents in Poland involved an alleged Belarusian refugee, who Poland says was an operative for Russia, setting fire to a shopping mall near Warsaw; and an alleged attempt that is being investigated to sabotage a railway station by leaving an unmarked railcar on tracks used by passenger trains. The legislation tries to please both those who favor LGBTQ+ rights and staunch conservatives. Polish President Karol Nawrocki is vowing to scuttle any effort to change the legal system set up by the previous Law and Justice party government. The country ranks second in the EU for alcohol-attributable deaths. The closure was prompted by large Russian-led military exercises.
|
Wojciech Kość
|
Polish authorities have linked previous espionage and sabotage incidents directly to Russia or its close ally Belarus.
|
[
"critical infrastructure",
"espionage",
"logistics",
"military",
"defense"
] |
Mobility
|
[
"Belarus",
"Poland",
"Russia",
"Ukraine"
] |
2025-10-27T10:37:17Z
|
2025-10-27T10:37:17Z
|
2025-10-27T10:44:14Z
| 7,397,658
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-arrests-2-ukrainians-for-spying-on-critical-facilities-abw/
|
Russia pierces Ukraine’s defenses in key stronghold
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The Kremlin has accelerated its offensive as it seeks to maximize leverage ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations. Nearly 200 Russian troops entered Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region over the weekend after months of attempts to penetrate the key frontline city, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Sunday. Fighting in the area is "highly dynamic and intense" but Ukraine's troops are not encircled and have managed to recapture some areas around the city and stabilize the situation, according to Kyiv. Russia has been pushing hard to accelerate battlefield gains while Ukraine has fought desperately to prevent Moscow's forces from breaking through, with both sides seeking to maximize their leverage ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address late Sunday that the situation in Pokrovsk was “difficult” and fighting was “fierce," adding that success in the strategically located city is "critically important." On Friday, Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation, said Kyiv, Moscow and Washington were “quite close” to a deal on a ceasefire, after Zelenskyy said freezing the war along the current frontlines was “a good compromise.” Kyiv and its European allies want U.S. President Donald Trump to put pressure on Putin to abandon his maximalist position of laying claim to large parts of the Donetsk region that his forces do not control, and accept a ceasefire along the current frontlines. Putin has been dragging his feet on any potential ceasefire or permanent peace deal, dangling and then walking back the prospect of meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy, while continuing to accelerate his attempts to capture more of Ukraine. Russia on Sunday even said it had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile and is preparing to use it in battle. That sparked a rebuke from Trump, who told reporters on board Air Force One: "And I don't think it's an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either. By the way, he ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its, soon, fourth year. That's what he ought to do instead of testing missiles." “This is a test,” says Russian satirist Viktor Shenderovich. “We have to speak out against this bully. He’s not stopping. And it’s not just comedy. He’s gunning for our journalists too,” TV host said, referring to the U.S. president. The U.S. president has threatened huge tariffs against countries that impose “discriminatory” regulations on American tech companies. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said the recognition would happen only after Hamas releases all Israeli hostages and no longer manages Palestine.
|
Zoya Sheftalovich
|
The Kremlin has accelerated its offensive as it seeks to maximize leverage ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations.
|
[
"war",
"war in ukraine",
"politics"
] |
Defense
|
[
"Russia",
"Ukraine",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T09:27:02Z
|
2025-10-27T09:27:02Z
|
2025-10-27T09:55:14Z
| 7,397,316
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/russian-troops-break-through-pokrovsk-vladimir-putin-seeks-upper-hand-peace-talks/
|
Belgium is basically a narco-state, top Antwerp judge warns
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“Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root,” judge writes in anonymous letter laying out how criminality seeps into every part of Belgian society. Drug-trafficking is turning Belgium into a narco-state and the rule of law is under threat, an Antwerp judge wrote in an anonymous letter published Monday asking the federal government for urgent help. "What is happening today in our district and beyond is no longer a classic crime issue. We are facing an organized threat that undermines our institutions," the investigating judge wrote in the missive published on the official website of the Belgian court system. "Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root, becoming a parallel power that challenges not only the police but also the judiciary. The consequences are serious: are we evolving into a narco-state? No way, you think? Exaggerated? According to our drug commissioner, this evolution is already underway. My colleagues and I share that concern," the judge added. The massive Port of Antwerp acts as a gateway for illegal narcotics to enter Belgium — and Europe more widely. Brussels, the country's capital, has been plagued by a spate of drug-related shootings, with more than 60 incidents this year alone, 20 of them occurring just this summer. In response to the bloodbath, Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said he wants to deploy soldiers on the streets of Brussels. Earlier this year, the Belgian government approved a merger of Brussels’ six police zones into a single unit, set to take effect in early 2027, to tackle the scourge of violence. In the anonymous letter, the judge goes on to note that a narco-state is characterized by an illegal economy, corruption and violence — conditions that Belgium fulfills, in the judge's opinion. The judge notes that money-laundering networks drive up real-estate costs, the corruption penetrates state institutions and kidnappings can be ordered on Snapchat. "This bribery seeps into our institutions. The cases I have led in recent years — and I am just one of 17 investigative judges in Antwerp — have resulted in arrests of employees in key port positions, customs officers, police officers, municipal clerks, and, regrettably, even justice system staff, both inside prisons and right here in this building," the judge's letter reads. "A home attack with a bomb or weapons of war, a home invasion, or a kidnapping are all easily ordered online. You don't even need to go to the dark web; a Snapchat account is all it takes," the judge added. Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents. Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention. “We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated, and we are taking the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” prime minister says. “It was a question of time before this would happen,” president rails amid months-long anti-government protests.
|
Ketrin Jochecová
|
“Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root,” judge writes in anonymous letter laying out how criminality seeps into every part of Belgian society.
|
[
"brussels bubble",
"illicit drugs",
"judiciary",
"law enforcement",
"health care"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Belgium"
] |
2025-10-27T08:57:04Z
|
2025-10-27T08:57:04Z
|
2025-10-27T09:03:19Z
| 7,397,283
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/antwerp-judge-belgium-evolving-narco-state/
|
Trump’s bet pays off as chainsaw-wielding Milei wins big in Argentina midterm election
|
“BIG WIN in Argentina for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate! He’s making us all look good,” U.S. president cheers. Argentinian President Javier Milei's party scored a decisive win in Sunday's legislative elections, sparking celebrations from U.S. President Donald Trump. With more than 99 percent of the ballots counted, according to local media, Milei's austerity-pushing Freedom Advances party pulled in almost 41 percent of the vote, leaving leftist rivals trailing and giving the maverick president more sway in Argentina's Congress. The vote was closely watched in Washington, where the White House has moved in recent weeks to prop up the Argentinian economy, which has been roiled by market uncertainty over Milei's radical policies slashing government spending. "Congratulations to President Javier Milei on his Landslide Victory in Argentina. He is doing a wonderful job! Our confidence in him was justified by the People of Argentina," Trump said on Truth Social in praise of the libertarian leader. In early October, Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. support — in the form of a $20 billion currency swap and a program to purchase Argentinian pesos, leading some to describe it as a bailout — was delivered because "Argentina’s reform agenda is of systemic importance, and a strong, stable Argentina which helps anchor a prosperous Western Hemisphere is in the strategic interest of the United States. Their success should be a bipartisan priority." The mega-billions gamble, which Bessent argued over domestic objections was in line with Trump's America First agenda, paid off Sunday. Trump followed up on his initial congratulations by reposting a message on Truth Social that indicated Milei's success was, in part, due to his close relationship with the U.S. president. He then added: "BIG WIN in Argentina for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate! He’s making us all look good. Congratulations Javier!" “Argentines showed that they don’t want to return to the model of failure,” Milei told a crowd of supporters in Buenos Aires after his clear victory. From playing with Mario Balotelli to helping craft policy in the Berlaymont, Ignazio Cocchiere has been on quite the journey in football and politics. Crowd misbehavior in New York fires up victorious European team. The European Commission has intervened strongly against games being played in foreign countries. As wars rage in Ukraine and Gaza, European football’s figurehead explains why he thinks the world is at its most dangerous point since the 1930s.
|
Ali Walker
|
“BIG WIN in Argentina for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate! He’s making us all look good,” U.S. president cheers.
|
[
"elections",
"south america",
"central banker",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Argentina",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T08:51:09Z
|
2025-10-27T08:51:09Z
|
2025-10-27T08:52:03Z
| 7,397,292
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trumps-bet-pays-off-chainsaw-wielding-javier-milei-wins-big-argentina-midterm-election/
|
Why Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have both left the country
|
Listen on A bruising weekend for Keir Starmer: Labour loses its stronghold Caerphilly seat to Plaid Cymru in a by-election and faces fallout from the mistaken release and chaotic recapture of a convicted sex offender. Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack what went wrong, as a damning report on the asylum system slams the Home Office. Plus, Lucy Powell makes her debut as Labour’s new deputy leader. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has left the country to try to push through a Gulf trade deal. Will she be successful?
|
Anne McElvoy
|
[
"british politics",
"politics at sam and anne’s"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-27T08:15:58Z
|
2025-10-27T08:15:58Z
|
2025-10-27T08:15:58Z
| 7,397,364
|
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-annes/why-keir-starmer-and-rachel-reeves-have-both-left-the-country/
|
|
Home and Away
|
AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By DAN BLOOM with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Monday morning. This is Dan Bloom. HOME (OFFICE) AND AWAY: Keir Starmer will spend the day in Turkey finalizing a deal to sell fighter jets — but his efforts look set to be buried (again) by a blizzard of crime, justice and security stories back home. Before the prime minister returns tonight we’ll have had a Nigel Farage press conference on grooming gangs, a Commons statement on the Epping sex offender who was set free by accident, toe-curling reports on the Home Office and (probably) a public blame game between bureaucrats over the China spy case. And that’s before Labour MPs get together to chat about Friday’s by-election result. On second thoughts … the Bosphorus is nice this time of year. Sh*t job of the day: David Lammy is set to make a Commons statement (at 3.30 p.m. or later, depending on urgent questions) about Friday’s accidental release — and Sunday’s re-capture — of Hadush Kebatu, whose sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl while living at an asylum hotel sparked summer protests. The justice secretary said he’ll announce a “full independent inquiry” and Kebatu should be deported to Ethiopia this week. Opposition benches might be quite full for the “mother of all f*ck-ups.” **A message from Intuit: AI boosts productivity and unlocks growth opportunities for small businesses. Today, more than a third of UK small and mid-sized businesses are using AI, up 10% in just a year. Discover the latest insights on AI adoption in new research from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** Question time: Once MPs have got through the biggest questions (e.g. “WTAF?”) there are some finer details to get into. Lammy will talk about the inquiry’s terms of reference and face questions over his immediate response — namely the three-page list of checks he has imposed before inmates can be released. Prison governors told the Telegraph’s Charles Hymas they could take 45 minutes per prisoner and make Britain’s jail crisis even worse. He can’t win! No seriously, this guy loves a hospital pass: As deputy PM, Lammy was also scheduled to address Labour MPs at tonight’s Parliamentary Labour Party meeting in the wake of the Caerphilly by-election. But more of that in a sec. NIGHTMARE ON MARSHAM STREET: The Home Affairs Committee’s overnight report on asylum hotels is blistering and bound to prompt a separate flurry of questions, including at the 11.30 a.m. briefing for Lobby hacks. It found that … Home Office “incompetence” dating back years allowed the cost of asylum hotel contracts to spiral … providers made “excessive profits” at taxpayer expense … fines for poor performance were applied “late, if at all” … there were “failures of leadership at a senior level” … and ministers wanting “quick results” made things worse. It splashes the Times, Telegraph and Mail, whose David Barrett brands it the worst account of “delinquency and fecklessness” he has read in two decades. Broken Britain: It’s worth pointing out that both of the above stories are about deep and systemic failures that go far beyond one party of government. Not that this will stop the Tories blaming Labour, Labour blaming its Tory predecessors and Reform UK blaming both of them. Not to mention blaming the system — an “ex-Home Office source” tells Barrett Tory ministers weren’t given access to the asylum hotel contracts due to commercial sensitivity, and therefore the failures are the fault of the civil service. But wait! There’s more! The Times’ George Greenwood and Matt Dathan have got hold of an unredacted version of ex-Home Office adviser (now Tory MP) Nick Timothy’s report on the department that was released last week in a freedom of information battle. It said poor coordination between MI5, MI6 and GCHQ meant the intelligence agencies were “failing to keep pace” with threats to national security. A blot on the Blob: Two Home Office sources told the Times that Matthew Rycroft — then permanent secretary — stopped ministers and officials viewing Timothy’s report because he was “terrified” it would leak and he would be blamed for the state of affairs. A source told the paper: “It’s an outrageous way to run a department.” Yikes. Bunker mentality: The report also serves an insight into the miserable life of a home secretary. Up to an hour a day signing warrants. And back to the MOJ: New Sentencing Minister Jake Richards told the Mirror’s Dave Burke he is “terrified” of prisons running out of space. ENTER STAGE RIGHT: Nigel Farage is giving a Westminster press conference at 2 p.m. — and Playbook is told he plans to talk about the government’s grooming gangs inquiry, which restarted its hunt for a chair last week when both candidates pulled out. Its victims’ panel also remains divided over whether Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips should quit. There is no shortage of open goals for the Reform UK leader to kick at here. What Farage may want to talk about: Tory accusations of a “cover-up” by Sadiq Khan, after last week’s scoop by the Express and myLondon that the London mayor responded to reports that contained what looked like grooming-gang allegations, but then said in July there was “no indication” of Rotherham-style rape gangs in London. The issue has built a head of steam after the Met Police revealed this weekend it is reviewing “9,000 cases covering a 15-year period” following Louise Casey’s grooming gangs review. Pushback: Mayoral aides were insisting last night that the Met released its statement on 9,000 historic cases following a request by Khan himself. What Farage won’t want to talk about: His MP Sarah Pochin’s distaste for adverts “full of Black people, full of Asian people” — comments that were branded racist by Labour, the Lib Dems and (eventually) the Tories over the weekend. Will Farage echo his policy chief Zia Yusuf’s caveated defense of her “poorly phrased” remarks, saying she was making a point about representation on TV? One straightforward question: How will Farage respond to demands from the Lib Dems and Lammy that he withdraw the whip? In their happy place: One thing’s for sure — Labour MPs love being allowed to have a proper pop at Reform. Playbook hears Labour WhatsApp groups were enthusiastic about Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s comments on Sunday that Reform “think that our flag only belongs to some of us who look like me,” which (to your author’s ears) went further than before in suggesting the party, not just individual policies or words, is racist. One MP told Playbook: “We have to stop this sh*t before it takes hold in public life.” One to bookmark: In a sure sign that Reform views itself as a party of government, hacks are asked these days to apply for a question at press conferences in advance. Though — unlike with Keir Starmer — Playbook is assured all those attending who apply will get a Q. Let’s ask her too: Kemi Badenoch is set to tape an 11.30 a.m. pool clip in Essex. She’s also due on Robert Peston’s ITV show tonight. It will be worth seeing if the Tory leader is more forthright than her Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp about Pochin’s comments. (Presumably, she’s also practicing the name of her party’s leader in Wales.) BACK TO BASE: Amid all this, Labour MPs will be gathering in the tea room, in PCH and at the PLP for the first time since Friday’s by-election drubbing. The weekend saw reports of MPs tooling up to see the chief whip, and even ex-Deputy Leader Tom Watson continuing his grudge against “pound-shop” Labour SpAds (who could he mean?) in his Sunday Mirror column. “People have the jitters and are obviously very concerned about what’s going to come out in the budget,” as one senior MP put it to Playbook. Speaking of the deputy leader: Lucy Powell is due to address tonight’s PLP meeting after a day of meetings in Labour HQ. MPs could also ask about … Labour’s policy shift toward blaming Brexit for Britain’s economic ills. Bloomberg’s Alex Wickham reported over the weekend that some in Starmer’s administration are arguing privately for him to take the U.K. much closer to the EU. Playbook was struck by one Labour insider who argued to your author that there is not a masterful “Brexit strategy” as such … but multiple strategies by different ministers and No. 10 aides, which overlap a bit without clear direction from the man at the top. What could go wrong? FLASH THOSE GLEAMING SMILES! With all that in London, Starmer’s meeting today with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might feel like a holiday by comparison. Sadly there’s no word of a press conference with the dissent-hating Turkish president, though Britain’s PM is expected to record a pool clip this afternoon. Wheels up: No. 10 said little about the trip in advance, merely that it would focus on defense, security and growth. But all signs are that it’s about sealing a multi-billion-pound deal to sell 40 Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, as Middle East Eye scooped on Sunday. The two sides struck an interim deal in July but Ankara wanted the price to come down, according to MEE. We need to wait for the details … but it seems fair to expect No. 10 to sell this hard as a win for Britain. Officials said in July that it would be the first export order the U.K. had secured for Typhoon since 2017 after Germany dropped its veto on a deal. And it would strengthen ties between Britain and Turkey at a time when we need every friend we can get over the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war. HANDBAGS AT DUSK: Westminster is gearing up for a rare sight — a blockbuster committee hearing. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson will finally break cover in person over the now notorious collapsed China spying case (after doing so in letter form on Friday) and spell out why he could not bring it to trial. Weeks of frustration from MPs and journalists have been leading to this moment. Ding ding: Parkinson is up at the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy from 4.30 p.m., followed by Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald and deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins at 5.30 p.m. Given each side has effectively been passing the buck to the other … could someone please keep Parkinson and Collins apart while they swap seats? The detail … is barely intelligible at this point to anyone who hasn’t read into the case involving Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry (both deny wrongdoing). Those who don’t have a PhD in this story might want to scroll to the next section. For those who do … QUESTIONS FOR PARKINSON: Why didn’t the DPP decide to take the risk and put the case before a jury? There was, after all, a mass of words in Collins’ witness statements about threats posed by China, including that Cash and Berry’s alleged activities were “prejudicial to the safety or interests of the U.K.” Did he get the law wrong, as his critics have suggested? Some more: How relevant (if at all) was Collins’ line about the Labour government’s “positive relationship” with China to the case being dropped? The Mail reported a week ago that this single sentence was the fatal blow. But on Friday Parkinson said the test was different — whether China was “as a matter of fact, an active threat to national security.” And: Will he be drawn on Fiona Hamilton’s reporting in the Times, which has aired a bit of doubt about the evidence and suggested the two men were talking about “trolling” China? QUESTIONS FOR COLLINS: Why could the deputy national security adviser not, according to Parkinson, state that China was an active threat to national security? His own witness statements talked about “large-scale espionage” by the Chinese state and much more. So how was this threshold not met? Some more: Why did an early draft of Collins’ witness statement (before it was shown to Rishi Sunak) contain the word “enemy” if it wasn’t government policy? Since this draft could’ve been disclosed to defense lawyers, was this a blunder? And: Why did he decide to put in a paragraph about the “positive relationship” in the way he did, without (apparently) any political input? And why did it differ from his first statement under the Tories about “open, constructive and predictable relations”? The elephant in the room: Wormald will probably try to say as little of substance on the case as possible. Though he has been in the headlines for other reasons. Will any enterprising MP/peer try him on the wave of bitching about him inside the government? In summary … Playbook is sure the hearing will leave all sides happy. Not. The one sure outcome from this is everyone will cherry-pick what they want from it to prove their point. Silver lining: All this publicity has — probably — had more of an impact on drawing attention to the spy threat in parliament than a full trial would have ever achieved. DEAL IN THE DESERT: Rachel Reeves landed in Riyadh overnight for a two-day visit where she will try to pin down a trade deal with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. The chancellor — who has brought two dozen business chiefs with her and will meet a succession of Gulf ministers — will attend the Fortune Global Forum and have a chat with the business mag’s chief Diane Brady at 8.15 a.m. U.K. time (livestream here). Everything is about the budget: The FT team report that Reeves wants to convince the Office for Budget Responsibility that trade deals — including potentially one with the GCC — should be written into its growth forecasts. That sounds like a tall order, given this one isn’t finished yet and she will receive her third round of OBR forecasts (out of five) on Friday. Close but no cigar: The latest word to Playbook is that there is a slim possibility of a deal being sealed this week, though it is by no means there yet. Bahrain’s ambassador previously told POLITICO’s Morning Trade UK pro newsletter that he expected it to be signed in December. My colleagues reported that one sticking point was how disputes will be resolved — including the rules for firms suing either of the two governments. Meanwhile … will she raise human rights abuses? Officials say she’ll be honest about areas of divergence and cultural differences. Let’s see what form that takes. BUT BACK TO THE BUDGET: Fresh stories include NHS organizations demanding an emergency £3 billion boost and warning that without it, hospitals will have to ration care. The appeal found its way to the Guardian’s Denis Campbell and makes the paper’s splash. The drugs don’t work: Much of the row is over an apparent “standoff” between Reeves and Health Secretary Wes Streeting over £1.3 billion for redundancies. But another part is about imminent plans for the U.K. to raise how much the NHS pays for drugs — as scooped by POLITICO. Handy news: Reeves can ask the chair of drug giant GSK, who is on the trip with her. And much more: Today’s papers are packed with the usual lobbying from businesses in Sector X begging Reeves not to punish (shock!) Sector X. Today’s offerings include supermarkets that warn taxing them more would lead to a rise in food prices (via the Express splash), and Gatwick Airport saying its new runway could be at risk thanks to a shake-up in business rates. Plus: There were the juicy weekend reports of what Reeves could be considering, including hiking income tax by 2p … imposing a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2 million … halving the cash ISA limit … no longer taking VAT off energy bills … the Fabians’ call to extend the income tax threshold freeze by another two years … and the customary minimum wage rise. Surprise intervention of the weekend: Boris Johnson saying “there is an argument to be had” about means-testing winter fuel payments for pensioners. Her in-flight reading: The Guardian’s leader writers have decided to pen Reeves’ budget speech for her a month early. Sadly for the press pack … there are no U.K. media outlets on the trip to quiz Reeves on all of this. She is due to chat to Saudi state broadcaster Al Arabiya at some point today. ANDY’S OFF? The Public Accounts Committee should send a bunch of questions about peppercorn Prince Andrew’s living arrangements to the Crown Estate and Treasury in the next few days … though we’ll probably only find out if PAC will launch a full inquiry next year. Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey is on Today at 7.30 a.m. to give him a kicking, while his party is demanding to know if taxpayers will have to foot the bill if he is bought out of his lease at Royal Lodge. Worth noting: The National Audit Office has told the Telegraph’s Amy Gibbons it’s in discussions with PAC about helping any inquiries and will “provide support as required.” Understatement of the day … in the Sun’s scoop that Andy and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson want a home each (!) in return for leaving their current digs. “No one is really sure how it’s going to go down at the Palace yet,” says a “friend” of the pair. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Awaab’s Law is going into force, meaning social landlords will now have to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting. Officials insist they’re not just implementing what the Tories promised to do, pointing to Labour’s commitment to also extend the regulations to the private sector. Speaking of homes: The Renter’s Rights Bill is expected to receive royal assent today. Housing Secretary Steve Reed is on the morning round, including the 8.10 a.m. Today slot. Three magic words: Reed’s “build, baby, build” mantra — which comes with a red hat and all — is riling up some Labour MPs who are worried it ignores environmental concerns and is too “pro-developer,” Playbook’s Bethany Dawson reports. One MP described the phrase as “a narrative that basically sounds like you’re speaking in support of the [housing] developers, rather than in support of the communities that we represent.” Some even worry the red hat thing is too similar to Donald Trump’s tactics. Others love it, obviously. WORK IT: Labour’s worker’s rights bill returns to the Lords with a flurry of amendments from the Tories and others Tuesday. In the meantime, union sources have told the i’s Arj Singh that they are open to a climbdown on “day one” protections against unfair dismissal — after the Resolution Foundation think tank said this element would be “lurching from one extreme to another.” Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith told the Mail the bill will lead to a “jobs bloodbath.” But but but … As Singh’s story notes, any climbdown is likely to come in a later consultation over “statutory probation periods,” not in Tuesday’s debate. And Playbook has spoken to one industry figure who suspects some people are making noise about a climbdown now to get the bill through the Lords … only to close ranks again at a later date. Watch this space. CLOSE TO HOME: Deputy Labour Leader Lucy Powell is among five MPs who has a fellow MP as a tenant — paid for by parliamentary expenses, the Mail’s Martin Beckford reports. Powell’s allies insist to him that the arrangement saves taxpayers money, but this one may prompt some follow-up questions. ONE TO WATCH? A written statement is due later with guidance on how club shareholders will be deemed to have “significant influence or control” under the Football Governance Act. NOT SO SAFE NOW: Negotiations over U.K. access to the EU’s €150 billion SAFE defense fund are not going London’s way, my colleagues Jacopo Barigazzi and Esther Webber hear. France has been pushing to limit U.K. participation so that only 50 percent of components can be made outside the EU — and although this didn’t make it into the EU’s agreed mandate, it remains on the table, according to those briefed on talks. A senior U.K official warns it’d be “counterproductive and could prevent us meeting supply chain needs.” CLOSING THE BOOK: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, who supported Labour at the general election, tells the House’s Sienna Rodgers that he may be heading for a “political showdown” with the government over the impact of the Online Safety Act. ALWAYS CHECK THE SMALL PRINT: One for fans of techy detail about Northern Ireland ruining blue-sky promises by the government … Home Office officials have told ministers proposals for a digital ID “will not work” due to a clash with common travel area rules, the Times’ Matt Dathan and Oliver Wright report. ALL A-LOAN: UK Export Finance Chief Executive Tim Reid warned Business Secretary Peter Kyle that a £1.5 billion government loan guarantee to help Jaguar Land Rover after a major cyberattack fell outside “normal underwriting criteria,” the FT reports. Kyle approved the loan guarantee the next day by ministerial direction. PEACOCK VS. OSTRICH: DCMS Minister Steph Peacock is meeting G20 culture ministers in South Africa ahead of the leaders’ shindig next month. REPORTS OUT TODAY: Women are being hit harder than men by the cost of living crisis, according to a Financial Wellbeing report covered by the Times … The average person saw “no meaningful improvement in their life” over Labour’s first year in government, according to the Carnegie UK “Life in the UK” survey of 7,000 people, written up by PA … and the Speaker’s Conference final report, due out at 2.30 p.m., is expected to call for an end to the normalization of abuse and intimidation toward MPs and candidates. HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with work and pensions questions … the remaining stages of the Victims and Courts Bill … and select committee motions. Conservative MP Simon Hoare has the adjournment debate on the regulation and inspection of funeral services. WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 4.30 p.m. on an e-petition relating to holidays during school term time (led by Conservative MP Robbie Moore) … and an e-petition relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay (Labour MP Jacob Collier). On committee corridor: NFU President Tom Bradshaw gives evidence on the Draft Finance Bill 2025–26 (3.30 p.m.). HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with questions on the national security threat to undersea cables connected to the U.K., reviewing measures related to non-crime hate incidents, and the impact on child poverty of the application of the no recourse to public funds policy to migrant families with children … and it’s Day 3 of report stage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. COURT CIRCULAR: Just Stop Oil activists Jennifer Kowalski and Cole MacDonald, who sought to spray paint Taylor Swift’s private jet, are due to be sentenced at 11.30 a.m. at Chelmsford Crown Court after being found guilty of criminally damaging two planes. JUST WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR: Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, Moscow’s top military officer, Valery Gerasimov, claimed in a televised meeting with Vladimir Putin. The weapon has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade missile defenses, the BBC reports. MONEY TALKS: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and China had agreed a “framework” for a substantial trade deal ahead of Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday. POLITICO’s David Cohen wrote it up. Trump, who is spending much of this week in Asia, is due to touch down in Japan shortly, where he’ll meet the emperor. GET YOUR RUNNING SHOES ON: Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom told CBS News that he will consider whether to run for president after the 2026 midterms. ELECTION STATIONS: Argentine President Javier Milei’s party won the country’s closely watched midterm legislative election on Sunday, giving the Trump-allied libertarian a stronger position in Congress to advance his radical economic plans. Reuters has the latest. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, 35% say they’ve adopted AI technology, representing a 10% jump from last year. AI adoption among small and mid-sized businesses is accelerating quickly. For many small businesses, AI is becoming central to growth, helping small business owners automate administrative tasks and streamline operations. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. These AI agents are designed to handle everything from routine tasks to complex workflows, helping business owners stay efficient, agile, and in control. Discover how AI is transforming small business growth in the UK in the new report from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** Housing Secretary Steve Reed broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today (8.10 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.). Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith broadcast round: Talk (7.20 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … GB News (8 a.m.) … LBC News (8.40 a.m.). Also on Today: Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey (7.30 a.m.). Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Tory peer and Spectator Editor Michael Gove (8.50 a.m.). Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Home Affairs Select Committee Chair Karen Bradley (9.45 a.m.) … former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald (8 a.m.) … Reform UK’s prisons adviser Vanessa Frake (9.45 a.m.). Also on Sky News Breakfast: Karen Bradley (8.15 a.m.). Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin … Karen Bradley … Spiked Editor Tom Slater. POLITICO UK: Build, baby, build! Britain’s new housing chief channels Trump — and riles up Labour MPs. Daily Express: ‘Tax rises will result in higher food prices.’ Daily Mail: Billions ‘wasted’ on hotels for migrants. Daily Mirror: Killed by £20 black market skinny jab. Daily Star: Trick pour treat. Financial Times: US expects Beijing to delay rare earth export curbs as trade truce hopes rise. Metro: Worried Wes: Voters are in despair. The Daily Telegraph: Billions wasted in migrant hotel chaos. The Guardian: NHS needs extra £3bn to avoid rationing care, Reeves is warned. The Independent: On the frontline with Zelensky’s killer drone units. The i Paper: No 10 in talks to water down day one workers’ rights amid new growth warnings. The Sun: 2 pads Andy. The Times: Billions lost to ‘flawed’ hotel deals for migrants. WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny spells and a bit of a breeze. High 14C, low 10C. SUGAR RUSH: Make sure to run to the world’s worst Tesco Express to stock up on sweets before Thursday … when MPs’ kids will be trick-or-treating on the parliamentary estate. For once, it won’t be the members having tantrums and demanding treats to keep them happy. TUNING IN: Keir Starmer told BBC Radio 3 that listening to music helped him cope with the loss of his younger brother, Nick, who had cancer, on Boxing Day last year. “I just wanted to grieve my little brother and music gave me a place to go to escape from all of that,” the PM told the Private Passions program. The whole thing is surprisingly personal. JOB ADS: Lib Dem MP Steve Darling is hiring a parliamentary assistant. HAPPY TO CLARIFY: The Resolution Foundation think tank has come out against Day 1 protections against unfair dismissal, but doesn’t want Labour’s entire workers’ rights bill to be scrapped. NOW READ: Volodymyr Mykolayenko, a former mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, told the Times’ Marc Bennetts about his years in Russian captivity, where he says he was beaten several times a day, shocked and nearly starved until his release in a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine in August. Oh, and: Playbook spent the weekend reading the Sunday Times’ interview with Radiohead, which contained the revelation that people can hold wildly political opinions — on Israel, no less — and still be friends. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio. WRITING PLAYBOOK TUESDAY MORNING: Dan Bloom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Government Whip Nesil Caliskan … North West Hampshire MP Kit Malthouse … Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson … Tory peer Simon Wolfson … Labour peer Frederick Ponsonby … The Economist’s Tom Nuttall … POLITICO’s Mizy Clifton. PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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2025-10-27T07:00:46Z
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Europe’s Plan B for Ukraine
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AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by YouTube By NICHOLAS VINOCUR with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser GREETINGS, it’s Nick Vinocur. Enjoyed the pre-EUCO wrangling over how to meet Ukraine’s financing needs? You’re going to love the post-EUCO wrangling over how to meet Ukraine’s financing needs. Playbook dives into what to expect as the EU scrambles to right the ship following a rocky leaders’ gathering. WHAT’S NEXT FOR UKRAINE FUNDING AFTER EUCO FIASCO? EU countries may be called upon to raise tens of billions of euros in joint debt as part of a “Plan B” to keep Ukraine afloat after Belgium shot down plans to use Russia’s frozen assets as a financial lifeline for Kyiv, according to three EU diplomats. Options three: The joint debt option for helping Ukraine is expected to be included in a paper to be presented by the European Commission to EU capitals in coming weeks alongside the reparation loan and a third option: cutting Ukraine loose, the diplomats said. (Only Hungary would get behind the third option, they specified). Plan B: Several leaders raised the joint debt plan for Ukraine during the European Council summit last Thursday, as it became clear Belgium would not lift its reservations on using Russian frozen assets stored with Brussels-based Euroclear, said one of the EU diplomats (who, like the others, was granted anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations). **A message from YouTube: European teachers, teens and parents turn to YouTube for education. Find out more.** Cometh the bill: The prospect of EU countries, many already heavily indebted, having to go deeper into the red to help Ukraine will sharpen minds. Kyiv will run into serious financial difficulties at the end of Q1 2026 unless it receives a fresh injection of cash, and Europe is currently the only credible option. Crunch-time: The looming cliff-edge means the Commission will have to work overtime to produce its option papers ASAP, with a final decision from leaders on which path to take needed no later than a EUCO summit on Dec. 18. EU ambassadors are set to discuss the fallout from last Thursday’s fiasco at Coreper on Wednesday. Original is best: Given the risks of raising further debt, two of the diplomats underscored that most, though not all, EU countries still see using Russia’s frozen assets as the “most preferred” option. Joint debt was likely floated as a “scarecrow” option to force countries to move. Real talk: “What’s the point of discussing alternative solutions? This [the reparation loan] is the only thing that we have,” said a fourth diplomat. “And we should be honest about it.” Not the right time: They also pointed to poor timing to explain why Thursday’s EUCO didn’t deliver the expected result. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who’s in the middle of tough budget negotiations at home, only saw the Commission’s latest legal proposal for the reparation loan on the morning of the summit, two diplomats said. It was hard to imagine he would sign off right then on something that could expose Belgium to financial liabilities. Déjà vu: In 2023, Hungary vetoed a plan to finance Ukraine, only to step aside at the last minute, allowing a €50 billion loan to be approved in February 2024. Back then, however, the EU wasn’t alone, as the U.S. was still providing monetary aid for Ukraine. The bottom line: The EU has been here before and successfully honored its pledge to support Kyiv. But this time feels more daunting given the absence of other major financial backers, and the fact that some big EU countries (ahem, France) now face serious budgetary problems. The reparation loan is also uncharted waters for the EU. Expect a lot more turbulence. AS EUROPE BICKERS, PUTIN KEEPS UPPING THE ANTE: The Kremlin on Sunday claimed Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile and is preparing to use it in battle. EU STUCK IN THE MIDDLE AS TRUMP MEETS XI: Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping looms large this week as Washington hints at potential concessions in a trade war with Beijing and Europe looks on nervously from the sidelines. Positive thinking: “I think that we’re getting to a spot where the leaders will have a very productive meeting,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after meeting his Chinese counterparts, Gregorio Sorgi reports. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Beijing have settled on a “framework” for a trade deal ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting. We’re here, too! European Council President António Costa is also on the ground in Asia for the ASEAN summit and held meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — whom an EU official described to Playbook as “global partners who share common values.” Why Brussels is nervous: Several EU industries including carmakers are at grave risk from China’s restrictions on exports of rare earths and finished products from chipmaker Nexperia. Adding to the tensions, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Friday postponed a trip to China due to a dearth of meetings on his schedule. EU-China focus: Brussels and Beijing are discussing China’s recent restrictions on exports of rare earths and magnets this week, as Koen Verhelst reported. In the early hours of this morning, António Costa met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, with the European Council president saying in his readout that he’d “shared my strong concern about China’s expanding export controls on critical raw materials. I urged him to restore as soon as possible fluid, reliable and predictable supply chains.” MIDDLE EAST IN FOCUS: It’s been two weeks since the Trump-inspired Gaza ceasefire came into force. There have been attack, and tensions remain high, but overall the truce has held. The questions now are over whether the ceasefire lasts, whether both sides can honor their promises, and whether enough aid can get through to those who urgently need it. For the EU — the biggest overall aid donor to the Palestinians, sending more than €500 million from Brussels since Oct. 7, 2023 — there’s an additional question: can it repair relations with Israel sufficiently to play a role shaping the future? The single biggest risk to peace? “Extremists on both sides,” European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told Tim Ross. There’s Hamas of course, and on the Israeli side “extremists who don’t want to hear about the two-state solution,” she said. “We hear a lot of things that are unacceptable sometimes in the mouth of a responsible person who [is] in the lead of their country.” Does she mean Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his Cabinet? “Yes,” Lahbib said, naming Bezalel Smotrich, the minister of finance, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, both of whom the European Commission has proposed sanctioning. Does Netanyahu want peace? “To ask the question is to give an answer,” Lahbib said. “I have some doubts. So far he was able to implement the ceasefire so let’s see what’s going to happen. But we all know that he was against the two-state solution … but we used to say in French that ‘only idiots don’t change their minds.’” Errr … “I don’t think that he is an idiot,” Lahbib added. “I didn’t say that. I just said the proverb.” What about Gaza? It’s clear Hamas must play no role in the future administration of Gaza, the commissioner said. But perhaps Palestinians need their own Nelson Mandela figure, she added, referring to Marwan Barghouti, a leading Fatah figure who has been in an Israeli jail since 2002. He has topped polls as the Palestinians’ choice for a potential president. A new Mandela: “Maybe [Barghouti] might be someone who still has credibility and legitimacy for the Palestinian people. And if [he’s] the new let’s say Nelson Mandela who’s released and who’s capable to have on one side the trust of his people and to lead the region, his own people, to peace, that will be fantastic.” ON SANCTIONS: Israel’s new ambassador to the EU said it’s time for Brussels to drop its threats of sanctions; Lahbib disagrees: “On the contrary … The past two years show us that we need to have leverage,” she said. America made progress on peace because it has leverage. “Sometimes we have to push our own friends.” Does she think Israel committed genocide? “Only a court can say but we had this independent investigation asked by the human rights council that leads to the conclusions that there is or there was a genocide committed,” she said. More investigations are needed, including with international journalists allowed into Gaza, according to Lahbib. WAVES OF TRUCKS: There’s still not enough aid getting through, according to the EU’s information. Around 200-300 trucks of aid are making it into Gaza each day, when what’s needed is more than 600, Lahbib said. “It’s never quickly enough, considering the immense suffering, the massive destruction, and the winter is coming.” NGOS SAY ISRAEL STILL BLOCKING AID: Dozens of nongovernmental organizations operating in Gaza have accused the Israeli government of continuing to block aid shipments, Ben Munster writes in to report. Refusing entry: According to a joint statement signed by 41 NGOs including Médecins Sans Frontières and Oxfam, Israeli authorities prevented some $50 million in aid from 17 international NGOs from entering the enclave between Oct. 10-21. The organizations claimed the denial of access was illegal under international law and the terms of the ceasefire. Official response: A spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli unit that oversees the distribution of aid in Gaza, told Playbook it had only refused access to organizations that didn’t comply with new rules designed to prevent alleged Hamas interference in aid distribution. It said aid groups’ actions had raised “serious concerns about their intentions and the potential for links between the organization or its employees and Hamas.” The groups say Israel hasn’t provided credible evidence that aid is being diverted and protest that the new rules require them to reveal sensitive information about Palestinian colleagues. **Europe’s biotech sector is at a turning point. As the U.S. and China double down on biotech innovation, Europe faces a choice: simplify, scale, or stagnate. Join policymakers, experts, and industry leaders at "Europe’s biotech moment: Innovate or stagnate?" to explore how the EU can stay in the global race. Apply now to attend onsite in Brussels.** ANOTHER REFERENDUM: Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and the executive members of his Junts party are holding a key meeting in Perpignan today to decide whether they will continue collaborating with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez or break ties with his Socialist Party, Aitor Hernández-Morales writes in to report. Context: In exchange for crucial support for Sánchez to remain PM in 2023, his Socialist Party and Junts struck a deal that included the controversial amnesty of hundreds of Catalan separatists. But the courts have halted the amnesty’s application and Madrid has yet to gather enough support to make good on its promise to get Catalan recognized as an EU language (though there was some movement on the latter point on Friday). Moreover, the Socialists have been reluctant to back Junts’ proposal to give Catalonia jurisdiction over immigration within that region. Consequences: While today’s decision will need to be confirmed by Junts’ members, it’s taken for granted that they’ll endorse whatever Puigdemont says. A break will be bad news for Sánchez’s already weak minority government, which has struggled to cobble together enough support to get legislation through parliament, and make it virtually impossible for the PM to pass a fresh budget. Meaning even if he wanted to, Sánchez won’t be able to give in to Trump’s demands to increase Madrid’s defense spending. Sánchez resists: Junts has always rejected teaming up with the center-right People’s Party and the far-right Vox — which views Puigdemont as a criminal — to back the censure motion needed to topple Sánchez outright. But without the Catalan separatists, the PM will be under greater pressure to hold an early election. SO, ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE JOB? Martin Selmayr will meet today with the bloc’s internal affairs commissioner, Magnus Brunner, Gabriel Gavin reports. The sit-down comes just days after Playbook revealed Selmayr had been floated as the bloc’s new special envoy for religious freedoms, part of Brunner’s DG HOME, as a fig leaf in a growing row over his efforts to return to Brussels from his current role as ambassador to the Vatican. Brunner happens to be heading to Rome for an international peace summit, putting Selmayr in a slightly awkward position. Chance meeting: “This mission has been foreseen for some months already,” a spokesperson told Gabriel. “As is customary, the EU ambassador to the Holy See will accompany the commissioner during his engagements at the Vatican.” Selmayr had been eying a return to Brussels in an influential job answering to the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas — a move that raised eyebrows among old foes. It’s unclear whether he’d accept the less influential gig under Brunner, part of a plan hatched by rivals to allow him to return without taking control of the levers of power. Friendly conclave: If Brunner had any doubts about Selmayr’s ability to deliver peace and harmony, he’s likely to be reassured by the Vatican diplomatic corps, who have grown fond of the man once dubbed the Monster at the Berlaymont. “I’ve seen him leading the room at EU ambassadors’ meetings, he was charming, suave and very well-informed,” one fellow envoy told Ben Munster. “That someone who’s been a political animal in Brussels can fit in here and earn respect in the Vatican — that speaks to his qualities.” TODAY’S BOMBSHELL READ — HOW A HACKING GANG HELD ITALIAN ELITES TO RANSOM: My colleagues Antoaneta Roussi and Hannah Roberts obtained police wiretap transcripts and arrest warrants that reveal a plot to build a database of high-level secrets — and blackmail Italy’s rich and powerful. Read the story here. RULE OF LAW INDEX PREVIEW (AND IT AIN’T GOOD NEWS): Over two-thirds of the EU’s member countries went backwards in this year’s Rule of Law Index, with Slovakia and Hungary recording the sharpest declines. Bulgaria and Hungary were the EU’s worst performers in the index, compiled by the World Justice Project and previewed by Playbook. Russia recorded the worst decline of any country. Denmark topped the index again, while Ireland and Poland were the EU’s most improved. The full list will be released Tuesday. GERMANY’S MILITARY WISH LIST: POLITICO’s Chris Lunday has seen a new procurement list that shows Germany’s plan to become the backbone of Europe’s defense revival. DRAGHI BACKS MULTI-SPEED EUROPE. Louise Guillot has more. ANOTHER U.S. NAVY WHOOPSIE: The U.S. Navy lost a fighter jet and a helicopter off the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier within 30 minutes on Sunday. MILEI WINS: President Javier Milei’s party won Argentina’s midterm legislative election on Sunday. Reuters has the latest. — Agriculture and Fisheries Council takes place in Luxembourg. Arrivals and doorsteps at 8:45 a.m. … press conference at 8:40 p.m. Watch. — Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Sweden; participates in a working dinner with business leaders, hosted by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. — European Council President António Costa is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the ASEAN summit. — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is in Washington, D.C., participates in a strategic dialogue roundtable on tech, digital and artificial intelligence, organized with the World Economic Forum. Watch. — EU High Representative Kaja Kallas is in Bruges; gives a speech at the opening ceremony of the academic year at the College of Europe at 12:05 p.m. Watch. WEATHER: High of 12C, rainy. THE COMMITTEE WE NEEDED: The Brussels parliament approved the creation of a special parliamentary committee to investigate the metro Line 3 project that has come under fire after scathing report from the Court of Audit. The report condemned the project over its ballooning costs, mismanagement, weak public procurement practices and technical shortcomings. No government, no metro: The cost of the metro project has skyrocketed from €1 billion to €4.7 billion. Construction has been stalled for months due to complications, including the need to dismantle the Palais du Midi to dig a tunnel beneath it, as well as another tunnel planned under Brussels North station. Although potential solutions have been proposed, they cannot move forward without approval from a new government — which Brussels hasn’t had for more than 500 days. BIRTHDAYS: MEPs Tom Vandendriessche and Salvatore De Meo; former MEPs Theodoros Zagorakis and Janusz Korwin-Mikke; the Economist’s Tom Nuttall; FleishmanHillard’s Donald Ricketts; Johan Barros of Accountancy Europe; Buckingham Palace’s Sara Latham. THANKS TO: Jack Blanchard, Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Ketrin Jochecová and producer Dean Southwell. **A message from YouTube: New research shows that 74% of teens in seven European countries watch YouTube videos to learn something new for school — while 84% of teachers use YouTube content in their lessons or assignments. Find out why parents, teens and teachers are turning to YouTube to support learning.** SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
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Nicholas Vinocur
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Uncategorized
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2025-10-27T06:02:40Z
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2025-10-27T06:02:40Z
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2025-10-27T06:02:57Z
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/europes-plan-b-for-ukraine/
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En mode tax force
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Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA Le briefing politique essentiel du matin, par Élisa Bertholomey, Anthony Lattier et Sarah Paillou. Par ELISA BERTHOLOMEY Envoyez vos infos | Abonnez-vous gratuitement | Voir dans le navigateur MAMMA MIA. Prenez une grande inspiration, du Palais-Bourbon au Palais du Luxembourg, c’est reparti pour une nouvelle semaine budgétaire comme on les aime. Allez zou, bon réveil, nous sommes lundi 27 octobre 2025. MULTIPLEX. Météo France a beau prévoir une semaine frisquette, le thermomètre risque d’afficher une température bien plus élevée à l’Assemblée nationale tant les débats qui auront lieu cette semaine s’annoncent chauds, chauds, chauds (et sans cacao). En commission des Affaires sociales d’abord, où les députés s’attaquent ce matin au projet de loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale (PLFSS de son petit nom) et donc à la suspension de la réforme des retraites. Suspense. Les accros au #DirectAN devront toutefois patienter quelques jours pour la grande explication puisque l’article permettant ladite suspension porte le numéro 45 bis et ne devrait alors pas être examiné avant la fin de semaine — tout comme l’amendement de suppression déposé par les députés du groupe Droite républicaine. Sans consentement mutuel. Mais avant cela, les membres de la commission auront à se pencher sur l’article 7 qui contient une autre disposition qui fâche : la “taxe à un milliard” qui vise à surimposer les cotisations des complémentaires santé pour compenser la suspension de la réforme des retraites. Une mesure que plusieurs députés de tout bord ont dans le viseur et qui leur a inspiré un paquet d’amendements pour la supprimer ou la modifier. Le tout en se basant sur les recommandations de quelques lobbyistes, raconte, dès 7h30, mon collègue Sofiane Zaizoune à nos lecteurs abonnés à Paris Influence. PLF, LA SUITE. Dans l’hémicycle, les débats vont se poursuivre ce matin sur les articles relatifs à la fiscalité des entreprises, ceux-là ayant été appelés en priorité par le gouvernement pour des raisons d’agenda (le ministre de l’Economie Roland Lescure étant en déplacement en Amérique du Nord à partir de mercredi). Pour réentendre parler de prélèvements sur les hauts patrimoines et de taxe Zucman, il faudra là aussi patienter, au moins jusqu’à demain. Sans Zuc ajouté. Rappel éclair pour ceux qui ne l’ont plus en tête : même s’ils défendront bien la taxe Zucman dans l’hémicycle — qui vise à imposer de 2% ceux dont le patrimoine dépasse les 100 millions d’euros —, les députés socialistes sont peu optimistes sur le fait qu’elle soit adoptée et présenteront donc une proposition de repli. Cette taxe Zucman allégée, que les fana d’acronymes ont baptisée “IMTHP” pour “impôt minimum sur les très hauts patrimoines”, prévoit d’imposer de 3% les patrimoines de plus de 10 millions d’euros mais sans toucher aux entreprises familiales ou “innovantes” — deux irritants pour les macronistes. Zucman bis. Le report de ce débat pourrait donc permettre de gagner quelques précieuses heures pour que gouvernement, socle commun, et socialistes poursuivent les discussions et parviennent à un compromis, malgré les ultimatums de chacun. “On n’a pas eu de ‘no-go‘ mais c’est vrai qu’ils ne sont pas totalement emballés non plus”, convenait un cadre du groupe PS joint hier, en référence à la fraîcheur avec laquelle leur proposition de taxe Zucman allégée a été accueillie par les députés EPR (ex-Renaissance) et l’exécutif (et que Dimanchissime vous résumait ici). PLUS C’EST GROS ET PLUS ÇA TAXE. Au rayon tech, Google, Meta et consorts ont du souci à se faire. Le groupe EPR va reprendre à son compte l’amendement anti-Gafam du député Jean-René Cazeneuve, adopté la semaine dernière en commission des Finances. Sa proposition : quintupler la taxe sur les services numériques (la fameuse “taxe Gafam”) et relever son seuil — seraient désormais touchées les entreprises dont le chiffre d’affaires mondial s’élève à plus de deux milliards d’euros. Œil pour œil. Une menace très claire à destination des big tech américaines, assume l’auteur de l’amendement, contacté par mes collègues de Tech Matin. Le député du Gers, qui — fun fact — a été directeur général d’Apple France de 2001 et 2004, a peu goûté la hausse des droits de douane annoncée par Donald Trump, notamment sur les vins et spiritueux, qui frappe de plein fouet sa circo, haut lieu de production d’armagnac. Rien n’est joué. Même si la proposition rassemble très largement à l’Assemblée — de LFI à LR —, son parcours reste incertain, le Sénat et le gouvernement se montrant encore peu convaincus. Or, si la mesure est mal calibrée, elle pourrait toucher des entreprises françaises et européennes, ce qui ne manquera pas de déclencher de vives représailles de la part de l’administration Trump, raconte ma collègue Klara Durand dans ce papier (gratuit, en français). CACHEZ CET AMENDEMENT. Au rayon de la rédaction des amendements, certains parlementaires manient mieux le copier-coller que d’autres. Mes collègues de Paris Influ se sont amusés à comparer les propositions fournies clé en main par le Medef à la liste des amendements déposés sur la première partie du budget. Et ils ont dégotté une gagnante qui sait manifestement utiliser la photocopieuse comme personne. Question pour une championne. Top : je suis une députée du groupe Droite républicaine, au nom composé, je viens de la région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, j’ai copié-collé l’intégralité de la vingtaine d’amendements suggérés par le Medef sans toucher à la moindre virgule, j’ai repris ces propositions pour “défendre l’économie et les entreprises”, ai-je justifié, je suis, je suis… ? On laisse nos abonnés à Paris Influ le découvrir ici (pour les autres, la réponse se cache plus bas). LOUER LA DEUXIÈME CHAMBRE. Même si les débats budgétaires sont encore loin d’être terminés au Palais Bourbon, Sébastien Lecornu, lui, travaille déjà sur l’étape d’après : le Sénat. Le Premier ministre reçoit cet après-midi les présidents des groupes de l’ex-“socle commun” au Palais du Luxembourg. Sont attendus dans son bureau : Hervé Marseille (Union centriste), François Patriat (RDPI, le groupe macroniste), Claude Malhuret (pour Horizons et LIRT, les Indépendants), Maryse Carrère (RDSE) et Mathieu Darnaud pour LR, ce dernier ayant aussi droit à un entretien privé avant la réunion commune. L’occasion de leur passer un petit coup de pommade et de préparer le débat budgétaire à venir. Gros seum. Il faut dire que depuis la nomination de l’équipe Lecornu II, les sénateurs en ont gros sur la patate et ne se sentent pas traités à leur juste valeur. A savoir comme les partenaires conciliants qu’ils ont été pour le gouvernement ces dernières années. Budget, réforme des retraites, loi sur l’immigration… Plusieurs des textes votés depuis 2022 l’ont été en grande partie grâce à l’appui du Sénat, rappelait hier l’un des conviés qui euphémisait sur “l’humeur plutôt mauvaise” du côté de la Haute Assemblée. Rancunes. Les sénateurs LR, Gérard Larcher en tête, ont notamment du mal à digérer le remaniement et la nomination, contre l’avis du parti et de leur chef Bruno Retailleau, de six ministres issus de leurs rangs. Ou qu’Emmanuel Macron n’ait même pas pris la peine de les convier lorsqu’il a convoqué les présidents de groupe et de parti à l’Elysée. “Ils intuitent qu’ils ne sont plus dans le jeu, ça les rend nerveux”, analysait un stratège macroniste joint par Playbook hier. Encore plus ouin ouin. Sans parler des compromis que l’exécutif cherche à faire avec les socialistes, très mal vus par la majorité sénatoriale. “Le gouvernement a un double discours. Ce que veut la majorité sénatoriale n’est pas compatible avec ce que veut Olivier Faure”, critique un cadre de LR pointant le fait que “Larcher et Retailleau [qui va retrouver les bancs de la Chambre haute dans deux semaines] ont l’impression de s’être fait duper”. “Lecornu doit se méfier du Sénat”, menace en écho l’un des présidents de groupe attendu à Matignon cet après-midi Des coups. D’où ce coup de semonce — certains diraient coup de gueule — de Gérard Larcher dans Le Parisien hier, prévenant que “le Sénat rétablira la réforme des retraites” et invitant Emmanuel Macron et Sébastien Lecornu à “respecter le bicamérisme” et à moins se tourner vers le PS. Un coup de poing sur la table que d’aucuns interprétaient presque comme un autre coup, de bluff plutôt. “Il fait son job”, décryptait hier un spécialiste du jeu parlementaire pointant les nombreux points d’exclamation présents dans les réponses de Larcher, trahissant selon lui “autant de limites à l’action sénatoriale”. A l’en croire, cette sortie de Gérard Larcher serait même plutôt positive pour le Premier ministre car cela “crée des rapports de forces qui peuvent être utiles avec le PS”, poursuivait-il encore. Comprenez : Lecornu pourra brandir les lignes rouges des sénateurs pour stopper les surenchères des socialistes. “C’est un équilibre qu’il faut trouver, cela fait partie du jeu des acteurs”, abondait de son côté un soutien du PM. NE PAS RESTER SUR UN ÉCHEC. Le dernier Conseil européen ne s’est pas passé comme la plupart des chefs d’Etat le souhaitaient, la Belgique torpillant le projet d’utilisation des avoirs russes gelés pour aider l’Ukraine. La Commission européenne s’apprête alors à envoyer un document aux pays membres présentant un plan B : le recours à la dette commune pour plusieurs dizaines de milliards d’euros. Une solution douloureuse pour beaucoup des Vingt-sept déjà fortement endettés. Mais sans doute préférable au plan C exposé dans le doc : abandonner l’Ukraine. Brussels Playbook vous explique tout ici (gratuit, en anglais). Sébastien Lecornu reçoit à Matignon Mathieu Darnaud, président du groupe Les Républicains (LR) au Sénat, à 15 heures, en amont de la rencontre avec les présidents des groupes du Sénat : LR, Union centriste (UC), Rassemblement des démocrates, progressistes et indépendants (RDPI), Rassemblement démocratique et social européen (RDSE), Les Indépendants – République et territoires (LIRT), en présence de Laurent Panifous, à 15h45. A 18 heures, il préside une réunion sur le thème de la décentralisation, en présence des ministres concernés. Enfin, à 19h30, il organise une réunion avec les présidents des groupes parlementaires à l’Assemblée nationale : Les Démocrates, Ensemble pour la République, Horizons, Droite Républicaine. Laurent Nuñez préside la cérémonie d’installation du nouveau préfet de Police, Patrice Faure, en présence de Marie-Pierre Vedrenne. Jean-Noël Barrot déjeune avec Philippe Aghion, économiste, prix Nobel d’économie 2025. Benjamin Haddad est en déplacement à Chypre. Serge Papin ouvre la quatrième édition des Assises du Rebond, organisée par le Portail du rebond des entrepreneurs. Marina Ferrari rencontre Valérie et Jalil Narjissi, parents de Mehdi Narjissi. Nicolas Forissier s’entretient avec Arnaud Vaissie, président d’honneur de CCI France International. Eléonore Caroit s’entretient avec Moussa Faki, envoyé spécial du Pacte de Paris pour les peuples et la planète. Elle intervient à la Conférence “Financing the Future : Innovative Taxes for Global Challenges” à Sciences Po Paris. David Amiel visite la direction départementale des finances publiques (DDFiP) et les hôpitaux universitaires Henri-Mondor à Créteil. Assemblée nationale : A partir de 9 heures, en commission des Finances, examen du projet de loi de finances de la sécurité sociale (PLFSS) 2026. A 9 heures, 15 heures et 21h30, discussion en séance publique du projet de loi de finances (PLF) 2026. 7h15. France 2 : Nathalie Perez, grand reporter spécialiste police – justice. 7h20. RFI : Philippe Aghion, professeur au Collège de France et lauréat du Prix Nobel d’économie 2025. 7h30. Public Sénat : Xavier Iacovelli, sénateur RDPI-Renaissance des Hauts-de-Seine. 7h40. TF1 : François-Xavier Bellamy, député européen LR … RTL : Boris Vallaud, président du groupe PS à l’Assemblée … RMC : Jérôme Guedj, député PS de l’Essonne. 7h45. Franceinfo : Paul Midy, porte-parole des députés EPR … Radio J : Christophe Bourseiller, journaliste et historien. 7h50. France Inter : Jérôme Commandeur, réalisateur du film “T’as pas changé”. 8h00. Public Sénat : Manuel Bompard, coordinateur de LFI. 8h10. Europe 1/CNEWS : Charles de Courson, député Liot de la Marne … France 2 : Gabriel Zucman, économiste. 8h15. Sud Radio : Philippe de Villiers, écrivain et auteur de Populicide. 8h20. France Inter : Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, réalisateur de la série “Des vivants”, David Fritz-Goeppinger, réalisateur, spectateur pris en otage lors des attentats du Bataclan et Sandrine Larremany, psychologue. 8h30. Franceinfo : Jean-Philippe Tanguy, député RN de la Somme … BFMTV/RMC : Eric Zemmour, président de Reconquête. QUIZZ. C’est Virginie Duby-Muller qui a copié-collé tous les amendements soumis par le Medef. “So what ?”, a rétorqué la députée interrogée à ce sujet par mes collègues de Paris Influ. DANS NOS NEWSLETTERS PRO CE MATIN : PARIS INFLUENCE : Budget : les articles à gros milliards examinés ce jour, les amendements à millions adoptés ce week-end … La taxe sur les mutuelles dans le viseur des députés, les plans B sur la table … Cette députée gagne le titre de serial-photocopieuse des amendements Medef. TECH MATIN : Les organisateurs du sommet sur la souveraineté numérique “convoqués” par l’ambassade américaine … Face à la taxe Gafam, Donald Trump serait-il le dernier espoir des lobbies de la tech ? … TikTok, Meta et Instagram sous le coup d’une amende de la Commission européenne. ÉNERGIE & CLIMAT : Les débats budgétaires trainent en longueur ; les CEE prennent de l’ampleur … Mozambique LNG et TotalEnergies se rapprochent d’une reprise … Jimmy nous raconte ses aventures de neutrons. DANS LE JORF. Laura Séguéla est nommée cheffe de cabinet de Laurent Panifous. Magali Charbonneau dirige le cabinet de Laurent Nuñez. Benoît Gallouedec (conseiller Europe et international) rejoint l’équipe d’Alice Rufo. Jean-Pierre Farandou s’entoure des conseillers Virginie Bazin (emploi et territoires), Jean Galve (droit du travail), Mikael Charbit (formation), Léon Rangier (budget et intelligence artificielle) et Diego Mermet (protection sociale). Anne Le Hénanff fait appel à Marie Jousset (souveraineté numérique, télécoms et infrastructures), Elisa Bazin (protection de l’enfance et enjeux de société du numérique), Samy Imourra (cybersécurité et régulation du numérique) et Marius Martin (intelligence artificielle, innovation et compétitivité). Jean-Baptiste Bernard (directeur adjoint de cabinet), Ismail Aissoub (conseiller communication numérique) et Noémie Nusbaumer (conseillère tourisme) rejoignent le ministère de Serge Papin. Pauline Goirand (conseillère spéciale en charge du Parlement, des élus locaux et des affaires réservées), Sarah Morvan (conseillère politique commerciale) et Laëtitia Tabet (conseillère attractivité et export) épaulent Nicolas Forissier. Stéphanie Rist recrute les conseillers Artus de Cormis (accès aux soins, premier recours et hôpital), Christèle Gautier (protection de l’enfance et lutte contre les violences faites aux enfants) et Alice Remory (Parlement). Isabelle Dorliat-Pouzet est nommée directrice adjointe du cabinet de Françoise Gatel. Julie Moulas (cheffe de cabinet), Elsa Clement (cheffe adjointe de cabinet) et Ahmed J’Mila (conseiller budgétaire) rejoignent l’équipe de Vincent Jeanbrun. MÉTÉO. Un temps venteux et humide est attendu à Paris, avec des températures maximales autour de 15°C. ANNIVERSAIRES : Thibault Bazin, député DR de Meurthe-et-Moselle, rapporteur général du budget de la sécurité sociale de l’Assemblée nationale … Guillaume Chevrollier, sénateur LR de la Mayenne … Muriel Jourda, sénatrice LR du Morbihan … Laurent Berger, ancien secrétaire général de la CFDT … Mathieu Lefèvre, ministre délégué chargé de la Transition écologique. PLAYLIST. Dancing on my own avec Robyn pour se donner un peu d’énergie de bon matin. Un grand merci à : Klara Durand et Tiphaine Saliou, notre éditeur Matthieu Verrier, Kenza Pacenza pour la veille et Dean Southwell pour la mise en ligne. ABONNEZ-VOUS aux newsletters de POLITICO (en anglais): Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | Berlin Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | POLITICO Pro newsletters
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Elisa Bertholomey
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2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
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Nach dem Eklat: Wadephul will mit Peking telefonieren
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KI generierte Text-to-Speech Präsentiert von YouTube Von HANS VON DER BURCHARD Mit RIXA FÜRSEN PRÄSENTIERT VON Schicken Sie uns Ihre Tipps hier, hier oder hier | X @GordonRepinski @vonderburchard @R_Buchsteiner | Das Playbook anhören oder online lesen Moin Berlin, hier schreibt Hans von der Burchard. Die Hauptstadt ist diese Woche im Herbstferien-Modus: Lars Klingbeil nimmt Urlaub und auch der Kanzler versucht — wann immer es geht — kurz abzuschalten, bevor es übermorgen zu Erdogan geht. Andere in der Regierung ringen mit der ersten großen Viruswelle. Gute und schnelle Besserung! Unsere Top-Themen heute: Wir schauen auf die Hintergründe der verschobenen China-Reise von Johann Wadephul, was der Außenminister nun stattdessen macht und warum Donald Trump dabei wichtig wird. Außerdem geht es um Alexander Dobrindts’ Pläne für Cyber-Gegenangriffe im Ausland. Hörtipps: Im Playbook Podcast spricht Gordon Repinski mit AfD-Politiker Markus Frohnmaier über China. Und wer unsere aktuelle Machthaber-Folge über Alexander Lukaschenko vom Wochenende verpasst hat, kann sie hier nachhören. **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: YouTube ist nicht nur eine Bühne für Kreative, sondern auch ein Treiber für Arbeitsplätze. Die Plattform leistet damit einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Kreativwirtschaft. So hat das kreative Ökosystem von YouTube 2024 in Deutschland über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze unterstützt. Hier klicken und mehr über YouTubes Beitrag zur deutschen Wirtschaft erfahren.** DER CHINA-EKLAT: Geopolitisch richten sich die Blicke diese Woche nach Asien. Zwei große Gipfel — ASEAN in Malaysia (bis morgen) und APEC in Südkorea (Mittwoch und Donnerstag) — finden statt; Donald Trump und auch Xi Jinping kommen zu beiden. Top-Thema: Wie ein immer selbstbewussteres Peking den Westen mit Exportbeschränkungen für Seltene Erden und Mikrochips unter Druck setzt. Erzielen Trump und Xi bei ihrem geplanten Treffen am Donnerstag in Gyeongju einen Deal, oder eskaliert der globale Handelskonflikt weiter? Gerade deutet vieles auf eine Einigung hin. In dieser Lage ist es besonders frappierend, dass die China-Reise des Außenministers kurzfristig verschoben werden musste. Ein bemerkenswerter diplomatischer Eklat, der verdeutlicht, wie problematisch das Verhältnis mit Peking geworden ist. Neueste Entwicklung: Es ist damit zu rechnen, dass Johann Wadephul in Kürze zum Telefon greift und einmal aus der Ferne mit seinem chinesischen Amtskollegen Wang Yi spricht, wie man jetzt weiter voranschreitet. „Es ist ja nur verschoben, nicht aufgehoben“, sagte Jens Spahn zur geplatzten Reise im Bericht aus Berlin. Statt Peking reist Wadephul heute nach Brüssel: Dort will er sich mit Ursula von der Leyen, EU-Handelskommissar Maroš Šefčovič, der Außenbeauftragten Kaja Kallas und Nato-Generalsekretär Mark Rutte besprechen. Die EU führt diese Woche Verhandlungen mit China zu Seltenen Erden — dem Thema, das Wadephul zentral in Peking ansprechen wollte. Was war passiert? Am Freitag hatte Wadephul seinen für gestern geplanten Abflug nach Peking (heute) und die 18-Millionen-Metropole Guangzhou (morgen) storniert, nachdem die chinesische Seite das Besucherprogramm drastisch reduziert hatte. Nur Außenminister Wang hätte Zeit für ihn gehabt: Dabei waren für den Besuch weitere wichtige Treffen geplant. Insbesondere Handelsminister Wang Wentato und auch Premierminister Li Qiang hatte Wadephul treffen wollen, um über Seltenen Erden und Mikrochips zu sprechen. „Wir bedauern sehr, dass es in den nächsten Tagen entgegen gemeinsamer Planungen kurzfristig dazu keine persönliche Gelegenheit geben wird“, so Wadephuls Sprecherin. China wollte mit den Absagen protestieren: Nach einem konstruktiven Treffen der Außenminister im Juli in Berlin hatten sich die Beziehungen über den Sommer verschlechtert, nachdem Wadephul bei einer Japan-Reise Chinas Druck auf Taiwan kritisierte und Peking eine „entscheidende“ Unterstützung von Putins Angriffskrieg vorwarf. Auslöser für den jüngsten Eklat dürften der Nexperia-Streit und die neuen EU-Sanktionen gegen Russland sein, welche auch chinesische Importeure von russischem Öl betreffen — also Sekundär-Sanktionen, wie von Trump verlangt. Zudem ging vom EU-Gipfel eine Androhung weiterer Sanktionen aus, wenn Peking bei Seltenen Erden nicht nachgibt. Dass Peking derart deutlich reagierte und damit die Absage provozierte, ist dennoch ungewöhnlich und zeigt das neue Selbstbewusstsein Pekings. Nach zwei Jahren Dauer-Diskurs über De-Risking demonstriert China gerade, wie abhängig wir sind. „Wir in Europa müssen aufpassen, dass wir nicht in einem Konflikt, der zwischen den USA und China entsteht, weiter unter Druck geraten“, warnte Niedersachsens Ministerpräsident Olaf Lies im Bericht aus Berlin. Er warb dafür, eigene Kapazitäten in Europa aufzubauen. „Elektromobilität, Batterie-Zellfertigung und -Wertschöpfung in Europa schaffen und auch resilient zu sein — das passt sehr gut zusammen.“ Jetzt richten sich die europäischen Blicke nervös nach Asien: Es deutet einiges darauf hin, dass Trump jetzt einen Deal mit Xi zu Seltenen Erden und auch TikTok erzielen könnte. Droht sich damit der wirtschaftliche Druck Chinas geballt auf die EU zu konzentrieren? Man erwarte ein „sehr produktives Treffen“, heißt es aus Washington. EU-Kommissionschefin Ursula von der Leyen kündigt derweil einen neuen Plan an, um die europäische Abhängigkeit von chinesischen kritischen Materialien zu verringern. KURZ DURCHATMEN: Die Agenda des Bundeskanzlers bleibt heute leer — zumindest, was öffentliche Auftritte angeht. Anzeige CYBERABWEHR AUSBAUEN: Zum Schutz kritischer Infrastruktur will Alexander Dobrindt den Sicherheitsbehörden erlauben, Angriffe aus dem Ausland künftig aktiv zu stoppen. „Es reicht nicht, Cyberangriffe nur mit möglichst wenig Schaden zu überstehen“, sagte er dem Handelsblatt (€). Sein Ministerium arbeitet derzeit an einer Gesetzesänderung, um Server-Infrastrukturen von Angreifern auch im Ausland lahmzulegen. Die Gefahrenabwehr ist grundsätzlich Ländersache. „Aber die Sicherheitsbehörden des Bundes haben auch jetzt schon verfassungsrechtlich gedeckte Handlungsbefugnisse“, sagte Dobrindt. Im nächsten Jahr will der Innenminister ein entsprechendes Gesetz durchs Kabinett bringen. Das Ziel sei nicht, eigene Angriffe zu führen. Es gehe um „reine Abwehrschläge, keine Offensivaktionen“. Zuständigkeitswirrwarr: Es ist aber nicht nur ein Bund-Land-Gefälle, sondern auch eines zwischen Innen- und Verteidigungsministerium. Die meisten Kompetenzen zur Cyberabwehr liegen bei der Bundeswehr. Und auch der Militärische Abschirmdienst, der Spionageabwehr betreibt, ist im Bendlerblock angesiedelt. Dobrindt kann also antreiben — braucht dafür aber auch Boris Pistorius an seiner Seite. „Deutschlands kritische Infrastruktur ist zu verwundbar“, heißt es aus Sicherheitskreisen gegenüber Rixa Fürsen. Es brauche „eine eindeutige Koordination durch den Bund“. Derzeit fehlten klare Zuständigkeiten, technische Abwehrfähigkeit und ein Echtzeit-Lagebild hybrider Angriffe. Dobrindts Vorstoß sei „ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung“. EMPÖRUNGSWELLE GEHT WEITER: Die Kontroversen um die „Stadtbild“-Aussagen von Friedrich Merz nehmen nicht ab. Am Wochenende wurde bundesweit weiter demonstriert. In Bielefeld machte SPD-Fraktionsvize Wiebke Esdar mit. „Wer das Stadtbild nicht ehrt, ist als Kanzler nichts wert“, stand auf einem Plakat, mit dem sich Esdar, Sprecherin der Parlamentarischen Linken, fotografieren ließ — und das Bild auf Instagram postete. Gegenwelle: „Opposition in der Regierung, das hat noch nie funktioniert“, sagte Spahn im Bericht aus Berlin. „Der Bundeskanzler spricht aus, was die Mehrheit der Deutschen denkt“, so der Unionsfraktionschef. „Der linke Empörungszirkus der letzten Tage geht an der Realität der Menschen vorbei.“ Knacks: „Die Parteiseele kocht“, soll ein Unionspolitiker Bild gesagt haben. Die Kritik der Konservativen an Esdar ist laut — die SPD versucht zu deeskalieren. Esdar mache von ihrem Demonstrationsrecht Gebrauch, heißt es. In Berlin wolle sie weiter „konstruktiv um Lösungen für unser Land“ ringen, versprach sie selbst. Grüne Zustimmung für Merz? In einem Beitrag für die Funke Mediengruppe warnt Felix Banaszak davor, die Augen vor bestehenden Problemen zu verschließen. „Es gibt sie, die Angsträume in unserem Land, wo sich Menschen in der Dunkelheit kaum noch auf die Straße trauen“, so der Grünen-Chef. Nein! Banaszak lehnt Merz’ Aussagen zu Migration und Stadtbild dennoch ab. Gleichzeitig appelliert er an die „progressiven Kräfte“, die Probleme nicht zu verharmlosen. „Es gibt die an Kleinstadtbahnhöfen herumlungernden Faschos und sturzbesoffen grölenden Fußballfans in Zügen“, sagt Banaszak. „Und es gibt kriminelle Gruppen auch aus migrantischen Familien, die am Freitagabend Leute abziehen oder Frauen belästigen.“ MERZ HILFT PEDRO SÁNCHEZ: Der Kanzler unterstützt Spaniens Premier bei einem Anliegen, das diesem besonders wichtig ist: die Anerkennung von Baskisch, Katalanisch und Gallizisch als offizielle EU-Amtssprachen. Der deutsche Einsatz dürfte eine Gegenleistung für Sánchez Versuch sein, die von seiner Parteikollegin Iratxe García geleitete sozialdemokratische Fraktion im Europaparlament zur Unterstützung von dem Merz so wichtigen Bürokratieabbaugesetz Omnibus I zu bewegen — auch wenn das Gesetz letzte Woche trotzdem im ersten Anlauf scheiterte. DONE DEALS: Erste handfeste Ergebnisse seiner Asienreise verkündete Trump gestern. Mit Malaysia und Kambodscha wurden Handelsvereinbarungen geschlossen, mit Thailand und Vietnam Rahmenpapiere vereinbart. AUDIENZ BEIM KAISER: Heute reist der US-Präsident weiter nach Japan und trifft in Tokio auf Kaiser Naruhito. Beobachter blicken mit größerem Interesse auf das Treffen mit Premierministerin Sanae Takaichi am Dienstag. Ein früher Führungstest für die erste Frau an der Spitze der japanischen Regierung. Sie steht für „Japan First“. Trump will Takaichi dazu drängen, mehr für die Landesverteidigung auszugeben und erwartet neue Investitionen in Milliardenhöhe. Alles zum Besuch in Tokio lesen Sie heute Morgen in unserem US-Newsletter DC Decoded. LICHT IM DUNKELN: Können Batteriespeicher helfen, Dunkelflauten — also Zeiten ohne Sonnen- und Windenergie — zu überbrücken? Daran gibt es Zweifel. Eine Analyse des Batteriespeicher-Entwicklers ECO STOR, die Energie- und Klima exklusiv vorliegt, hält dagegen: Bei entsprechendem Ausbau könnten Speicher die sogenannte Residuallast erheblich reduzieren. Alle Zahlen und Details lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe. Hier können Sie ein kostenloses Probeabo abschließen. DAUERBRENNER: Bei der Frage des Verbrenner-Aus’ diskutieren Kanzleramt und Umweltministerium eine Lösung, die nicht jedem in der deutschen Autoindustrie gefallen dürfte. Zumal öffentlich zuletzt eher von anderen Varianten die Rede war. Bayerisches Veto: Eine Einigung hängt nur noch am Widerstand von Markus Söder, hören Josh Groeneveld und ich aus unterschiedlichen Quellen. Im Pro Industrie und Handel lesen Sie heute, worauf die deutsche Position hinauslaufen könnte. Hier können Sie sich testweise und kostenlos anmelden. MAL WIEDER EIN MANN AUS NRW: Offenbar will Friedrich Merz den NRW-Landesgruppenchef Günter Krings zum neuen Vorsitzenden der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung machen. Der CDU-Chef habe den amtierenden Stiftungschef Norbert Lammert bereits über seinen Favoriten informiert, berichtet Table.Briefings. Flurfunk: Medienberichte, wonach Merz Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer ins Rennen schicken will, seien laut Partei- und Stiftungskreisen „nicht zutreffend“. Dennoch habe Kramp-Karrenbauer intern Interesse signalisiert und Unterstützer im Vorstand. Lammert gibt sein Amt zum Jahresende ab, die Wahl seines Nachfolgers ist für den 16. Dezember angesetzt. Merz entscheidet zwar nicht allein, doch es wäre ungewöhnlich, wenn sich der KAS-Vorstand gegen den Kanzler stellt. FAMILIENGLÜCK: Am Samstag hat Lukas Krieger seinen Sohn auf der Welt begrüßt. „Mutter und Kind sind wohlauf. Die Eltern sind überglücklich“, schreibt der Berliner CDU-Abgeordnete und neue Vater auf Instagram. Wir sagen: Herzlichen Glückwunsch! FILMPREMIERE: Zur Premiere der Netflix-Dokumentation „Babo — Die Haftbefehl-Story“ in der Astor Film Lounge am Freitagabend kamen Gäste aus der Musik- und Filmbranche, aber auch einige aus der Berliner Politik-Bubble. Darunter auch Reem Alabali Radovan, die Schwestern Düzen, Tülin und Tuna Tekkal, Clara von Nathusius, Lilly Blaudszun, Moderator Louis Klamroth und Journalist Juan Moreno, der Regie führte. BERLIN DIREKT: Laut Tino Chrupalla spielt die „Koalition der Willigen, die Koalition der Kriegstreiber“ eine große Rolle dabei, dass die Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Russland und der Ukraine bislang „torpediert wurden“. Zur Gefahr Russlands für Deutschland: „Die Eskalation geht hauptsächlich davon aus, dass man weiter die Ukraine bewaffnet. (…) Man ist nicht bereit, diesen Krieg zu beenden und Kompromisse zu schließen.“ Zu Trumps Sanktionen: „Es schadet am Ende Europa, es schadet Deutschland. Diese Sanktion aus Amerika ist falsch.“ 2 Uhr – Triumph für Milei: Trotz Korruptionsskandalen in seinem Umfeld und einer schwächelnden Wirtschaft erzielt Argentiniens ultraliberaler Präsident Javier Milei bei den Zwischenwahlen zum Kongress einen überraschenden Erfolg. Seine Partei „La Libertad Avanza“ legt sowohl im Senat wie auch im Abgeordnetenhaus deutlich zu. 4:30 Uhr – Asiens Börsen im Höhenflug: Die Hoffnung auf eine Entspannung im Handelsstreit zwischen den USA und China gibt den Börsen in Asien zum Wochenauftakt Auftrieb. In Japan steigt der Nikkei-Index um mehr als zwei Prozent auf 50.291,91 Punkte und überschreitet damit erstmals die Marke von 50.000 Punkten. — Die Regierungspressekonferenz findet um 11:30 Uhr mit Steffen Meyer statt. — Mit militärischen Ehren: Um 11 Uhr empfängt Frank-Walter Steinmeier den Großherzog Guillaume von Luxemburg in Schloss Bellevue. — Im Nahen Osten: Bis Mittwoch ist Karin Prien auf Reisen in Israel. — Digitales: Um 11 Uhr nimmt Karsten Wildberger in München an der Pressekonferenz im Anschluss des „Forum Digitale Transformation“ teil, um 14 Uhr besucht er den Innovationspark Augsburg. — Herausforderungen der Zuwanderung aus EU-Staaten: Um 12 Uhr geben Bärbel Bas, die Vorständin der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Vanessa Ahuja, und Duisburgs Oberbürgermeister Sören Link im Anschluss an den Fachkongress in Duisburg eine Pressekonferenz. — The Exploration Company: Um 15 Uhr spricht Dorothee Bär in Oberpfaffenhofen bei der Eröffnung des neuen Standorts. — Treffen der deutschsprachigen Justizminister: Noch heute ist Stefanie Hubig in Liechtenstein, wo sie am Treffen der Justizminister von Deutschland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Österreich und der Schweiz teilnimmt. — Landwirtschaft und Fischerei: An dem EU-Rat in Luxemburg nimmt Alois Rainer teil. SCHMUDDELWETTER: Heute wird es nass und windig, bei Temperaturen bis zu 10 °C. GRUSS AUS DER KÜCHE: — Mitarbeiterrestaurant JKH: Gebratene Brokkoli-Nussecken mit Zucchini-Paprika-Bohnen-Schmorgemüse und lauwarmem Bulgursalat oder hausgemachte Boulette mit Bratensoße, Karotten und Petersilienkartoffeln — Lampenladen PLH: Eieromelette an Kürbis-Lauchgemüse, dazu Kartoffelstampf und Kräutermischung oder Bolognese vom Rind auf Tagliatelle, dazu gehobelter Parmesan GEBURTSTAGE: Nina Stahr, Berliner Landesvorsitzende der Grünen (43), Henning Otte, Wehrbeauftragter des Bundestags (57), Kay-Uwe Ziegler, AfD-MdB (62) Regierungsviertel: Jasper Bennink, Rasmus Buchsteiner, Carlotta Diederich, Rixa Fürsen, Jürgen Klöckner, Franziska Nocke, Pauline von Pezold und Gordon Repinski Internationales Team: James Angelos, Chris Lunday und Nette Nöstlinger Industrie und Handel: Laura Hülsemann, Thorsten Mumme, Romanus Otte, Frida Preuß und Tom Schmidtgen Energie und Klima: Josh Groeneveld, Frederike Holewik, Joana Lehner und Johanna Sahlberg. Brussels Decoded: Oliver Noyan und Anouk Schlung DC Decoded: Julius Brinkmann, Maximilian Lembke und Franziska Nocke Produktion: Dean Southwell Das war die 412. Ausgabe des Berlin Playbook! Schicken Sie mir Feedback hier. Wenn Sie es noch nicht abonniert haben, können Sie das hier kostenlos tun. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Start in die Woche! Herzlichst Hans von der Burchard **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von YouTube: Was als Plattform für Videos begann, hat sich zu einem bedeutenden Wirtschaftsfaktor entwickelt. YouTube leistet heute einen spürbaren Beitrag zur deutschen Kreativwirtschaft, indem es Kreativen ermöglicht, langfristige Unternehmen aufzubauen. Diese Kreativunternehmer*innen schaffen nicht nur Inhalte, sondern auch Arbeitsplätze. Eine neue Studie von Oxford Economics belegt dies eindrucksvoll: Das kreative Ökosystem von YouTube unterstützte 2024 in Deutschland über 28.000 Arbeitsplätze (Vollzeitäquivalent). Hier klicken, um zu sehen, wie Karrieren auf YouTube entstehen.** ABONNIEREN Sie die Newsletter von POLITICO: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | POLITICO Pro
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Hans von der Burchard
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Uncategorized
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[] |
2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
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2025-10-27T06:00:00Z
| 7,396,002
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/berlin-playbook/nach-dem-eklat-wadephul-will-mit-peking-telefonieren/
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China: Die neue deutsche Bedeutungslosigkeit
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Listen on Außenminister Wadephul sagt seine China-Reise kurzfristig ab. Ein Vorgang, der zeigt, wie sehr sich die Machtverhältnisse verschoben haben. Hans von der Burchard analysiert, wie China Deutschland die Grenzen aufzeigt, warum die EU zum Vermittler wird und welche Folgen die Eskalation hat. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht Markus Frohnmaier, außenpolitischer Sprecher der AfD, über Pekings Rolle in der Welt, deutsche Interessen und warum er die Regierung für „hypermoralisch“ hält. Danach: Innenminister Alexander Dobrindt will Deutschland besser gegen Cyberangriffe wappnen und erlaubt künftig auch digitale Gegenschläge. Rixa Fürsen erklärt, wie schwierig das Konzept der Abwehr ist und warum Zuständigkeiten zwischen Bund, Ländern und Bundeswehr so unklar sind. Zum Schluss: Ein Blick auf die SPD, die in Bielefeld gegen den Kanzler und damit die eigene Regierung demonstriert. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski:Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.
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Gordon Repinski
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"asian economy",
"der podcast",
"eu-china relations",
"foreign policy",
"german politics",
"subsidy",
"tariffs",
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Playbook
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[
"China",
"Germany"
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2025-10-27T05:56:20Z
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2025-10-27T05:56:20Z
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2025-10-27T05:56:24Z
| 7,395,651
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https://www.politico.eu/podcast/berlin-playbook-podcast/china-die-neue-deutsche-bedeutungslosigkeit/
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Israel may need new leadership to deliver peace, EU commissioner says
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Hadja Lahbib tells POLITICO she has ‘doubts’ about Netanyahu’s commitment to Trump’s ceasefire, and vows to keep up the pressure on Israel. BRUSSELS — It’s not a view that many Brussels officials would dare to offer in public, but the European commissioner for crisis management is clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not a convincing leader to deliver peace in the Middle East. In an interview with POLITICO, Hadja Lahbib set out her “doubts” about the Israeli prime minister, called for continued pressure on Israel, and warned that the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza is far from over. The biggest risk to a lasting peace, she said, is “extremists on both sides.” There’s Hamas, the perpetrators of the Oct. 7, 2023 atrocity in Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. And on the Israeli side there are “extremists who don’t want to hear about the two-state solution,” she said, referring to the prime minister and members of his Cabinet. “We hear a lot of things that are unacceptable sometimes in the mouth of a responsible person who [is] in the lead of their country.” Does she think Netanyahu wants peace? “To ask the question is to give an answer,” said Lahbib, who is Belgium’s EU commissioner. “I have some doubts. So far he was able to implement the ceasefire so let’s see what’s going to happen. But we all know that he was against the two-state solution … we used to say in French that ‘only idiots don’t change their minds.’” The commissioner said she wasn’t calling the Israeli leader “an idiot,” but she’s clearly not a fan. Asked if Israel would need to elect a new leadership that is ready to embrace the two-state solution, with a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, she replied: “That’s a very good question and these are the next steps, the crucial ones.” First must come a ceasefire, then urgently needed aid, “and then a future, give a horizon of hope for these people that are living now in a sea of rubble.” It’s unusual for politicians to discuss the electoral politics of other countries. Israel is due to hold elections for its 120-member Knesset in October 2026, though some expect the vote to come sooner as Netanyahu no longer has a majority after his coalition partners walked out. Netanyahu is known as the great survivor of Israeli politics and has vowed to stand for election again. It’s been two weeks since the Trump-inspired ceasefire took effect, with Hamas returning Israel’s living hostages and Israeli forces pulling back. There have been attacks, and deaths, and tensions remain high. Overall, however, the truce has held. For the European Union — the biggest overall aid donor to the Palestinians (Brussels has sent more than €500 million since Oct. 7, 2023) — a political question abides: Can it repair relations with Israel sufficiently to play a role in shaping the future of the Middle East? Lahbib is responsible for the bloc’s vast central humanitarian aid budget and holds a key position in the EU’s response to the conflict. Soon, if the truce continues, attention will turn to the future political and physical reconstruction of Gaza. International allies agree Hamas cannot continue to run the administration of Gaza. Lahbib suggested Palestinians might need their own Nelson Mandela figure, a reference to Marwan Barghouti, a leading name in the Fatah party who has been in an Israeli jail since 2002. He has topped polls as the choice of Palestinians for a potential president. “Maybe [Barghouti] might be someone who still has credibility and legitimacy for the Palestinian people,” she said. “And if [he’s] the new, let’s say, Nelson Mandela, who’s released and who’s capable to have on one side the trust of his people and to lead the region, his own people, to peace, that will be fantastic.” Israel’s new ambassador to the EU has said it’s time for Brussels to drop its threats — to apply sanctions and suspend parts of the EU-Israel association agreement — and instead to restore the cooperation funds that have been halted. Lahbib rejects this. “On the contrary,” Lahbib said. “The past two years show us that we need to have leverage.” America made progress on peace precisely because it has leverage, she said. “Sometimes we have to push our own friends.” Asked whether she believes Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, Lahbib said “only a court can say.” She did, though, point to an independent U.N. investigation that found there “is or was a genocide committed,” and referenced the harrowing scenes recounted by aid workers. “What happened there is inhuman and we need to recover our humanity,” she said. The EU wants to be a “player” rather than just a “payer” in the reconstruction of Gaza. But the political situation in Israel means that giving the EU a role on Trump’s so-called board of peace is a complicated decision, she said. “The coalition is fragile and it’s difficult for them to take a decision that leads to peace, a sustainable peace.” Trump and his top team are clearly committed to maintaining the ceasefire, and the U.S. president’s plan is “the end of a nightmare — we have to acknowledge the progress,” Lahbib said. “But this is not the end of the war. For that we need to work on the implementation of the two-state solution. The situation is very fluid and fragile.” Hadja Lahbib defends Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s blockade of a disputed plan to help Kyiv fight Vladimir Putin. EU chiefs lost some credibility when they failed to get a deal to fund Ukraine using Russian assets. Zelenskyy could lose a lot more. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo tells POLITICO Ukraine must be equipped to match or exceed Russia’s capabilities because Vladimir Putin only responds to strength. Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes ideas from Europeans about the terms of a truce but says no final proposal has been agreed yet.
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Tim Ross
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Hadja Lahbib tells POLITICO she has ‘doubts’ about Netanyahu’s commitment to Trump’s ceasefire, and vows to keep up the pressure on Israel.
|
[
"americas",
"budget",
"conflict",
"cooperation",
"courts",
"crisis",
"elections",
"genocide",
"middle east",
"sanctions",
"war"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Israel"
] |
2025-10-27T05:30:00Z
|
2025-10-27T05:30:00Z
|
2025-10-27T05:30:00Z
| 7,395,405
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https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-peace-eu-commissioner-middle-east-hamas-palestine-gaza-leadership/
|
Sweden’s still ahead in the preparedness game — and now it means business
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In today’s geopolitical reality, informing companies of threats that could harm them and how they can prepare is becoming indispensable. AI generated Text-to-speech Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, the author of the award-winning “Goodbye Globalization” and a regular columnist for POLITICO. Seven years ago, Sweden made global headlines with “In Case of Crisis or War” — a crisis preparedness leaflet sent to all households in the country. Unsurprisingly, preparedness leaflets have become a trend across Europe since then. But now, Sweden is ahead of the game once more, this time with a preparedness leaflet specifically for businesses. Informing companies about threats that could harm them, and how they can prepare, makes perfect sense. And in today’s geopolitical reality, it’s becoming indispensable. I remember when “In Case of Crisis or War” was first published in 2018: The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, or MSB, sent the leaflet out by post to every single home. The use of snail mail wasn’t accidental — in a crisis, there could be devastating cyberattacks that would prevent people from accessing information online. The leaflet — an updated version of the Cold War-era “In Case of War” — contained information about all manner of possible harm, along with information about how to best prepare and protect oneself. Then, there was the key statement: “If Sweden is attacked, we will never surrender. Any suggestion to the contrary is false.” Over the top, suggested some outside observers derisively. Why cause panic among people? But, oh, what folly! Preparedness leaflets have been used elsewhere too. I came to appreciate preparedness education during my years as a resident of San Francisco — a city prone to earthquakes. On buses, at bus stops and online, residents like me were constantly reminded that an earthquake could strike at any moment and we were told how to prepare, what to do while the earthquake was happening, how to find loved ones afterward and how to fend for ourselves for up to three days after a tremor. The city’s then-Mayor Gavin Newsom had made disaster preparedness a key part of his program and to this day, I know exactly what items to always have at home in case of a crisis: Water, blankets, flashlights, canned food and a hand-cranked radio. And those items are the same, whether the crisis is an earthquake, a cyberattack or a military assault. Other earthquake-prone cities and regions disseminate similar preparedness advice — as do a fast-growing number of countries, now facing threats from hostile states. Poland, as it happens, published its new leaflet just a few days before Russia’s drones entered its airspace. But these preparedness instructions have generally focused on citizens and households; businesses have to come up with their own preparedness plans against whatever Russia or other hostile states and their proxies think up — and against extreme weather events too. That’s a lot of hostile activity. In the past couple years alone, undersea cables have been damaged under mysterious circumstances; a Polish shopping mall and a Lithuanian Ikea store have been subject to arson attacks; drones have been circling above weapons-manufacturing facilities; and a defense-manufacturing CEO has been the target of an assassination plot; just to name a few incidents. It’s no wonder geopolitical threats are causing alarm to the private sector. Global insurance broker Willis Towers Watson’s 2025 Political Risk Survey, which focuses on multinationals, found that the political risk losses in 2023 — the most recent year for which data is available — were at their highest level since the survey began. Companies are particularly concerned about economic retaliation, state-linked cyberattacks and state-linked attacks on infrastructure in the area of gray-zone aggression. Yes, businesses around Europe receive warnings and updates from their governments, and large businesses have crisis managers and run crisis management exercises for their staff. But there was no national preparedness guide for businesses — until now. MSB’s preparedness leaflet directed at Sweden’s companies is breaking new ground. It will feature the same kind of easy-to-implement advice as “In Case of Crisis or War,” and it will be just as useful for family-run shops as it is for multinationals, helping companies to keep operating matters far beyond the businesses themselves. By targeting the private sector, hostile states can quickly bring countries to a grinding and discombobulating halt. That must not happen — and preventing should involve both governments and the companies themselves. Naturally, a leaflet is only the beginning. As I’ve written before, governments would do well to conduct tabletop preparedness exercises with businesses — Sweden and the Czech Republic are ahead on this — and simulation exercises would be even better. But a leaflet is a fabulous cost-effective start. It’s also powerful deterrence-signaling to prospective attackers. And in issuing its leaflet, Sweden is signaling that targeting the country’s businesses won’t be as effective as would-be attackers would wish. (The leaflet, by the way, will be blue. The leaflet for private citizens was yellow. Get it? The colors, too, are a powerful message.) Half a dozen countries are experiencing an extraordinary surge in GPS disturbances. But collectively, we can blunt the harm of these dangerous tactics. Thanks to one small town, it seems there might yet be hope for Europe, and for a greener future without risky dependencies on China. Every destination city can easily come up with its own innovative ideas to draw visitors who bring a helping hand as well as their cash. The event demonstrates that a nation can be strong and resolute while also posing no threat.
|
Elisabeth Braw
|
In today’s geopolitical reality, informing companies of threats that could harm them and how they can prepare is becoming indispensable.
|
[
"beyond the bubble",
"companies",
"crisis",
"critical infrastructure",
"cyber warfare",
"natural disasters",
"risk and compliance",
"safety",
"security"
] |
Commentary
|
[
"EU27",
"Russia",
"Sweden"
] |
2025-10-27T03:21:04Z
|
2025-10-27T03:21:04Z
|
2025-10-27T03:21:10Z
| 7,391,586
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/swedens-still-ahead-in-the-preparedness-game-and-now-it-means-business/
|
Britain seeks EU steel pact to counter China — and swerve tariffs
|
The idea under consideration is for the U.K. and EU to form a Western steel alliance — potentially including Washington — that would align tariff policies. AI generated Text-to-speech LONDON — Britain is pushing to form a Western alliance with the European Union to curb China's dominance in the global steel market, multiple figures familiar with the talks told POLITICO. The hope in London is that a coordinated approach could help the U.K. dodge the new tariffs Brussels plans to impose — a 50 percent duty aimed at shielding EU producers from China’s industrial overproduction. Britain, which finds itself at the mercy of EU trade action post-Brexit, is currently seeking carve-outs from those measures. The idea under consideration is for the U.K. and EU to form a Western steel alliance — potentially including Washington — that would align tariff policies and grant members preferential tariffs on steel trade. A senior EU official said earlier this month that the bloc had “no other choice” but to defend its industry, warning Europe was “in deep trouble because of this problem of overcapacities." Still, the official left the door open to talks with London, urging both sides to sit down to negotiate. One other EU official, granted anonymity to speak freely about ongoing talks, said the concept of a steel “club” has been circulating for “quite some time” but is now looking “more appealing.” They added that the EU and U.K. already cooperate in multilateral forums such as the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity. The two sides have already agreed to align their upcoming carbon taxes on imports of steel and other products produced through highly polluting manufacturing processes. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called for stronger coordination against Chinese steel earlier this month, warning that the “current international trade rules are inadequate” and questioning “the political will of foreign members to take action.” Britain currently sends half of its steel exports to the EU, making the bloc’s upcoming tariffs a serious threat to U.K. producers. UK Steel Director Gareth Stace said the government’s “focus must be on securing essential U.K. carve outs in the EU’s quotas, and tightening its own trade defenses.” But the lobby group boss added that a broader alliance could help to resolve global overcapacity issues and keep heavily subsidized imports out of Britain. A U.K. government spokesperson said: “We are continuing our engagement with the EU following their recent announcement. We are also working with international partners on solutions which can address wider overcapacity.” The two-day visit, starting Oct. 29, is expected to include meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III. The proposals risk dealing a devastating blow to Britain’s embattled steelmakers. Officials briefed the Trump administration on fresh proposals for pharma pricing earlier this week. There’s a vetting process for disaffected Tories who want to make the leap.
|
Caroline Hug
|
The idea under consideration is for the U.K. and EU to form a Western steel alliance — potentially including Washington — that would align tariff policies.
|
[
"exports",
"imports",
"industry",
"markets",
"overcapacity",
"steel",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"competition and industrial policy",
"energy and climate uk"
] |
Trade UK
|
[
"China",
"United Kingdom",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-27T03:13:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:13:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:14:21Z
| 7,389,066
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-eu-steel-pact-china-tariffs/
|
Europe lost its drive for humane animal transport. Denmark hasn’t.
|
Europe’s animal welfare overhaul is on life support. Denmark’s farm minister thinks he can still revive it — one compromise at a time. AI generated Text-to-speech BRUSSELS — The Danish farm minister is determined to spend some of his remaining political capital on the plight of millions of piglets rumbling across the continent packed into semitrucks. The European Commission’s 2023 plan to ease the suffering of farm animals on the move started out as the ultimate feel-good proposal. But two years later, the ambition for stricter limits on travel times, more space in trucks and a ban on long journeys in extreme heat is stuck in the slow lane. After years of farmer unrest and mounting pressure to boost Europe’s competitiveness, politicians have grown wary of new costs or constraints on industry. Across the bloc, social and environmental rules are being softened, delayed or quietly dropped. The animal transport reform, which would not only raise costs but upend much of Europe’s livestock trade, is now on a collision course with the deregulatory drive. Few in Brussels believe it can be saved. But Danish Agriculture Minister Jacob Jensen, now chairing capitals’ negotiations for a few more months, is determined to try. Every year, around 1.6 billion farm animals, mainly pigs, cows and sheep, are loaded onto trucks and shipped across the EU for fattening or slaughter, in a trade worth some €8.6 billion for the livestock industry. Animal welfare barely registered in EU politics two decades ago, when Brussels last updated its rules for livestock transport. Yet amid recurring reports of animals collapsing from exhaustion or drowning in their own waste, the Commission floated more protections in December 2023. Since then, they’ve been buried under thousands of amendments in the European Parliament. Romanian conservative Daniel Buda, one of the lead negotiators, has made arguments that flatly contradict scientific evidence, claiming that packing animals closer together makes them safer or that giving them more space would undermine the EU’s climate goals. In the Council of the EU, most governments would rather see the file disappear altogether. Member countries have been at odds over how to handle transport in hot weather, the movement of young calves and — most explosively — journey time limits. Copenhagen, which took over the rotating Council presidency in July, says it’s found a pragmatic way to keep the reform alive. Jensen, the farm minister, told POLITICO he sees “good progress” in technical negotiations, including on how animals are handled, watered and fed during transport, even as the journey time limits debate remains frozen. “It’s not correct to say there’s no progress,” Jensen said in a telephone interview. “If the conditions are good, if animals have ventilation, water and trained handlers, it matters less whether it’s one or two hours longer.” It’s a message that captures Denmark’s paradox. The Nordic country is one of Europe’s largest exporters of live animals, sending some 13 million piglets a year to other EU states. Yet it has also been among the bloc’s loudest voices for tougher welfare rules, even calling for a full ban on live exports to third countries ahead of the Commission’s proposal. Now, isolated on that front, it is trying to salvage the weaker Commission draft by making it workable enough to pass. That instinct for compromise isn’t new. Last year, Denmark became the first country to agree a tax on greenhouse gas emissions from farming — with farmers’ backing. For Jensen, who helped broker that deal, the lesson is that even the most sensitive agricultural reforms can stick if they’re built on pragmatism rather than punishment. That balancing act has turned Denmark into the unlikely custodian of one of Europe’s most moral — and most toxic — legislative files. At home, hauliers call the reform “pure nonsense” and “detached from reality.” Farmers complain their standards already exceed those of many peers. Yet Copenhagen hasn’t flinched, arguing that harmonized EU rules could finally level the playing field. “We need to find the right balance,” Jensen said. “It has to improve animal welfare, but it cannot be so burdensome that cross-border transport becomes impossible.” The Commission’s draft would cap journeys for slaughter animals at nine hours, ban daytime travel during heat waves and tighten space allowances. Welfare advocates say even that falls short of what animal health research shows is needed to prevent suffering. But after years of stalemate, Denmark’s incrementalism may be the only path left. Jensen insists that simply enforcing the bloc’s existing rules, as the reform’s critics propose, wouldn’t be enough to improve conditions for transported animals. “If this negotiation does not improve animal welfare,” he said, “there’s no need to have it at all.” Whether his slow-and-steady strategy works will depend on how much patience Europe has left. The Parliament remains gridlocked and a new round of protests could easily bury the file again. The reform is by no means “home safe,” Jensen admitted. Denmark just wants to “come as far as we can” before handing it off to Cyprus, which takes over the EU presidency in January and hasn’t exactly been among the vocal champions of tougher transport rules. “Hopefully they can do the final job,” he said. Lucia Mackenzie contributed to this report. A Slovak liberal quietly steered one of the last surviving environmental files to the finish line. Brussels wants to fix Europe’s aging farm problem, but its new plan may lack the cash to pull it off. More than three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s capital endures constant Russian attacks while watching European solidarity fray. The ink was barely dry on the European Parliament’s prohibition across the bloc when its own chefs dished up “vegan burgers,” leaving lawmakers choking on the irony.
|
Bartosz Brzeziński
|
Europe’s animal welfare overhaul is on life support. Denmark’s farm minister thinks he can still revive it — one compromise at a time.
|
[
"animal welfare",
"competitiveness",
"emissions",
"exports",
"farmers",
"farms",
"industry",
"livestock",
"negotiations",
"tax",
"trade",
"transport",
"welfare",
"mobility"
] |
Agriculture and Food
|
[
"Denmark"
] |
2025-10-27T03:12:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:12:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:13:27Z
| 7,372,965
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-lost-drive-humane-animal-transport-denmark-hasnt/
|
How a hacking gang held Italy’s political elites to ransom
|
Wiretaps and arrest warrants reveal the intricate plot to build a database of high-level secrets — and blackmail Italy’s rich and powerful. By ANTOANETA ROUSSI and HANNAH ROBERTSin Milan Illustrations by Gregori Saavedra for POLITICO AI generated Text-to-speech Nothing about the sand-colored façade of the palazzo tucked behind Milan’s Duomo cathedral suggested that inside it a team of computer engineers were building a database to gather private and damaging information about Italy’s political elite — and use it to try to control them. The platform, called Beyond, pulled together hundreds of thousands of records from state databases — including flagged financial transactions and criminal investigations — to create detailed profiles on politicians, business leaders and other prominent figures. Police wiretaps recorded someone they identified as Samuele Calamucci, allegedly the technical mastermind of the group, boasting that the dossiers gave them the power to “screw over all of Italy.” The operation collapsed in fall 2024, when a two-year investigation culminated in the arrests of four people, with a further 60 questioned. The alleged ringleaders have denied ever directly accessing state databases, while lower-level operatives maintain they only conducted open-source searches and believed their actions were legal. Police files indicate that key suspects claimed they were operating with the tacit approval of the Italian state. After months of questioning and plea bargaining, 15 of the accused are set to enter their pleas at the first court hearing in October. The disclosures were shocking, not only because of the confidentiality of the data but also the high-profile nature of the targets, which included former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Ignazio La Russa, co-founder of the ruling Brothers of Italy party and president of the Senate. The scandal underscores a novel reality: that in the digital era, privacy is a relic. While dossiers and kompromat have long been tools of political warfare, hackers today, commanded by the highest bidder, can access information to exploit decision-makers’ weaknesses — from private indiscretions to financial vulnerabilities. The result is a political and business class highly exposed to external pressures, heightening fears about the resilience of democratic institutions in an era where data is both power and liability. POLITICO obtained thousands of pages of police wiretap transcripts and arrest warrants and spoke with alleged perpetrators, their victims and officials investigating the scheme. Together, the documents and interviews reveal an intricate plot to build a database filled with confidential and compromising data — and a business plan to exploit it for both legal and illegal means. On the surface, the group presented itself as a corporate intelligence firm, courting high-profile clients by claiming expertise in resolving complex risk management issues such as commercial fraud, corruption and infiltration by organized crime. Prosecutors accuse the gang of compiling damaging dossiers by illegally accessing phones, computers and state databases containing information ranging from tax records to criminal convictions. The data could be used to pressure and threaten victims or fed to journalists to discredit them. The alleged perpetrators include a former star police investigator, the top manager of Milan’s trade fair complex and several cybersecurity experts prominent in Italy’s tech scene. All have denied wrongdoing. When the gang first drew the attention of investigators in the summer of 2022, it was almost by accident. Police were tracking a northern Italian gangster when he arranged a meeting with retired police inspector Carmine Gallo at a coffee bar in downtown Milan. Gallo, a veteran in the fight against organized crime, was a familiar face in Italy’s law enforcement circles. The meeting raised suspicions, and authorities put Gallo under surveillance — and inadvertently uncovered the gang’s wider operations. Gallo, who died in March 2025, was a towering figure in Italian law enforcement. He helped solve high-profile cases such as the 1995 murder of Maurizio Gucci — carried out by the fashion mogul’s ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani and her clairvoyant — and the 1997 kidnapping of Milanese businesswoman Alessandra Sgarella by the ‘ndrangheta organized crime syndicate. Yet Gallo’s career was not without controversy. Over four decades, he cultivated ties to organized crime networks and faced repeated investigations for overstepping legal boundaries. He ultimately received a two-year suspended sentence for sharing official secrets and assisting criminals. When he retired from the force in 2018, Gallo illegally carted off investigative material such as transcripts of interviews with moles, mafia family trees and photofits, prosecutors’ documents show. His modus operandi was to tell municipal employees to “get a coffee and come back in half an hour” while he photographed documents, he boasted in wiretaps. Still, Gallo’s work ethic remained relentless. In 2019, he co-founded Equalize — the IT company that hosted the Beyond database — with his business partner Enrico Pazzali, presenting the firm as a corporate risk intelligence company. Gallo’s years as a police officer gave him a unique advantage: He could leverage relationships with former colleagues in law enforcement and intelligence to get them to carry out illegal searches on his behalf. Some of the information he obtained was then repackaged as reputational dossiers for clients, commanding fees of up to €15,000. Gallo also cashed in his influence for favors, such as procuring passports for friends and acquaintances. Investigators recorded conversations in which he bragged of sourcing a passport for a convicted mafioso under investigation for kidnapping, who planned to flee to the United Arab Emirates. The supercop-turned-supercriminal claimed that Equalize had a full overview of Italian criminal operations, extending even to countries like Australia and Vietnam. When investigators raided the group’s headquarters, they found thousands of files and dossiers spanning decades of Italian criminal and political history. The hackers even claimed to have — as part of what they called their “infinite archive” — video evidence of the late Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s so-called bunga bunga parties, which investigators called “a blackmail tool of the highest value.” Gallo’s sudden death of a heart attack six months into the investigation stirred unease among prosecutors. They noted that while an initial autopsy found no signs of trauma or injection, the absence of such evidence does not necessarily rule out interference. Investigators have ordered toxicology tests. Gallo’s collaborator Pazzalli, a well-known businessman who headed Milan’s prestigious Fondazione Fiera Milano, the country’s largest exhibition center, was Equalize’s alleged frontman. Pazzali, through his lawyer, declined to comment to POLITICO about the allegations. The Fiera, a magnet for money and power, made Pazzali a heavy hitter in Milanese circles. Having built a successful career across IT, energy and other sectors, and boasting a full head of steely gray hair, he was known to some by the nickname “Zio Bello,” or handsome uncle. Pazzali cultivated close ties to right-wing politicians, including Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, and maintained a close association with high-level intelligence officials. He would meet clients in a chauffeur-driven black Tesla X, complete with a blue flashing light on the roof — the kind typically reserved for high-ranking officials. Since 2019, Pazzali held a 95 percent stake in Equalize. If Gallo’s role was sourcing confidential information, Pazzali’s was winning high-profile clients, the prosecutors allege. Leveraging his reputation and political connections, he helped secure business from banks, industrial conglomerates, multinationals, and international law firms, including pasta giant Barilla, the Italian subsidiary of Heineken, and energy powerhouse Eni. Documents show that Eni paid Equalize €377,000. Roberto Albini, a spokesperson for the energy giant, told POLITICO that the firm had commissioned Equalize “to support its strategy and defense in the context of several criminal and civil cases.” He added that Eni was not aware of any illegal activity by the company. Marlous den Bieman, corporate communications manager for Heineken, said the brewer had “ceased all collaboration with Equalize and is actively cooperating with authorities in their investigation of the company’s practices.” Barilla declined to comment. Italy’s third-largest bank, Banca Mediolanum, said it had paid “€3,000 to Equalize to gather more public information regarding a company that could have been the subject of a potential deal, managed by our investment bank.” The bank added, “Of course we were not aware that Equalize was in general conducting its business also through the adoption of illicit procedures.” The group’s reach extended beyond Italy. In February 2023, it was hired by Israeli state intelligence agents in a €1 million operation to trace the financial flows from the accounts of wealthy individuals to the Russian mercenary network Wagner. In exchange, the Israelis promised to hand over intelligence on the illicit trafficking of Iranian gas through Italy — a commodity that, they suggested, might be of interest to Equalize’s client, the energy giant Eni. Equalize rapidly grew into a formidable private investigation operation. Police reports noted that Pazzali recognized data as “a weapon for enormous economic and reputational gains,” adding, “Equalize’s raison d’être is to provide … Pazzali with information and dossiers to be used for the achievement of his political and economic aims.” During the 2023 election campaign for the presidency of the Lombardy region, Pazzali ordered dossiers on close affiliates of former mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti, who was challenging his preferred candidate, the far-right Fontana. A spokesman for Fontana called the allegation “science-fiction” and said “nothing was offered to the president of the region, he did not ask for anything, and he certainly did not pay anything.” In 2022, Pazzali was in the running to manage Italy’s 2026 Winter Olympics as chief executive. Wiretaps suggested he ordered a dossier on his competitor, football club AC Milan’s Chairman Paolo Scaroni, but found nothing on him. Business was booming, but Pazzali and Gallo were thinking ahead. They had become reliant on cops willing to leak information, and those officers could be spooked — or caught in the act. That was a vulnerability. They started to envisage a more sophisticated operation: a platform that collated all the data the group had in its possession and could generate the prized dossiers with the click of a button, erasing the need for bribes and cutting manpower costs — a repository of high-level secrets that, once operational, would give Pazzali, Gallo, and their team unprecedented power in Italy. Pazzali declined to comment on the investigation. He is due to plead before a judge at a preliminary hearing in October. Enter Samuele Calamucci, the coding brain of the operation. Calamucci is from a small town just outside Milan, and before he began his career in cybersecurity, he was involved in stonemasonry. Unlike his partners Gallo and Pazzali, Calamucci wasn’t a known face in the city — and he had worked hard to keep it that way. He ran his own private investigation firm, Mercury Advisor, from the same offices as Equalize, handling the company’s IT operations as an outside contractor. Calamucci knew his way around Italian government IT systems, too. In wiretapped conversations, he claimed to have helped build the digital infrastructure for Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency and to have worked for the secret services’ Department of Information for Security. Known within the gang as “the professor,” Calamucci’s role was to recruit and manage a team of 30 to 40 programmers he called the ragazzi — the boys. With his best recruits he began to build Beyond in 2022, the platform designed to be the digital equivalent of an all-seeing eye. To populate it, Calamucci and his team purchased data from the dark web, exploited access through government IT maintenance contracts and siphoned intelligence from state databases whenever they could, prosecutors said. In one police-recorded conversation, Calamucci boasted of a hard drive holding 800,000 dossiers. Through his lawyer, Calamucci declined to comment. “We all thought the requested reports served the good of the country,” said one of the hackers, granted anonymity to speak freely. “Ninety percent of the reports carried out were about energy projects, which required open-source criminal records or membership in mafia syndicates, given that a large portion concerned the South.” Only 5 percent of the jobs they carried out were for individuals to conduct an analysis of enemies or competitors, he added. The hackers were also “not allowed to know” who was coming into Equalize’s office from the outside. Meetings were held behind closed doors in Gallo’s office or in conference rooms, the hacker told POLITICO, explaining that the analysts were unaware of the company’s dynamics and the people it associated with. Beyond gave Pazzali, Gallo, and their gang a treasure trove of compromising information on political and business figures in a searchable platform. Wiretaps indicated the plan was to sell access via subscription to select clients, including international law firm Dentons and some of the Big Four consultancies like Deloitte, KPMG, and EY. Dentons declined to comment. Deloitte and EY did not respond to a request for comment. Audee Van Winkel, senior communication officer for KPMG in Belgium, where one of the alleged gang members worked, said the consultancy did not have any knowledge or records of KPMG in Belgium working with the platform. In Italy’s sprawling private investigation scene, Equalize was a relative newcomer. But Gallo, Pazzali and their associates had something going for them: They were well-connected. One alleged member of the organization, Gabriele Pegoraro, had worked as an external cybersecurity expert for intelligence services and had previously made headlines as the IT genius who helped capture a fugitive terrorist. Pegoraro said he “carried out only lawful operations using publicly available sources” and “was in the dark about how the information was used.” According to wiretaps, Calamucci and Gallo had worked with several intelligence agents to provide surveillance to protect criminal informants. On one occasion, Calamucci explained to a subordinate that the relationship with the secret services “was essential” to continue running Equalize undisturbed. “We are mercenaries for [Italian] intelligence,” he was heard saying by police listening in on a meeting with foreign agents at his office. The services also helped with data searches for the group and created a mask of cover for the gang, prosecutors believe. A hacker proudly claimed that Equalize had even received computers handed down from Italy’s foreign intelligence agency, while law enforcement watched from bugs planted in the ceiling. In October 2024, the music stopped. Prosecutors placed four of the alleged gang members, including Gallo and Calamucci, under house arrest and another 60 people under investigation. They brought forward charges including conspiracy to hack, corruption, illegal accessing of data and the violation of official secrets. “Just as the Stasi destroyed the lives of so many people using a mixture of fabricated and collected information, so did these guys,” said Leonida Reitano, an Italian open-source investigator who studied the case. “They collected sensitive information, including medical reports, and used it to compromise their targets.” News of what the gang had done dropped like a bombshell on Italy’s political class. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters at the time that the affair was “unacceptable,” while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi warned the parliament that the hackers were “altering the rules of democracy.” Prime Minister Renzi warned of a deeper political risk associated with the gang. “It is clear that Equalize are very close to the leaders of the right-wing parties, and intended to build a powerful organization, although it is not yet certain how deep an impact they had,” he told POLITICO. Renzi is seeking damages as a civil plaintiff in the eventual criminal trial. Equalize was liquidated in March, and some of the alleged hackers have since taken on legitimate roles within the cybersecurity sector. There are many unresolved questions around the case. Investigators and observers are still trying to determine the full extent of Equalize’s ties to Italian intelligence agencies, and whether any clients were aware of or complicit in the methods used to compile sensitive dossiers. Interviews with intelligence officials conducted during the investigation were never transcribed, and testimony given to a parliamentary committee remains classified. Police documents are heavily redacted, leaving the identities of key figures and the full scope of the operation unclear. While Equalize is unprecedented in its scale, efforts to collect information on political opponents have “become an Italian tradition,” said the political historian Giovanni Orsina. Spying and political chicanery during and after the Cold War has damaged democracy and undermined trust in public institutions, made worse by a lethargic justice system that can take years if not decades to deliver justice. “It adds to the perception that Italy is a country in which you can never find the truth,” Orsina said. Franco Gabrielli, a former director of Italy’s civil intelligence services, warned that even the toughest of sentences are unlikely to put an end to the practice. “It just increases the costs, because if I risk more, I charge more,” he said. “We must reduce the damage, put in place procedures, mechanisms,” he added. “But, unfortunately, all over the world, even where people earn more there are always black sheep, people who are corrupted. It’s human nature.”
|
Antoaneta Roussi
|
Wiretaps and arrest warrants reveal the intricate plot to build a database of high-level secrets — and blackmail Italy’s rich and powerful.
|
[
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Cybersecurity and Data Protection
|
[] |
2025-10-27T03:09:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:09:00Z
|
2025-10-27T15:24:59Z
| 6,089,556
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-milan-hackers-carmine-gallo-enrico-pazzali-samuele-calamucci-equalize-mercury-advisors/
|
Germany’s new €377B military wish list
|
A new procurement blueprint seen by POLITICO shows Germany’s plan to become the backbone of the continent’s defense revival. AI generated Text-to-speech This article is also available in: French BERLIN — Friedrich Merz said the quiet part out loud back in May: Germany intends to build the Bundeswehr into “the strongest conventional army in Europe,” pledging to give it “all the financial resources it needs.” Five months later, the German chancellor aims to add the hardware to that ambition, according to new internal government documents seen by POLITICO. The sprawling 39-page list lays out €377 billion in desired buys across land, air, sea, space and cyber. The document is a planning overview of arms purchases that will be spelled out in the German military’s 2026 budget, but many are longer-term purchases for which there is no clear time frame. Taken together, it's a comprehensive roadmap for Germany’s long-overdue defense overhaul, anchored firmly in domestic industry. Politically, the timing tracks with Merz’s shift to a new financing model. Since the spring, Berlin has moved to carve out defense from Germany’s constitutional debt brake, allowing sustained multiyear spending beyond the nearly exhausted €100 billion special fund set up under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tenure. Items on the list will eventually appear, in smaller tranches, when they’re mature enough for a parliamentary budget committee vote. All procurements valued over €25 million need the committee’s sign-off. The documents show that the Bundeswehr wants to launch about 320 new weapons and equipment projects over the next year's budget cycle. Of those, 178 have a listed contractor. The rest remain “still open,” showing that much of the Bundeswehr’s modernization plan is still on the drawing board. German companies dominate the identifiable tenders with around 160 projects, worth about €182 billion, tied to domestic firms. Rheinmetall is by far the biggest winner. The Düsseldorf-based group and its affiliated ventures appear in 53 separate planning lines worth more than €88 billion. Around €32 billion would flow directly to Rheinmetall, while another €56 billion is linked to subsidiaries and joint ventures, such as the Puma and Boxer fighting vehicle programs run with KNDS. The document foresees a total of 687 Pumas, including 662 combat versions and 25 driver-training vehicles, to be delivered by 2035. In air defense, the Bundeswehr aims to procure 561 Skyranger 30 short-range turret systems for counter-drone and short-range protection — a program fully under Rheinmetall’s lead. Along with that come grenades and rifle rounds in the millions. Diehl Defence emerges as the Bundeswehr’s second major industrial anchor after Rheinmetall. The Bavarian missile manufacturer appears in 21 procurement lines worth €17.3 billion. The largest share comes from the IRIS-T family, which is set to form the backbone of Germany’s future air defense architecture. According to the document, the Bundeswehr aims to buy 14 complete IRIS-T SLM systems valued at €3.18 billion, 396 IRIS-T SLM missiles for about €694 million and another 300 IRIS-T LFK short-range missiles worth €300 million. Together, these lines alone amount to around €4.2 billion — making IRIS-T one of the most significant single air defense programs in the Bundeswehr’s planning. Drones are also gaining ground on the military wish list. On the higher end, the Bundeswehr wants to expand its armed Heron TP fleet operated with Israel’s IAI, aiming to buy new munitions for around €100 million. A dozen new LUNA NG tactical drones follow at about €1.6 billion. For the navy, four uMAWS maritime drones appear in the plan for an estimated €675 million, which will include replacement parts, training and maintenance. Several of the Bundeswehr’s most expensive new projects sit not on land, sea or in the air — but in orbit. The list includes more than €14 billion in satellite programs, calling for new geostationary communications satellites, upgraded ground control stations and, most ambitiously, a low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation worth €9.5 billion to ensure constant, jam-resistant connectivity for troops and command posts. The push aligns with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’ €35 billion plan to boost Germany’s “space security.” One of the most politically charged plans on the Bundeswehr’s wish list is the potential top-up of 15 F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin, worth about €2.5 billion under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales system. These would keep Germany’s nuclear-sharing role intact but also retain its reliance on American maintenance, software and mission-data access. It could also signal a further German convergence on American weaponry it cannot replace, just as political tensions deepen over the Franco-German-Spanish sixth-generation fighter jet, the Future Combat Air System. The same U.S. framework appears across other high-profile projects. The Bundeswehr plans to buy 400 Tomahawk Block Vb cruise missiles for roughly €1.15 billion, along with three Lockheed Martin Typhon launchers valued at €220 million — a combination that would give Germany a 2,000-kilometer strike reach. The navy’s interim maritime-patrol aircraft plan, worth €1.8 billion for four Boeing P-8A Poseidons, also sits within the foreign military sales pipeline. All three tie Berlin’s future strike and surveillance capabilities to U.S. export and sustainment control. Together, about 25 foreign-linked projects worth roughly €14 billion appear clearly in the Bundeswehr’s internal planning — less than 5 percent of the total €377 billion in requested spending. Yet they account for nearly all of Germany’s strategic, nuclear-related and long-range capabilities, from nuclear-certified aircraft to deep-strike and maritime surveillance systems. By contrast, nearly half of the list is anchored in German industry, spanning armored vehicles, sensors and ammunition lines. In financial terms, domestic firms dominate; politically, however, the few foreign systems define the country’s most sensitive military roles. It’s the first official acknowledgment from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces on the continent. The mishap has raised fresh questions about how Germany’s armed forces coordinate domestic training drills. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius intervened to halt a coalition deal that would have reintroduced limited military service by lottery. Paris is significantly weakened, and a trilateral meeting between France, Germany and Spain scheduled for October is now on hold.
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Chris Lunday
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A new procurement blueprint seen by POLITICO shows Germany’s plan to become the backbone of the continent’s defense revival.
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2025-10-27T03:09:00Z
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2025-10-27T03:09:00Z
|
2025-10-27T08:25:41Z
| 7,375,518
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https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-military-wish-list-defense-politics-budget-domestic-industry/
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Steve Reed’s ‘build, baby, build’ crusade is spooking Labour MPs
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Steve Reed’s donning the red hat and bringing the energy — but is he risking Labour seats? AI generated Text-to-speech LONDON — Britain’s technocratic ministers aren’t the most obvious candidates to don MAGA-style red caps and belt out punchy slogans. But Britain’s housing secretary has a real fight on his hands, and he’s not afraid to channel Donald Trump in waging it. Steve Reed took office in early September with a colorful promise to “build, baby, build.” Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis. The availability of affordable housing has plummeted, Brits are getting on the housing ladder later in life, and many families and renters are living in overcrowded, substandard and insecure homes. To try to fix this, the government came to power promising to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the parliament. Reed and his team went into this fall’s Labour conference wearing hats emblazoned with the Trump-style three-word phrase, a rabble-rousing address and a social media strategy to match. But his MPs are already worried that the tradeoffs Reed and the U.K. Treasury are pushing to get shovels in the ground ride roughshod over the environmental protections that Brits cherish — and put some vulnerable Labour seats at risk. The three-word slogan is “completely counterproductive,” said one Labour MP who was granted anonymity to speak candidly like others quoted in this piece. The government must acknowledge “that nature is something that people genuinely love, [which] improves health and wellbeing.” Front of their minds are a host of changes to the U.K.’s planning bill, which is snaking its way through parliament. The bill aims to cut red tape to fast-track planning decisions, unlock more land for development, and create a building boom. The legislation is on a journey through the U.K.’s House of Lords, and has been tweaked with a slew of government amendments on its way. In October, Reed introduced further amendments to try to speed up planning decisions and overrule councils who attempt to block new developments. But the first MP quoted above said they are concerned Reed’s “build, baby, build” drive will only see Labour shed votes to both Zack Polanski’s left-wing Green Party and Nigel Farage’s populist Reform. “Making tough decisions about how we use our land for important purposes, such as energy, food, security, housing and nature, is what government is about,” the first MP said. But they added: “We need to make sure that we are making the right decisions, but also telling a story about why we’re making those decisions, and dismissing nature as inconvenient is going against the grain of the British public.” They added: “Nobody disagrees with [building more homes] as a principle, but ending up with a narrative that basically sounds like you’re speaking in support of the [housing] developers, rather than in support of the communities that we represent, is just weird.” Last week, Reed opened up another front in his battle. The government announced that the quotas for affordable housing in new London developments would be slashed from 35 percent to 20 percent. City Hall said the measures would help speed up planning decisions and incentivize developers to actually build more houses. But cutting social housing targets is an uncomfortable prospect for many in the Labour party. The government’s message is “build, baby build — but not for poor people,” a Labour aide complained. Reed firmly defended the change, telling Sky News last week: “There were only 4,000 starts in London last year for social and affordable housing. That is nothing like the scale of the crisis that we have.” He added of the quota: “35 percent of nothing is nothing. We need to make schemes viable for developers so they’ll get spades in the ground.” Reed has the backing of the U.K.’s powerful Treasury in waging his battle. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the government wants to back the “builders not the blockers,” language a second Labour MP, this one in a rural seat, described as “terrible” and an approach that “needs to stop.” Such rhetoric will fail to persuade constituents worried about new developments that trample nature to support new housing. “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” they warned. “It’s all vinegar.” The government has already shown that it’s willing to take the fight to pro-environment MPs — sometimes dismissed in the U.K. as “NIMBYs,” short for “not in my backyard.” 2024 intake MP Chris Hinchliff was stripped of the Labour whip in July after proposing a series of rebel amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and attacking the legislation for having a “narrow focus on increasing housing supply.” While there is vocal opposition to the “build, baby, build” strategy within Labour, there are also MPs who align themselves with the general message, if not the exact wording. “I would not go out to my constituents who are concerned about the Green Belt wearing a [build, baby, build] cap,” said a third Labour MP, also in a rural seat, “but at the same time, you have to be honest with people about the trade-offs.” They accused the opposition to Reed of “fear-mongering” and stoking the idea that England’s green belt — a designated area of British countryside protected from most development — risks being “destroyed.” “That has killed off responsible discussions on development,” they argued. “Do I love the slogan? No. Am I going to lose sleep over it? No, because as a constituency MP you can have reasonable conversations.” Reed also has a cohort of willing warriors on his side. The 2024 intake of Labour MPs brought with it some highly vocal, pro-growth Labour factions. The Labour YIMBY group and Labour Growth Group have been shouting from the rooftops about building more. Labour Growth Group chair and MP Chris Curtis says: “We have some of the oldest and therefore coldest homes of any developed country. We have outdated, carbon intensive energy infrastructure, hardly any water storage, pipes that leak, old sewage infrastructure that dumps raw sewage into our rivers, and car dependency because we can’t build proper public transport. “Anybody who thinks blocks on building has been good for nature is simply wrong,” he added. “Protecting our environment literally depends on us building well, and building quickly.” Labour MP Mike Reader, who worked in the construction and infrastructure sector before becoming an MP and is part of the pro-building caucus, was sanguine about Reed’s message. “The U.K. is the most nature-depleted country in Western Europe,” he said. “So to argue for the status quo … is arguing for us to destroy nature in its very essence. The legislation that we [currently] have does not protect nature.” As for concern that the government is too close to housing developers, Reader shot back: “Who do they think builds the houses?” “I want each [MP who rejects the ‘build, baby, build’ message] to tell the thousands of young families in temporary accommodation that they don’t deserve a safe secure home,” he said. “If they can’t do that they need to grow a pair and do difficult things. That’s why we’re in government. To change lives. And build, baby, build.” A fourth unnamed Labour MP said the slogan is “a bit cringe and Trumpian,” but added: “I’m not really arsed about what slogans they’re using if they’re delivering on that as an objective.” There’s also unlikely praise for the effort from the other side of the U.K. political divide. Jack Airey, a former No. 10 special adviser who tried to get a planning and infrastructure bill through under the last Conservative government, said “people that oppose house building often have the loudest voice, and they use it … and yet, the people that support house building generally don’t really say it, because why would they? They’ve got better things to do.” “I think it’s really positive for the government to have a pro-house building and pro-development message out there, and, more importantly, a pro-development caucus in parliament and beyond,” he said. In a bid to steady the nerves of anxious MPs, Reed told the parliamentary Labour Party last week that his Trump-style slogan is a “bit of fun” that hides a serious point — that there simply aren’t enough houses being built in the U.K. And an aide to Reed rejected concerns from Labour MPs that nature is not being sufficiently considered, saying “nobody understands [nature concerns] more than Steve.“We reject this kind of binary choice between nature and building,” they said. “We think that you can do both. It just requires imaginative, ultimately sensible and pragmatic policy-making, and that’s what we’re doing. “We’re not ashamed to campaign in primary colors,” the Reed aide said. Noah Keate contributed reporting. She will serve as Keir Starmer’s deputy from the backbenches — and could cause a headache for the embattled British prime minister. The UK government is “deeply concerned” about clashes and the return of violence in Gaza, despite Donald Trump’s peace deal being in place since last week. On … Deputy national security adviser also emphasized Britain’s pursuit of “positive” ties with Beijing, according to evidence released in response to an escalating political row in Westminster. Labour MPs hope Trump’s ceasefire deal will lower the political temperature in the U.K.
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Bethany Dawson
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Steve Reed’s donning the red hat and bringing the energy — but is he risking Labour seats?
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Politics
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2025-10-27T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-27T03:00:00Z
|
2025-10-27T14:43:18Z
| 7,380,255
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-housing-chief-donald-trump-labour-mp-maga-british-politics/
|
Ça ne tient qu’à un fisc
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Synthèse vocale générée par l'IA Présenté par Amazon Par SARAH PAILLOU PRÉSENTÉ PAR Envoyez vos infos | Abonnez-vous gratuitement | Voir dans le navigateur ET CE N’EST QUE LE DÉBUT. Les débats budgétaires avaient à peine commencé à l’Assemblée nationale qu’un député nous offrait, vendredi, ce qui ressemblait à un léger craquage. On vous laisse apprécier les talents d’acteur-danseur du macroniste Pierre Cazeneuve, qui se sont tout de même invités jusque dans l’hémicycle. De danse ou en forme de têtes de chat, comme ceux de votre serviteure, enfilez vos chaussons pour découvrir confortablement votre menu du jour : — Une taxe Zucman moins dure ou la censure. — Larcher veut faire sa fête à la suspension de la réforme des retraites. — Municipales à Paris : pour Renaissance, ce sera sans Dati. **Un message d'Amazon : Amazon développe sa flotte de livraison pour atteindre 10 000 véhicules électriques en Europe cette année. En savoir plus.** UNE SEMAINE POUR TOUT CHANGER. Tout va se jouer cette semaine, à en croire Olivier Faure. Le premier secrétaire l’a prédit, en milieu de matinée sur LCI : “Si nous ne réussissons pas […], ce sera, en réalité, terminé”, les députés socialistes ne voteront pas le budget, dont l’examen a débuté vendredi dans l’hémicycle, une motion de censure sera adoptée et l’Assemblée nationale sera dissoute. Dans son viseur : le débat sur la taxe Zucman, dont les députés socialistes proposent désormais une version allégée. Leur amendement (révélé vendredi par L’Opinion) contient un impôt minimal de 3% sur les patrimoines de plus de “10 millions d’euros” — contre 2% sur ceux de plus de 100 millions dans la version imaginée par l’économiste Gabriel Zucman. Il exclut de l’assiette les entreprises familiales et celles dites “innovantes”. Le PS tente ainsi de répondre à la principale objection du camp gouvernemental : le fait qu’un impôt sur les biens professionnels menacerait les capacités d’investissement et d’embauche des entreprises, et donc la croissance. Point calendrier. Prévue initialement lundi, la discussion à l’Assemblée sur l’article 3 et ses amendements de taxation des plus hauts patrimoines a été décalée la nuit dernière par le gouvernement. Strictement pour des “raisons de contraintes d’agenda”, a tenu à faire savoir dans l’après-midi le ministère de l’Economie (liées au déplacement de Roland Lescure en Amérique du Nord mercredi). Non, c’est non. Re-re-re-titillée sur France Inter à propos de cette taxe, Amélie de Montchalin n’a rien lâché : “Si à la fin c’est voté par 10 députés, ça peut être très beau, à la fin ça n’a pas de conséquence”, a esquivé la ministre des Comptes publics. Ce, tout en rappelant la ligne du gouvernement, telle qu’elle l’avait déjà exposée ce matin dans La Tribune Dimanche (LTD) : “Hors de question pour nous de pénaliser les entrepreneurs et de mettre à mal notre capacité de production en taxant les biens professionnels.” Les socialos solos. Or, c’est bien sur le nombre d’élus prêts à voter la taxe Zucman réaménagée que le bât blesse. Ainsi les Ecologistes ne sont-ils pas tout à fait convaincus, a exposé à l’heure du deuxième café la présidente du groupe, Cyrielle Chatelain. “Quand on commence à mettre des conditions, les milliardaires […] réorganisent leur patrimoine pour continuer à faire de l’optimisation” fiscale, a-t-elle justifié sur Franceinfo, reprenant l’argumentaire que Gabriel Zucman avait développé hier sur France Inter. Attal attend. L’Ecologiste en cheffe a aussi regretté que “chacun se [renvoie] la balle”. Si le gouvernement s’en remet à l’Assemblée, comme l’a fait Amélie de Montchalin, Gabriel Attal n’a pas non plus voulu se prononcer sur la proposition socialiste. Vendredi, lors d’une réunion, révélée par LCI, entre représentants des groupes parlementaires de gauche (hors France insoumise) et du bloc central, le président du groupe EPR a préféré attendre l’avis de Sébastien Lecornu, a raconté Le Figaro. Si vous en doutiez. La version 2.0 du PS ne plaît pas non plus au Rassemblement national, qui ne la soutiendra “que si elle correspond exactement à l’impôt sur la fortune financière que nous avons proposé, c’est-à-dire en retirant la résidence principale ou unique de cet impôt”, a insisté Marine Le Pen hier… depuis la foire de Poussay, dans les Vosges (quand bien même la présidente du groupe RN avait enjoint à ses troupes de faire passer les débats budgétaires avant toute autre activité, souvenez-vous). Non merci, a aussi répondu La France insoumise par la voix de sa présidente de groupe, Mathilde Panot, qui a taclé, à la mi-journée sur RTL, une “taxe Zucman homéopathique” qui “ne servira plus à rien”. Récap. Les débats ont donc commencé dès vendredi, voici ce que les députés ont déjà adopté : la défiscalisation complète des heures supplémentaires … la réindexation du barème de l’impôt sur le revenu sur l’inflation, toutes deux portées par Les Républicains … la pérennisation de la contribution différentielle sur les hauts revenus … la défiscalisation des pensions alimentaires … un crédit d’impôt pour les frais d’Ehpad … l’abaissement du plafond de revenus en dessous desquels les journalistes peuvent bénéficier d’un abattement fiscal. A noter aussi : Moody’s s’est montrée moins sévère, vendredi, que Fitch et Standard & Poor’s. L’agence a maintenu la note de AA3 sur la dette de la France (contrairement à ses homologues), non sans l’assortir d’une perspective négative. NE RIEN LARCHER. Ces négociations entre le PS et le bloc central agacent au plus haut point Gérard Larcher, qui ne s’en cachait pas, ce matin dans Le Parisien : “Il est clair que le Premier ministre regarde surtout du côté des socialistes !” Le président Les Républicains du Sénat n’entend pas, notamment, laisser passer la principale concession faite au PS : la Chambre haute “rétablira la réforme des retraites”, promet-il. On se le note. Les députés Droite républicaine (anciennement LR) ont déjà déposé un amendement en ce sens au projet de loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale (PLFSS), dont l’examen commence demain en commission. Contre kem’s. Réponses à l’unisson d’Olivier Faure et Cyrielle Chatelain : c’est l’Assemblée qui a le dernier mot. Ce qui augure de discussions franchement apaisées en commission mixte paritaire, à l’issue de la navette parlementaire, lorsque les deux Chambres tenteront de s’accorder sur un texte commun. Rattrapage. Gérard Larcher ne digère pas non plus que les représentants du Sénat n’aient pas été conviés aux dernières consultations de l’exécutif. La tentative de réconciliation est prévue demain : Sébastien Lecornu recevra les présidents de groupes sénatoriaux, selon LTD. C’EST MON CHOIX. L’officialisation est prévue mardi : Renaissance devrait acter son soutien à l’élu Horizons Pierre-Yves Bournazel pour les municipales à Paris — comme Playbook le sentait venir dès mi-septembre. Les macronistes préfèrent donc le philippiste à une alliance avec Rachida Dati, pourtant l’option privilégiée par la direction avant l’été (l’hypothèse d’une candidature issue de leurs rangs n’ayant jamais franchement fait florès). High five. Le secrétaire général de Renaissance, Gabriel Attal, et le président d’Horizons, Edouard Philippe, ont topé définitivement mercredi lors d’un dernier échange en compagnie de Pierre-Yves Bournazel et de Franck Riester — chargé des élections pour les macronistes —, raconte La Tribune Dimanche, qui livre les détails de l’accord. Le pourquoi. Depuis des mois, Gabriel Attal faisait face au manque d’enthousiasme de ses adhérents et cadres locaux, gênés par la mise en examen de la ministre de la Culture (et désormais son renvoi en correctionnelle), son positionnement jugé trop droitier, son style, disons, clivant. Rachida Dati a aussi repris sa carte aux Républicains. Surtout, le chef de parti n’a pas digéré que la maire du 7e arrondissement choisisse cet été de soutenir LR, plutôt que de s’allier avec Renaissance, lors de la législative partielle dans la deuxième circonscription de la capitale (ce que Playbook vous avait expliqué, sans vouloir nous montrer insistants). Bonus. Renaissance veut aussi croire qu’avec son soutien “Bournazel enclenche une dynamique”, confiait-on dans l’état-major du parti, jeudi au Parisien. Le quotidien révélait opportunément un sondage* interne créditant “PYB” de 14% des intentions de vote, contre 21% pour la ministre. Merci, mais non merci. Tout le monde ne sautera pas de joie. Le président de la fédé parisienne, Sylvain Maillard, et le ministre délégué chargé de l’Europe, Benjamin Haddad, tous deux élus de la capitale, ont déjà affiché leur soutien à Rachida Dati, vous contait-on la semaine dernière. Et ne comptent pas en démordre. L’Elysée n’est pas non plus fana de la préférence donnée à Horizons, écrit LTD, d’autant plus alors qu’Edouard Philippe vient d’appeler à la démission d’Emmanuel Macron. Le MoDem ne devrait pas suivre non plus. La riposte a déjà commencé. La principale intéressée dénonçait, dès jeudi dans Le Parisien, “ceux qui seraient tentés par la division”, qui devront alors “l’assumer devant les Parisiens,” et ce, “alors que l’alternance est à portée de mains”. A suivre : en échange de ce soutien à “PYB”, Renaissance compte bien sur la coopération des philippistes à Bordeaux, Nîmes ou Dijon. Pour mémoire. Suspendue de LR pour être restée au gouvernement, Rachida Dati ne devrait pas perdre pour autant le soutien du parti de droite pour les municipales. Déjà investie, a rappelé Gérard Larcher, “elle est celle qui peut nous faire gagner Paris”, a estimé le président du Sénat. Le président des Républicains, Bruno Retailleau, n’avait pas exclu de poursuivre l’aventure avec elle. KNAFO LA PARIGO ? Sarah Knafo, elle aussi, “serait une excellente candidate” aux municipales à Paris, a lancé Eric Zemmour en fin de matinée sur France 3. Le président du parti Reconquête a toutefois assuré que sa compagne n’avait pas encore pris sa décision ; quand “les proches” de l’eurodéputée assurent qu’elle aimerait bel et bien se lancer, écrivait Le Monde vendredi. 15 La progression, en points et en un mois, de Sébastien Lecornu dans l’électorat PS (42% se disent satisfaits du Premier ministre) dans le baromètre Ifop** pour Le JDD. “Un capitaine n’abandonne pas le navire dans la tempête.” La ministre de l’Agriculture, Annie Genevard, au JDD. Elle a été suspendue de son parti, LR, pour être restée au gouvernement. COGITER À L’ÉLYSÉE. Le débat démocratique à l’heure des réseaux sociaux : le sujet, aux allures d’intitulé de colloque, travaille Emmanuel Macron. Au point que le chef d’Etat a convié, pour en parler à l’Elysée mardi, des médecins, des enseignants et des sociologues, dont Gérald Bronner et Hugo Micheron, d’après La Tribune Dimanche. De quoi peut-être alimenter les réflexions du président qui se rendra, le même jour, au Forum de Paris sur la paix, où il sera question d’ingérences étrangères et de désinformation. BERTRAND VOIT GRAND. Hop, un nouveau prétendant ! Certes, Xavier Bertrand n’a pas formellement déclaré qu’il se lançait dans la course à la présidentielle, mais le président LR du conseil régional des Hauts-de-France s’est présenté en “candidat des classes moyennes”, samedi, à Saint-Quentin (Aisne), lors d’une réunion de son mouvement Nous France. Ses propositions, son refus de parler ou penser “comme le RN” et ses piques à Edouard Philippe sont racontés dans L’Opinion. L’interview politique d’Europe 1 : Patrick Kanner, président du groupe socialiste au Sénat, sénateur du Nord. Le 8h30 Franceinfo : Roselyne Bachelot, ancienne ministre. La politique s’éclaire de Franceinfo : Cyrielle Chatelain, présidente du groupe Ecologiste à l’Assemblée et députée de l’Isère. En toute franchise sur LCI : Olivier Faure, premier secrétaire du PS, député de Seine-et-Marne. Le Grand Rendez-vous sur Europe 1 avec CNews et Les Echos : Manuel Valls, ancien Premier ministre. Dimanche en politique sur France 3 : Eric Zemmour, président de Reconquête, puis Maud Bregeon, porte-parole du gouvernement. Questions politiques sur France Inter et Franceinfo avec Le Monde : Amélie de Montchalin, ministre de l’Action et des Comptes publics. Le Grand Jury RTL/Public Sénat/Le Figaro/M6 : Mathilde Panot, présidente du groupe LFI à l’Assemblée et députée du Val-de-Marne. Forum Radio J : Philippe Brun, député PS de l’Eure. ET AUSSI À LA UNE. Le Parisien : Gérard Larcher : “Le Sénat rétablira la réforme des retraites” … La Tribune Dimanche : Cambriolage au Louvre, sur la piste des joyaux … Le JDD : Nicolas Sarkozy, le courage. Lundi 27 octobre. Sébastien Lecornu reçoit les présidents des groupes parlementaires au Sénat … La commission des Affaires sociales de l’Assemblée débute l’examen du PLFSS 2026 … Laurent Nuñez préside la cérémonie d’installation du nouveau préfet de Police, Patrice Faure. Mardi 28 octobre. Le Sénat commence l’examen du projet de loi de lutte contre la vie chère en outre-mer. Mercredi 29 octobre. Forum de Paris sur la paix, qui dure deux jours… Jordan Bardella publie Ce que veulent les français (Fayard). Jeudi 30 octobre. A l’Assemblée nationale, niche parlementaire du RN, qui a la main sur l’ordre du jour. — Budget : le gouvernement est-il vraiment prêt à jouer les figurants ? (en français, pour nos abonnés PRO) — Emmanuel Macron n’est plus le visionnaire en chef de l’Europe (en anglais, en accès libre) — Brigitte Macron et le cauchemar sans fin d’une fake news (Le Monde) — Ce commando qui veut faire sortir Nicolas Sarkozy de la Santé (L’Opinion) CARNET ROSE. Terminons par une note plus légère venue de la famille Sarkozy dont, décidément, Dimanchissime semble ne plus pouvoir se passer. Quelques heures avant que Le JDD n’affiche (encore) en une ce matin l’ancien président désormais emprisonné, le fiston, Louis, annonçait sur Instagram la naissance du petit-fils, Sylla Nicolas Sarkozy. “Qu’il grandisse, à l’image de ses homonymes, avec force et sagesse”, a pianoté le candidat aux municipales de Menton. Voilà de quoi méditer pour votre dimanche soir. Un grand merci à : mon éditeur Jean-Christophe Catalon. (*) Sondage Vérian pour Renaissance, réalisé en ligne entre le 22 et le 27 août dernier auprès de 854 personnes représentatives de la population parisienne. (**) Baromètre Ifop pour Le Journal du Dimanche, réalisé du 15 au 24 octobre 2025 via des interviews par questionnaire autoadministré en ligne, auprès d’un échantillon représentatif de 2 000 personnes, âgées de 18 ans et plus, grâce à la méthode des quotas. Marge d’erreur entre 1 et 2,2 points. **Un message d'Amazon : Amazon s'est engagé à atteindre zéro émission de CO2 pour l'ensemble de ses activités d'ici 2040. Pour cela, nous mettons en place des actions concrètes sur toute notre chaîne logistique, le transport étant central dans cette stratégie. Dans des dizaines de villes françaises, plus de 2 colis sur 3 sont livrés en véhicules électriques, vélos-cargo ou à pied, représentant plus de 35 millions de colis en 2024. Nous accélérons nos efforts avec le déploiement de 5 000 utilitaires électriques en Europe, dont 600 en France, pour atteindre 10 000 véhicules d'ici fin 2025. Cette initiative s'appuie sur un investissement de 250 millions d'euros pour la décarbonation du transport en France. Notre action s'étend au transport longue distance avec 200 nouveaux poids lourds électriques pour 2025 et plus de 500 lignes ferroviaires et maritimes en Europe. En renforçant notre flotte électrique, nous franchissons une nouvelle étape vers des livraisons plus silencieuses et respectueuses de l'environnement. En savoir plus.** ABONNEZ-VOUS aux newsletters de POLITICO (en anglais): Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | China Watcher | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | POLITICO Pro newsletters
|
Sarah Paillou
|
[] |
Uncategorized
|
[] |
2025-10-26T16:29:35Z
|
2025-10-26T16:29:35Z
|
2025-10-26T16:31:31Z
| 7,394,535
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/dimanchissime/ca-ne-tient-qua-un-fisc/
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|
Tusk warns against pressure to restore Nord Stream 2
|
Calls to rebuild economic ties with Russia are “an alarm bell,” Polish prime minister says in Sunday Times interview. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine might lead to efforts to rekindle economic ties with Russia — including the restarting of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. As Europe faces the possibility of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Tusk described calls by European politicians to rebuild ties to Moscow at the eventual end of the war as “an alarm bell.” “[I know] it means that someone in Europe wants to restore Nord Stream 2, to have good business with oil and gas from Russia, and so on,” he said. “For me, it’s always like an alarm bell,” Tusk said in an interview with the Sunday Times. A major pipeline transporting gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 2 is described by critics as a strategic mistake and a symbol of Europe’s appeasement to Moscow. The pipeline was blown up in 2022 after the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A Ukrainian professional diver was later arrested over his suspected involvement in the sabotage. “The problem with North Stream 2 is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built,” Tusk wrote on X social media earlier this month. In the Sunday Times interview, Tusk said that a Polish court ruling blocking a German extradition request for one of the suspects in the Nord Stream sabotage means that Ukraine has a right to attack Russia-linked targets anywhere in Europe. The Polish leader also berated Europe’s complacency and its constant underrating of Putin’s expansionist threats. “We are talking about the end of the era of illusions in Europe — too late, I’m afraid. Too late to be well prepared for all the threats, but not too late to survive,” Tusk said. Also in the interview, Tusk described Britain’s exit from the EU as “one of the biggest mistakes in our [shared European] history”— 10 years after U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s ill-fated attempt to use the Brexit referendum as leverage to extract concessions from the EU. “And today I think it’s much more visible,” said Tusk, who was well-steeped in the first phase of the Brexit negotiations as president of the European Council at the time. “Especially after Brexit, Poles realized that the objective situation in the U.K. is not much better than in Poland. I also know that Brits are starting to leave the U.K. and begin a life here in Poland,” he said. A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. One suspect was taken into custody while trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor says. Trump is on a five-day Asian tour that is expected to include a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea.
|
Gregorio Sorgi
|
Calls to rebuild economic ties with Russia are “an alarm bell,” Polish prime minister says in Sunday Times interview.
|
[
"baltic sea",
"baltics",
"brexit",
"courts",
"history",
"media",
"negotiations",
"nord stream 2",
"oil",
"pipelines",
"referendum",
"rights",
"social media",
"uk",
"war",
"war in ukraine",
"politics",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Energy and Climate
|
[
"Germany",
"Poland",
"Russia",
"Ukraine",
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-26T15:27:48Z
|
2025-10-26T15:27:48Z
|
2025-10-26T15:28:13Z
| 7,394,184
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-tusk-warn-against-pressure-restore-nord-stream-2/
|
SAD
|
AI generated Text-to-speech Presented by Intuit By MASON BOYCOTT-OWEN PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Sunday Crunch and view in your browser Good Sunday afternoon, Crunchers. This is Mason Boycott-Owen, here with all of your weekend politics news as the government gives in to its seasonal affective disorder and accepts that the country is in utter despair. BREAKING: The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that Epping migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu was arrested around 8:30 a.m. this morning in Finsbury Park, London. There had been a manhunt since he was released from prison by mistake (yes, really) on Friday. SAD: Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hit the nail on the head on today’s morning round, telling Sky’s Trevor Phillips that there is a “deep disillusionment in this country at the moment” and a “growing sense of despair about whether anyone is capable of turning this country round.” So, what is bad? It has been a bad few days for the government, as is often the case these days. It has lost a Labour heartland in a by-election … its grooming gang inquiry has been thrown into disarray … junior doctors are striking … the government is fighting with prosecutors over who is to blame for letting alleged Chinese spies off the hook … the prison system accidentally let out a sexual predator set for deportation … and its choice for deputy party leader was rejected by Labour members. **A message from Intuit: A third of larger small businesses use over 20 different business apps, creating fragmentation. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small and mid-sized businesses better connect data, streamline work, and boost productivity. Explore AI insights in new research from the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Intuit.** The bad thing 1: On Friday, Labour lost the by-election for the Welsh Senedd seat of Caerphilly, and lost it badly. Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru picked up 47.4 percent of the vote, ahead of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Labour’s Welsh party picked up only 11 percent. My colleague Dan Bloom has a list of reasons why this should worry the government. This reminds me of the bad time: Wes Streeting told the Sunday Times that the Caerphilly result is the Labour’s government’s “Hartlepool moment” — where it lost a by-election in a former heartland, but, crucially, served as something of a catalyst from Labour leader Keir Starmer to go from no-hoper to prime minister. But that’s not what the headline is, though: Sadly for positive-narrative-messaging fans, much of Westminster remembers this as the time that Keir Starmer almost quit as Labour leader, and had to be talked back by his aides. “Streeting compares Welsh loss to the day Keir Starmer almost quit,” the ST duly headlines its long-read. Strong message here: “We’ve got to take the message from Caerphilly not just on the chin, we’ve got to take it to heart — and we have got to change the way our Labour government drives change and delivers in just the same way we did in opposition after Hartlepool,” Streeting said. The bad thing 2: On immigration, everything is also falling apart a bit. Last week, news arrived that the man that Britain had deported to France under its flagship scheme had simply come back across the Channel again. Today, the Metropolitan Police finally managed to find the asylum seeker sex offender who had been released from prison by mistake. He’ll now be gone: Wes Streeting confirmed to Times Radio this morning that he will now be deported. More widely: The policy to stop the use of asylum hotels doesn’t seem to be going all too well, with the Sunday Express splashing on how the numbers could be expected to rise, with up to 92 percent of councils set to be housing asylum seekers by the end of this year. More widely still: The debate around immigration, race, integration, and everything in between continues to dominate British politics. Reform MP Sarah Pochin was forced to apologize after saying it “drives me mad” to see TV adverts “full of black people, full of Asian people.” Streeting condemned Nigel Farage’s silence over the comments, and told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the remarks were “racist” and had “said the quiet bit out loud.” Where do we stand on racism, again? Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp spent a long time on Laura Kuenssberg’s show, refusing to call Pochin, or the comments, racist, insisting it was not something he would have said. He later told Times Radio that he did in fact think that “it was racist, the way she said it.” The bad thing 3: The economy is not looking too good, and next month we are set to see a budget that, like every other fiscal event we seem to have, will be painful. Speculation on where the fiscal axe will fall this time is once again rife in the papers. Policies that could yet come to pass: Floated measures include a new “mansion tax” on properties worth £2 million or more (which splashes the Mail on Sunday) as well as a 1p increase on the top 45p rate of income tax (which splashes the Independent). The Sun on Sunday hears this could even be as much as a 2p. Star columnist speaks: Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has a new gig writing for the Sunday Times and uses his first column to, predictably, call on Reeves not to fill her fiscal hole with tax rises. He also notes that it is “slightly absurd” for the chancellor to go on the Sunday shows as it involves “politely telling an increasingly exasperated Laura Kuenssberg to wait for Wednesday.” Et tu, wonke? The Sunday Telegraph splashes on calls from the Resolution Foundation — a think tank that has seen its wonk stars ascend high into government positions — calling for the workers’ rights bill to be scrapped as it will cripple the jobs market. Et tu, banke? Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England, told Sky’s Trevor Phillips that Reeves has no “coherent” plan for Britain’s tax system and is looking for answers on “the back of a fag packet.” The fightback starts here, again: Wes Streeting is this weekend’s soft-reset merchant. He told Sky’s Trevor Phillips: “I am an optimist in politics. I think there are green shoots of recovery in the NHS, in the economy, in our public services. But there is also so much more to do.” Fancy a pint? The Sunday Times reports that Starmer is personally trying to get a bit of party unity going by texting MPs that he doesn’t really socialize with to ask if they want to go for a pint, and that Downing Street has bought a new toaster to cater for backbenchers being invited for breakfast. Help or hindrance? On Saturday, Lucy Powell beat Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to become Labour’s new deputy leader. Powell has signaled that she will work constructively with the government, but her victory speech was read as an attack on Starmer, allowing “Farage and his ilk” to “run away” with the debate over immigration. Can I clear that block? The Sunday Times’ Gabriel Pogrund has the obligatory profile of Louise Casey, who could be in line to head up the civil service after Downing Street has reportedly lost confidence in Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald. Her task is, simply, to make Whitehall actually do something when the Prime Minister wants it to — a task that has been tried before, with, um, limited success. Woke to blame? Former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case says that woke is to blame. Easier said than done? Reform, the near-victors of the Caerphilly by-election, are set to have a very decent innings in next year’s full Welsh Senedd, Scottish parliament, and local elections. However, they may have hit a bump in their plans to cut waste locally and prove how they would cut waste in Downing Street, the Observer writes. Never mind, it’s all change! Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, last week supplanted Zia Yusuf as the party’s new head of its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unit. Tice, who the Sun on Sunday claims has been dubbed “the Dogefather,” told the paper all about the various abuses of the system that he wants to cut away. COMMITTEE WEEK: This week will see two potentially massive committee sessions of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy (NCNSS) relating to the China spy case. On Monday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson will join Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald and Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins. The government and the DPP have been in a protracted blame game over the fiasco. Then: On Wednesday, Attorney General Richard Hermer and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones will take some heat from the fallout of that session. Buying up Britain: The Sunday Times has released its “China List” of Beijing’s interests in Britain. It owns more than £190 billion in British companies and property, and is reportedly making millions a year from asylum hotels. Red top: The Sunday Telegraph has run an opinion piece by Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to Britain. In the piece, Zheng calls for the U.K. to accept that “Taiwan has never been a country” and that it belongs to China. The paper notes that his comments will “pile further pressure” on Starmer. Speaking of Richard Hermer: PoliticsHome has a fascinating tale concerning Attorney General Richard Hermer’s alleged involvement in a legal case revolving around allegations of U.K. intelligence complicity in the 2007 torture of two Libyan individuals. IRELAND ELECTS: Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has been elected as president of Ireland after a landslide victory against established parties. ROYAL RUMBLE: The Sunday Times splashes on plans for the Liberal Democrats to use their next Opposition Day Debate in the Commons to call for Prince Andrew to be stripped of his titles and turfed out of his lodgings. FOREVER WAR: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has given an interview to the Sunday Times in which he says that Ukraine is ready to fight on for three more years against Russia. He also notes that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) needs an urgent overhaul. Under the radar: The Sunday Times reports that Ukraine is trying to extradite former opposition politician Oleksandr Hranovskyi, who currently lives alone wearing a tag somewhere in Surrey after forfeiting his passport while fighting the case. SHE’S RUNNING (MAYBE): Former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris has given an interview to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg in which she says that she may run again for president, after losing to Donald Trump, and that she often reflects on whether she should have told Joe Biden not to run for re-election. DOCTOR, DOCTOR: Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told junior doctors that taxpayer money will not be used to fund more training posts if they continue to strike. “My message to resident doctors is: the fewer doctors who go on strike, the more jobs I can create,” he told the Sunday Times. That sounds tough, have you considered getting a job? The Sunday Telegraph reports that therapists are being urged to prescribe work for anxious and depressed people as it’s good for their mental health. THE CLOCKS THEY ARE A-CHANGING: Your extra hour in bed is vile and wrong, argues Mail columnist Peter Hitchens. His war against the state-curtailed passage of time is long-running and interesting, if you like fiercely-held but somewhat inconsequential hobby horses. Here is his latest in his war on time. HEADLINE OF THE WEEK: “I would baptise an alien, says the Pope’s astronomer” (Sunday Telegraph). Ayesha Hazarika on Times Radio (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.): Labour MP Jeevun Sandher … Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Richard Fuller … Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader Liz Saville-Roberts … the Express’ Sam Lister. Westminster Hour (BBC Radio 4, 10 p.m.): Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti … Shadow Treasury Minister Gareth Davies … Lib Dem Culture Spokesperson Anna Sabine … the Times’ Geri Scott. MONDAY 27 COMMONS: Work and pensions questions, Victims and Courts Bill. COMMITTEES: Big session of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy (JCNSS) featuring the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald and Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins on the China spy case. COURTS: Pre-trial hearing for Liverpool victory parade crash, dozens in court for Palestine Action support. TUESDAY 28 COMMONS: FCDO questions, opposition day debate. LORDS: Employment Rights Bill, and Urgent Question to Attorney General Richard Hermer on the China spy case. COMMITTEES: Science minister Patrick Vallance at the science committee to talk about life sciences, environment agency officials speak to the environment committee, gambling and companies and think tanks discuss gambling taxation in the budget with the Treasury Committee, senior police figures and extremism experts speak to the Home Affairs Committee about combatting extremism. SPEECH: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks at Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia. AMERICA: U.S. President Donald Trump visits Japan and meets new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. UNONS: Ballot opens in UNISON general secretary election. WEDNESDAY 29 COMMONS: Wales questions, PMQs, Sentencing Bill. COMMITTEES: Another big session of the JCNSS with Attorney General Richard Hermer and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones on the China spy case, Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee featuring medical and ageing experts and Ministry of Justice officials and ministers, climate change officials speak to the Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee, oil and gas sector figures speak to energy committee. ELECTIONS: Parliamentary elections in the Netherlands. ENERGY: Deadline for the government to deliver its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. THURSDAY 30 COMMONS: Business questions. COMMITTEES: Senior work and pensions department officials speak to the Public Accounts Committee, disability experts speak to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee. AMERICA: Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in South Korea. LABOUR: Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham speaks at the Big Northern Growth Reception. FRIDAY 31 PARLIAMENT: Commons not sitting. ECONOMY: U.K. national accounts statistics (Blue Book) published. SPOOKY: Halloween. Writing Monday morning Playbook: Dan Bloom. Thanks: To my editor, Luke McGee, for giving Crunch some Sunday sparkle. **A message from Intuit: In a survey of over 1,500 UK business leaders, 33% of larger small businesses with 250+ employees say they use 20 or more business software apps. This fragmentation may highlight why many small and mid-sized businesses still feel they are not realising the full benefits of technology. Intuit will soon introduce agentic AI experiences to help small businesses and accountants using QuickBooks in the UK unlock next-level efficiency. By connecting data and automating workflows from start to finish, these AI agents will help small businesses operate with greater efficiency and clarity. Learn more about the AI trends transforming small business operations in a new British Chambers of Commerce report in partnership with Intuit.** SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters
|
Mason Boycott-Owen
|
[] |
Uncategorized
|
[] |
2025-10-26T15:09:54Z
|
2025-10-26T15:09:54Z
|
2025-10-26T15:15:55Z
| 7,393,749
|
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/sunday-crunch/sad/
|
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France makes arrests in brazen Louvre jewel heist
|
One suspect was taken into custody while trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor says. French police have made arrests in connection with the Louvre Museum burglary, with one of the suspects apprehended as he was trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday. This is the first major development in the investigation into the high-profile heist that saw French crown jewels worth €88 million stolen and sent shockwaves around the world. “I can confirm that investigators from the BRB (Brigade de Répression du Banditisme) made arrests Saturday evening,” Beccuau said in a statement Sunday morning. “One of the men arrested was preparing to leave the country from Roissy airport,” she added, referring to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, located in Roissy-en-France. “It is too early to provide any further details,” Beccuau said. French media, including Paris Match and Le Parisien, reported that there were two suspects arrested, both about 30 years old, with one taken into custody as he tried to board a flight to Algeria from Charles de Gaulle airport. According to the media reports, the suspects are believed to have been part of the gang of four theives who broke into the Louvre last Sunday and stole jewelry from the Galerie d’Apollon. The brazen daylight burglary has led to mounting public pressure to find the culprits. Beccuau in her statement said that “more than a hundred investigators have been mobilized to gather evidence and go after the burglars.” She suggested that media coverage of the probe may hinder the investigation. ”I deeply regret the hasty disclosure of this information by uninformed individuals, without regard for the investigation,” Beccuau said. Meanwhile, a part of the jewelry collection that was not stolen has been transferred to a vault at the French National Bank. Victor Goury-Laffont contributed reporting. A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Calls to rebuild economic ties with Russia are “an alarm bell,” Polish prime minister says in Sunday Times interview. Trump is on a five-day Asian tour that is expected to include a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea.
|
Gregorio Sorgi
|
One suspect was taken into custody while trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor says.
|
[
"airports",
"courts",
"culture",
"development",
"french politics",
"law enforcement",
"media"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Algeria",
"France"
] |
2025-10-26T11:37:45Z
|
2025-10-26T11:37:45Z
|
2025-10-26T14:09:04Z
| 7,393,776
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/franace-arrest-louvre-jewel-heist/
|
Washington eyes ‘very productive’ Trump-Xi meeting this week
|
Trump is on a five-day Asian tour that is expected to include a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea. Trade talks between the U.S. and China are setting the foundations for a "very productive meeting" between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, American officials said on Sunday. Beijing and Washington are seeking to calm a trade war after Trump threatened new tariffs on Chinese goods in retaliation for China's expanding export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals. "I believe that we have the framework for the two leaders to have a very productive meeting for both sides," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” His comments echoed remarks by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer earlier in the day. After meeting his Chinese counterparts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Greer told reporters that negotiators are "getting to a spot where the leaders will have a very productive meeting." Trump expressed confidence in the ability of the U.S. and Chinese negotiators to fashion an agreement that stops the cycle of tit-for-tat tariffs and export-control reprisals that have characterized U.S.-China trade relations since April. “I think we're going to have a good deal with China. I think if we make a deal, it's going to be great for China, great for us,” Trump told reporters in Malaysia on Sunday. On his first visit to Asia during his second term, Trump landed in Malaysia Sunday morning to attend the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which groups together Southeastern Asian countries. This is his first stop in a five-day Asian tour that is expected to include to a bilateral meeting with Xi in South Korea. Bessent said American and Chinese officials reached a “very successful” framework in talks this weekend. The two sides discussed agricultural purchases, TikTok, fentanyl, trade, rare earths and the overall bilateral relationship, he said. The U.S. Treasury chief described the talks as “constructive, far-reaching and in-depth, and giving us the ability to move forward to set the stage for the leaders meeting in a very positive framework,” according to Bloomberg. "We discussed a wide variety of issues, from the rare earth, from the rare earth magnets to trade, to substantial purchases of American agricultural products, to the Chinese helping us in this fentanyl crisis that we have in the U.S., Bessent said later Sunday in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" program. "I believe that the Chinese will be making substantial purchases again" of American soybeans, he added. Beijing described the two days of talks by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and chief international trade negotiator Li Chenggang with Bessent and Greer as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” according to a Chinese Commerce Ministry statement on Sunday. The talks focused on issues including the Trump administration’s imposition earlier this month of new port fees targeting Chinese cargo ships, an extension of the Nov. 10 deadline suspending a return to triple-digit reciprocal tariffs, export controls and Washington’s fentanyl tariffs imposed in February, the statement said. “The current turbulences and twists and turns are the ones that we do not wish to see,” Li told reporters, adding that a stable China-U.S. trade and economic relationship is good for both countries and the rest of the world, Bloomberg reported. The Commerce Ministry readout indicated that the two days of talks created a foundation for a successful meeting between Trump and Xi later this week in South Korea. “They reached a basic consensus on arrangements to address their respective concerns,” the statement said. “Both sides agreed to further refine specific details and complete their respective domestic approval procedures.” Phelim Kine and Sophia Cai contributed reporting. A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan. The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine. Calls to rebuild economic ties with Russia are “an alarm bell,” Polish prime minister says in Sunday Times interview. One suspect was taken into custody while trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor says.
|
Gregorio Sorgi
|
Trump is on a five-day Asian tour that is expected to include a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea.
|
[
"asia",
"exports",
"media",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"trade war",
"war",
"trade uk",
"energy and climate",
"foreign affairs",
"agriculture and food",
"politics"
] |
Trade
|
[
"China",
"Malaysia",
"South Korea",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-26T10:19:36Z
|
2025-10-26T10:19:36Z
|
2025-10-26T13:51:10Z
| 7,393,674
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/washington-very-productive-donald-trump-xi-jinping-meeting-beijing-trade-rare-earths-scott-bessent/
|
Ireland elects left-wing president in anti-government landslide
|
Catherine Connolly’s lop-sided victory to be Ireland’s next head of state was accompanied by a surge in vandalized ballots from right-wing voters. DUBLIN — Independent socialist Catherine Connolly swept to a landslide victory Saturday to become Ireland’s next president, dealing a record-breaking rebuke to the two center-ground parties of government. Jubilant supporters of the 68-year-old Connolly, a lawmaker from the western city of Galway, embraced and kissed her as final results from Friday’s election were announced at the Dublin Castle count center. In her victory speech, Connolly struck an immediate note of unity. She stood side by side with Ireland’s government leaders — and pledged to challenge the far right and its anti-immigrant agenda. “Together we can shape a new republic that values everybody, that values and champions diversity … and the new people that have come to our country,” she said. “I will be an inclusive president for all of you.” Connolly won a record 63.4 percent of valid votes. Heather Humphreys of the government coalition party Fine Gael finished a distant second with 29.5 percent. Connolly’s triumph shattered the previous record set in 1959 when Eamon de Valera, the towering figure of 20th-century Irish politics, won his first term as president with 56.3 percent support. On Nov. 11, Connolly will succeed her fellow Galway socialist Michael D. Higgins, Ireland’s president since 2011, who was constitutionally barred from seeking a third seven-year term. Finishing in third and last place Saturday was Jim Gavin of the largest government party, Fianna Fáil, who won barely 7 percent of votes. Gavin, a political novice hand-picked by Prime Minister Micheál Martin, remained on the official ballot despite quitting the race midway after admitting he had pocketed €3,300 in excess rent from a tenant. Connolly won, in no small part, thanks to backing from Ireland’s five left-wing parties, most crucially Sinn Féin. All stood aside to give her a clean run on an anti-government platform, a political first for the normally fractious left. While the left celebrated from Dublin Castle to Galway, Ireland’s disgruntled conservatives left their own mark on the election — by vandalizing their ballots in unprecedented numbers. More than 200,000 ballots — or about one of every eight cast — had to be discarded. Many voters had written in the names of their own invalid choices, or drawn disparaging X marks across all three candidates. Others defaced their ballots, often with anti-immigrant messages expressed in nativist or racist terms. Their alienation reflects how the government parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, since the 1990s have largely ditched their previous bonds with Catholic conservatism and have become, like Connolly and the wider left, socially progressive and welcoming to immigrants. A Catholic conservative, Maria Steen, narrowly failed to qualify for the ballot, falling two short of the required backing from 20 lawmakers. Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, who often denounces immigrants in his social media posts, tapped out after attracting virtually no official support. Kevin Cunningham, managing director of the polling firm Ireland Thinks, called the volume of spoiled votes “enormous.” He found that more than two-thirds of protesting voters had expressed support for Steen. The final week of campaigning coincided with one of the biggest flare-ups of racist sentiment since downtown Dublin was wracked by rioting in November 2023. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, crowds of up to 2,000 people clashed with riot police protecting Citywest, a hotel and conference center southwest of Dublin that has been turned into the state’s biggest shelter for asylum seekers. That area registered one of the highest rates of spoiled ballots. And on Friday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who had opted not to seek the presidency herself, was subjected to vulgar threats from an anti-immigration activist as she canvassed in her central Dublin constituency for Connolly. That man, who posted video footage of his verbal assault on McDonald and other Sinn Féin canvassers, was arrested Saturday. Humphreys — who had stepped into the breach when Fine Gael’s original candidate, former European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, quit the race citing health problems — conceded defeat hours before the official result. Humphreys, too, expressed worries about the rising level of social media-driven harassment. Humphreys, a member of the Republic of Ireland’s tiny Protestant minority, said she hadn’t regretted running despite suffering a barrage of online insults belittling her family’s background. She said that vitriol had demonstrated that her country wasn’t yet ready to reconcile, and potentially unite as Irish nationalists want, with Protestants in the neighboring U.K. territory of Northern Ireland. “My family and I were subject to some absolutely awful sectarian abuse. As a country, I thought we had moved on from that,” Humphreys said. “If we’re ever to have a united Ireland, we have to respect all traditions.” Independent socialist Catherine Connolly’s coolness to Brussels and hostility to Donald Trump put her at odds with the Irish government. A Belfast judge rejects 53-year-old hearsay evidence from other soldiers deemed “just as guilty” as the accused. The verdict raises doubts over scores of other potential cases linked to the Troubles. Political novice Jim Gavin quit the election race to become Ireland’s next head of state after being accused of being a rip-off landlord. A Catholic conservative from Ireland’s outgunned right, Maria Steen, fails in her last-ditch bid to join Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin and Heather Humphreys on the Oct. 24 ballot.
|
Shawn Pogatchnik
|
Catherine Connolly’s lop-sided victory to be Ireland’s next head of state was accompanied by a surge in vandalized ballots from right-wing voters.
|
[
"asylum",
"bonds",
"catholic",
"elections",
"elections in europe",
"european politics",
"irish politics",
"media",
"platforms",
"social media"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Ireland",
"Northern Ireland",
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-25T19:14:13Z
|
2025-10-25T19:14:13Z
|
2025-10-26T09:35:09Z
| 7,393,416
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/ireland-elects-a-new-left-wing-president-in-anti-government-landslide/
|
Kamala Harris hints she is ready to run again for US president
|
Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris suggested she may run again for U.S. president. The Democratic Party presidential hopeful, who lost to Republican Donald Trump in 2024, told the BBC in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg that she is “not done” with politics. “I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it’s in my bones,” she said. Harris also said she has questioned herself about whether she should have encouraged Joe Biden to pull out of the 2024 race for the White House. Biden ended his re-election bid in July 2024 after a disastrous performance in a debate against Trump several weeks earlier, and just a few months before the November vote. “I do reflect on whether I should have had a conversation with him, urging him not to run for re-election,” Harris said in the interview. Harris said she had a “concern about his ability, with the level of endurance, energy, that it requires, especially running against the now current president.” She added: “My concern, especially on reflection is, should I have actually raised it.” Biden has been criticized for announcing his withdrawal too late, giving Harris — who became the Democratic nominee in his stead — just a few months to campaign. Asked whether she could be the first woman in charge in the White House one day, Harris replied: “possibly,” hinting that she could make another presidential bid. But she added that she has not made a decision yet about whether to run again for president. The next American presidential election is in 2028. “There are many ways to serve,” Harris said, “but I have not decided yet what I will do in the future.” Harris dismissed polls suggesting that she would be an outsider in the presidential race with little chance of winning the Democratic ticket. “If I listened to polls, I would have not run for my first office, or my second office — and I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here,” she said. European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.”
|
Louise Guillot
|
Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race.
|
[
"democratic party",
"elections",
"poll",
"u.s. politics",
"u.s. presidential campaigns"
] |
Politics
|
[
"United States"
] |
2025-10-25T14:15:38Z
|
2025-10-25T14:15:38Z
|
2025-10-26T08:42:19Z
| 7,393,221
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/kamala-harris-ready-run-again-us-president/
|
‘Diplomatic solution’ to end Ukraine war in sight, Russian envoy says
|
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. Ukraine, Russia and the United States are “quite close” to finding an agreement to put a stop to the war in Ukraine, according to a top Russian official. The comments by Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation, come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that freezing the war along the current frontlines is “a good compromise.” Dmitriev told CNN late Friday that “it’s a big move by President Zelenskyy to already acknowledge that it’s about battle lines.” “You know, his previous position was that Russia should leave completely. So actually, I think we are reasonably close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out,” Dmitriev said. But Ukraine, together with its European allies, also warned on Friday that “borders must not be changed by force.” Russia has asked for Ukraine to concede more territory before it can agree to a ceasefire. Dmitriev is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida to discuss a solution to the war in Ukraine. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are also expected to meet for a second time to discuss the issue, potentially at a summit in Budapest. Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, who would host the Budapest talks, said on Saturday that the meeting “has not been removed from the agenda.” “The timing is uncertain, but it will happen,” Orbán said. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine continue. Two people were killed and 13 injured in strikes on Kyiv Friday night, Reuters reported. European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.”
|
Louise Guillot
|
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida.
|
[
"borders",
"cooperation",
"defense",
"investment",
"war",
"war in ukraine"
] |
Politics
|
[
"Hungary",
"Russia",
"Ukraine",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-25T13:54:51Z
|
2025-10-25T13:54:51Z
|
2025-10-25T14:16:40Z
| 7,393,161
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/diplomatic-solution-end-war-ukraine-russia-envoy-kirill-dmitriev/
|
Trump says open to making concessions to China to calm trade war
|
U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he could potentially make concessions to China to alleviate trade tensions between the two economic powers. "Sure they’ll have to make concessions" if China does not want to be hit by extra tariffs on its exports to the U.S., Trump told reporters as he embarked on a tour of Asian countries. "I guess we will, too," in order to reach a deal, Trump added. "We’re at 157 percent tariff for them. I don’t think that’s sustainable for them," Trump said. "They want to get that down, and we want certain things from them," he added. Trump is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea next week. Trump has also threatened to impose an extra 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods from November if China does not roll back its tightened restrictions on its rare earths exports. Asked what are the odds that he would press ahead with that extra 100 percent tariff, Trump replied: "I don’t know. I have no odds. I don’t think they would want that. It would not be good for them." Trump also plans to address China’s purchases of Russian oil in the context of Moscow's war in Ukraine. "I’d love China to help us out with Russia," he said. "We put very big sanctions on Russia. I think those sanctions are going to be very biting, very strong; but I’d like to see China help us out," he added. "I think we have a really good chance of making a really comprehensive deal," Trump said. Asked about potential moves by Beijing on Taiwan, Trump responded: "It would be very dangerous for them." "I hope they won’t. We’ll have to see," Trump said. "Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. I hope they won’t." Trump also said that he would be open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip. "I’d be open to it, 100 percent," Trump said. "I got along very well with Kim Jung Un," he added. Sophia Cai contributed to this report. European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.”
|
Louise Guillot
|
U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.
|
[
"asia",
"asia economy",
"cooperation",
"exports",
"oil",
"sanctions",
"tariffs",
"trade",
"war in ukraine",
"trade uk",
"energy and climate",
"sustainability",
"politics",
"foreign affairs"
] |
Trade
|
[
"China",
"Russia",
"South Korea",
"Taiwan",
"Ukraine",
"United States"
] |
2025-10-25T12:08:30Z
|
2025-10-25T12:08:30Z
|
2025-10-26T06:45:32Z
| 7,393,020
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-china-concessions-trade-war/
|
Lucy Powell is Labour’s new deputy leader
|
She will serve as Keir Starmer’s deputy from the backbenches — and could cause a headache for the embattled British prime minister. LONDON — Sacked Cabinet minister Lucy Powell won the race to become Labour’s new deputy leader Saturday, defeating Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and spelling potential trouble ahead for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Manchester Central MP received 87,407 votes (54 percent), compared to Phillipson’s 73,536 (46 percent). The contest was triggered by Angela Rayner’s resignation as deputy leader last month over a tax row. Rayner had been Starmer’s deputy since he became leader in 2020. It marks a comeback for Powell, who was sacked as leader of the House of Commons in the reshuffle prompted by Rayner’s departure from government. Powell will remain on the backbenches and so will be free to speak out against government policies. She has already argued that Starmer’s government needs to show its values more clearly to the public, including by scrapping a controversial cap on social security payments for families with two or more children. She’s said the contest should be a “course correction” after a tumultuous first year in power for Starmer which left members “frustrated.” Phillipson, the education secretary since Labour entered power, was widely seen as No. 10’s preferred candidate. A Labour MP who supported Phillipson, granted anonymity to speak freely, said whether or not Powell would pose a headache to the leadership would now depend on the No. 10 Downing St. response. There’s a “risk” Powell will be more rebellious if No. 10 “freeze her out,” they added, as they recommended Starmer’s team “bind her to some kind of collective responsibility” with a job such as party chair. “I think she will want to work with Keir, but I think she will, inevitably, try to be a kind of outlier; she might not always sign up to the line or take the party official line,” predicted a Labour official. “I think if she doesn’t really tie into the job of government, I think we’ll have a massive problem where she is the outlier, the person with the loudest voice in opposition to some of the difficult decisions the government’s making,” the same official added. But a second Labour MP, critical of Starmer’s operation and who backed Powell said: “She now has a mandate for trying to get the penny to drop that things can’t go on as they have been with some around Keir.” Former British PM says Tory pledges to roll back climate reforms are an “extreme and unnecessary measure.” Counterterrorism official says there’s been a spike in ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services. Man claimed to be a victim of modern slavery from smugglers in northern France and wants to claim asylum in Britain. The former deputy prime minister reenters the fray with her first Commons speech since quitting the Cabinet in scandal. Is there a way back for her?
|
Noah Keate
|
She will serve as Keir Starmer’s deputy from the backbenches — and could cause a headache for the embattled British prime minister.
|
[
"british politics",
"education",
"westminster bubble"
] |
Politics
|
[
"United Kingdom"
] |
2025-10-25T11:33:24Z
|
2025-10-25T11:33:24Z
|
2025-10-25T11:33:54Z
| 7,348,251
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/lucy-powell-labour-new-deputy-leader/
|
Von der Leyen touts new plan to break reliance on China critical minerals
|
European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.” The European Commission will present a new plan to break the EU's dependencies on China for critical raw materials, President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Saturday. The EU executive chief warned of "clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized," in a speech Saturday at the Berlin Global Dialogue. In recent months, China has tightened export controls over rare earths and other critical materials. The Asian powerhouse controls close to 70 percent of the world's rare earths production and almost all of the refining. The EU's response "must match the scale of the risks we face in this area," von der Leyen said, adding that "we are focusing on finding solutions with our Chinese counterparts." Brussels and Beijing are set to discuss the export controls issue during meetings next week. "But we are ready to use all of the instruments in our toolbox to respond if needed," the head of the EU executive warned. This suggests that the Commission could make use of the EU's most powerful trade weapon — the Anti-Coercion Instrument. This comes after French President Emmanuel Macron called on the EU executive to trigger the trade bazooka at a meeting of EU leaders on Thursday. His push has not met with much support from the other leaders around the table. To break the EU's over-reliance on China for critical materials imports and refining, the Commission will put forward a "RESourceEU plan," von der Leyen said. She did not provide much detail about the plan, nor when it would be presented. But she said it would follow a similar model as the REPowerEU plan that the Commission introduced in 2022 to phase out Russian fossil fuels after Moscow's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Under REPowerEU, the Commission proposed investing €225 billion to diversify energy supply routes, accelerate the deployment of renewables, improve grids interconnections across the bloc and boost the EU hydrogen market, among other measures. The EU executive also put forward a legislative proposal, which is currently under negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council, to ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. The aim of RESourceEU "is to secure access to alternative sources of critical raw materials in the short, medium and long term for our European industry," von der Leyen explained. "It starts with the circular economy. Not for environmental reasons. But to exploit the critical raw materials already contained in products sold in Europe," she said. She added that the EU "will speed up work on critical raw materials partnerships with countries like Ukraine and Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile and Greenland." "Europe cannot do things the same way anymore. We learned this lesson painfully with energy; we will not repeat it with critical materials," von der Leyen said. European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.
|
Louise Guillot
|
European Commission chief warns of “clear acceleration and escalation in the way interdependencies are leveraged and weaponized.”
|
[
"anti-coercion instrument",
"batteries",
"circular economy",
"critical raw materials",
"energy",
"energy supply",
"environment",
"exports",
"fossil fuels",
"imports",
"industry",
"markets",
"negotiations",
"raw materials",
"repowereu",
"trade",
"sustainability",
"energy and climate",
"trade uk",
"energy and climate uk"
] |
Trade
|
[
"Australia",
"Canada",
"Chile",
"China",
"Greenland",
"Kazakhstan",
"Ukraine",
"Uzbekistan"
] |
2025-10-25T11:19:20Z
|
2025-10-25T11:19:20Z
|
2025-10-25T17:01:28Z
| 7,392,924
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-new-plan-break-china-critical-materials/
|
Draghi pushes ‘pragmatic federalism’ to get Europe out of its predicament
|
The EU is now “faced with protectionism and unilateral action” and the “return of hard military power,” Draghi said, arguing that the EU is not equipped to address these challenges. The European Union is “struggling” to respond to the changing world order, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said late Friday, promoting “pragmatic federalism” as a way to overcome the bloc’s difficulties. “Almost all the principles on which the Union was founded are under strain,” Draghi said in a speech in Oviedo, Spain, after receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. “We built our prosperity on openness and multilateralism, but now we are faced with protectionism and unilateral action” and the “return of hard military power,” he continued, arguing that the EU as it currently works is not equipped to address these challenges. The problem, Draghi said, is that “our governance has not changed for many years” and the European structure that exists today “simply cannot meet such demands.” To overcome the economic, social and security challenges facing the bloc, the EU urgently needs to reform itself and change its treaties, argued the former president of the European Central Bank and author of a landmark report on the EU’s competitiveness in 2024. “A new pragmatic federalism is the only viable path,” Draghi stressed. Such federalism would be “built through coalitions of willing people around shared strategic interests, recognizing that the diverse strengths that exist in Europe do not require all countries to advance at the same pace,” Draghi explained. “All those who wanted to join could do so, while those trying to block progress could no longer hold others back.” Concretely, that would mean a multi-speed Europe. Such coalitions could support the emergence of European champions in industrial sectors such as semiconductors or network infrastructure, cutting energy costs and pulling innovation efforts across the bloc, according to Draghi. But this federalist leap would require national governments to give up their veto power, something that has historically drawn resistance from smaller EU member countries which fear being sidelined by their larger counterparts. It’s not the first time Draghi has advocated for a more federal Europe. He made a similar push in 2022 while prime minister of Italy, calling on his EU colleagues to embrace “pragmatic federalism” and to put an end to national vetoes in order to speed up the bloc’s decision-making process. European leaders are pushing for more industry flexibilities to reach a deal. Harris also said she has reflected about whether she should have urged Biden to pull out of the 2024 race. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special presidential representative, is set to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday in Florida. U.S. president is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.
|
Louise Guillot
|
The EU is now “faced with protectionism and unilateral action” and the “return of hard military power,” Draghi said, arguing that the EU is not equipped to address these challenges.
|
[
"competition",
"competition and industrial policy",
"competitiveness",
"cooperation",
"energy",
"governance",
"industry",
"infrastructure",
"innovation",
"military",
"protectionism",
"security"
] |
Politics
|
[] |
2025-10-25T10:08:04Z
|
2025-10-25T10:08:04Z
|
2025-10-25T11:18:10Z
| 7,392,834
|
https://www.politico.eu/article/mario-draghi-push-pragmatic-federalism-get-europe-out-predicament/
|
Alliance spatiale
|
L’actu internationale et française de la semaine, décryptée par le directeur de la rédaction. Par NICOLAS BARRÉ Envoyez vos infos | Abonnez-vous gratuitement | Voir dans le navigateur Bonjour. Donald Trump accusé de détruire la Maison Blanche, la charge n’est pas nouvelle mais elle a pris cette semaine une signification littérale avec le début des travaux de démolition de l’aile Est pour construire une grande salle de réception à la place. Publiées lundi, les premières photos impressionnantes des bulldozers rasant cette partie de l’édifice ont provoqué l’indignation de beaucoup d’Américains. « Ce n’est pas sa maison, c’est notre maison », a protesté Hillary Clinton. « Indignation feinte », a répliqué la Maison-Blanche qui fait financer les 250 millions de dollars de travaux par des donateurs (la liste complète ici) issus principalement de la Tech et des cryptomonnaies. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. Trois industriels européens, Airbus Defense, Leonardo et Thales, ont décidé d’unir leurs forces dans les satellites, notamment à orbite basse, le gros marché des années à venir dominé aujourd’hui par SpaceX avec sa galaxie Starlink. Si tout se passe bien, le futur champion européen de l’espace comptera 25.000 salariés pour 6,5 milliards d’euros de chiffre d’affaires. « Une excellente nouvelle » pour la présidente de la Commission européenne dont les services devront toutefois donner leur feu vert à cette concentration. Liste de courses. Ce futur champion européen laisse sur le côté un petit acteur allemand de l’espace, OHB. Mais l’Allemagne n’est pas en reste. En mai, le chancelier Friedrich Merz avait annoncé sa volonté de faire de la Bundeswehr « l’armée conventionnelle la plus puissante d’Europe ». Et les moyens arrivent. POLITICO a mis la main sur un document de 39 pages dressant la liste des équipements (abonnés) que souhaite acheter l’armée allemande pour 377 milliards d’euros. Le géant de la défense Rheinmetall (le portrait de son PDG ici) mais aussi Diehl Defence, le fabricant de missiles bavarois, se taillent sans surprise la part du lion dans cette avalanche d’appels d’offres à venir. Tous les pays n’ont pas les moyens de l’Allemagne. Dans une interview à POLITICO, le Premier ministre grec Kyriakos Mitsotakis relance l’idée, également défendue de longue date par la France, d’emprunts européens communs pour financer l’effort de défense. Fixette. Trump continue de s’en prendre à l’Espagne qui ne dépense que 1,3% de son PIB pour la défense et est le seul pays de l’OTAN à avoir refusé d’entériner l’objectif de 5% d’ici 2035. A ce stade, la rhétorique trumpienne n’inquiète pas outre mesure Madrid. Mais la pression monte. UNE ÂPRE BATAILLE se joue aussi dans le champ informationnel où l’Europe cherche à préserver ce qui lui reste de souveraineté. Un sommet sur le numérique aura lieu à Berlin en novembre, mais notre enquête auprès des acteurs du numérique (abonnés) montre qu’entre la France et l’Allemagne, les stratégies divergent sur la manière de se « désintoxiquer » des Gafa. Terres très rares. La lutte pour la souveraineté passe aussi par l’accès aux terres rares, ces minéraux incontournables dans la fabrication – entre autres – d’armes de pointe (le Rafale et ses missiles en contiennent…). D’où l’inquiétude des Européens face au durcissement chinois, Pékin fournissant 99% des 17 terres rares utilisées par l’industrie du continent. Alors que les Etats-Unis menacent la Chine de droits de douane à 100% en guise de rétorsion, l’Europe est à la recherche d’une autre stratégie. L’affaire Nexperia illustre de manière exemplaire les ambiguïtés du combat pour la souveraineté. La semaine dernière, le gouvernement des Pays-Bas décidait, fait rarissime dans ce pays libéral, de prendre le contrôle de ce fabricant de puces néerlandais contrôlé par des capitaux chinois. Motif : le risque que des technologies sensibles développées en Europe soient transférées en Chine. Une décision qui a brusquement refroidi les relations avec Pékin. Aftershock. Mais la décision néerlandaise a mis le feu à l’industrie automobile, principale cliente des puces de Nexperia. Les constructeurs européens redoutent que la société ne soit bientôt plus en mesure de livrer ses pépites électroniques. Car sitôt connue la mesure néerlandaise, Pékin a interdit la livraison à Nexperia de composants nécessaires à la fabrication des fameuses puces. Des chaînes de montage automobiles pourraient ainsi se retrouver bientôt à l’arrêt faute de ces semiconducteurs, comme au temps du Covid. Même l’énergie solaire pourrait ne plus être totalement souveraine. Les fournisseurs chinois, Huawei en tête, contrôlent en effet 65% de la puissance installée en Europe. La crainte des experts européens se concentre sur les onduleurs solaires, ces composants qui transforment l’énergie du soleil en électricité. Ces onduleurs « made in China » étant connectés à Internet, leur fabricant pourrait très bien couper le courant à distance et plonger ainsi l’Europe dans le noir. Nous avons enquêté sur cette menace qui montre, comme dans les télécoms, la vulnérabilité de nos infrastructures critiques. CHAUD-FROID. Frustré de ne pas obtenir de progrès dans le dossier ukrainien, Donald Trump a décidé de blacklister Rosneft et Lukoil, les deux plus grandes compagnies pétrolières russes. Une première selon le secrétaire au Trésor Steve Bessent qui s’est dit prêt à prendre des mesures supplémentaires si cela ne suffit pas à mettre un terme « à la guerre insensée du président Poutine ». L’Europe et l’Ukraine se sont félicitées de cette décision alors que Bruxelles s’apprête à prendre un 19e paquet de sanctions contre Moscou. En frappant « l’empire » Rosneft (40% du pétrole russe, 39 navires), Washington touche directement le Trésor russe puisque le pétrolier a rapporté 6100 milliards de roubles (65 milliards d‘euros) aux caisses de l’Etat. La décision américaine pourrait stopper pour de bon les ventes de pétrole russe à l’Europe et forcer les deux géants pétroliers à vendre leurs actifs à l’étranger. Un ancien dirigeant de Lukoil nous a ainsi expliqué combien l’impact risque d’être « catastrophique » pour la compagnie et la contraindre à céder ses parts dans des projets en Egypte ou en Irak. Touché. A en juger par la réaction courroucée de Moscou et enflammée – il en a l’habitude – de Dmitri Medvedev, le Kremlin ne digère pas cette décision de la Maison-Blanche qui porte un coup supplémentaire à l’économie déjà très affaiblie du pays. Dans la foulée, la banque centrale russe a d’ailleurs baissé ses taux d’intérêt et révisé en baisse sa prévision de croissance à une fourchette de 0,5 à1% cette année (contre 1 à 2% dans sa précédente estimation). Tomahawk. Les sanctions sont une chose mais la Finlande veut aller encore un cran plus loin. Dans une interview à POLITICO, le Premier ministre Petteri Orpo juge que Poutine représente « une menace permanente pour l’Europe » et demande à l’administration américaine d’autoriser l’Ukraine à utiliser des missiles à longue portée Tomahawk contre la Russie. La Finlande est un allié écouté des Etats-Unis, son président Alexander Stubb entretient une relation privilégiée avec Donald Trump, notamment comme partenaire de…. golf. Pour le Chef d’état-major des Armées français, le général Fabien Mandon, les perspectives sont claires : Moscou réorganise ses forces en vue d’une confrontation avec l’OTAN. En réponse, les forces françaises doivent être prêtes à « un choc avec la Russie » dans les 3 à 4 ans, a prévenu le CEMA devant l’Assemblée nationale. — Faites connaissance avec Monique Barbut, nouvelle ministre de la Transition écologique, peu connue du grand public mais experte des négociations internationales sur le climat et proche d’Emmanuel Macron. — Elle est médecin, sa fille de 19 ans a été tuée dans la catastrophe ferroviaire de 2023 (57 morts) qui déclencha dans toute la Grèce un vaste mouvement de ras-le-bol à l’égard d’un Etat jugé inefficace et d’une classe politique corrompue. Aujourd’hui, Maria Karystianou, 52 ans, fait figure de recours inattendu pour diriger un pays qui n’accorde plus guère de confiance aux politiciens traditionnels. POLITICO l’a rencontrée. — A lire cette enquête passionnante aux Pays-Bas où se dérouleront des élections législatives le 29 octobre sur fond de crise aiguë du logement. Les prix ont quadruplé en 30 ans, plus du quart du pays se trouve sous le niveau de la mer, l’armée manque d’espaces d’entraînement, l’agriculture est sous pression et les candidats rivalisent d’idées radicales pour libérer de la place pour construire : l’extrême droite veut carrément raser le siège de la radiotélévision publique tandis que les Verts proposent de supprimer deux aéroports. Un grand merci à: Pauline de Saint Remy pour la relecture et à Jeanette Minns pour la mise en ligne. ABONNEZ-VOUS aux newsletters de POLITICO (en anglais): Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | POLITICO Pro newsletters
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Nicolas Barré
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Uncategorized
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2025-10-25T08:00:00Z
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2025-10-25T08:00:00Z
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2025-10-25T08:00:00Z
| 7,391,160
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https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/le-weekly/alliance-spatiale/
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