German minister questions 2030 coal phase-out plans

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On a mission to reshape Europe – 14 November 2023

In today’s news from the Capitals:

BERLIN

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner made clear his opposition to the coalition’s flagship plan to phase out coal by 2030 in an interview on Tuesday, rejecting his government’s key pledge because Germany’s efforts would be meaningless if other EU countries were free to increase emissions under the bloc’s current rules. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch arrest counterterrorism official for alleged leak to Morocco. Dutch authorities arrested a counter-terrorism official and a policewoman last week for allegedly leaking state secrets, the Dutch Public Prosecutor announced on Wednesday, with various media reporting that Morocco had benefited from the leaks. Read more.

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PARIS

Paris to host next AI Summit. France will host the next AI Safety Summit in Paris, according to a decision made on the sidelines of the first-ever summit currently taking place mainly behind closed doors in London on Wednesday and Thursday. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria keen to learn from UK’s experience in outsourcing asylum claims. Austria will host UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Thursday to learn about her country’s experience outsourcing asylum applications to third countries. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ATHENS

Greek PM visits Beijing amid fragile EU-China balances. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet on Thursday top Chinese officials to make Greece a “bridge” between the European Union and China, Greek media quoted a government source as saying at a time when relations between the two are fragile. Read more.

Personal Doctors without specialty drafted to carry Greek primary health care. Greece plans to abolish the institution of “rural doctors”, utilising young physicians as “personal physicians” to boost the numbers and increase population coverage, but doctors warn about the implications, foreseeing further downgrading of the health services provided to the public. Read more.

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ROME

Meloni talks about Ukraine ‘fatigue’ in Russian prank call. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fallen victim to a prank call by comedians who made her believe she was discussing Ukraine and EU migration policy with the chairman of the African Union Commission, the prime minister’s office said in an official statement on Wednesday. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain’s socialists strike deal with separatists, pave the way for second Sanchez term. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez could be sworn in for a second term sooner than expected after his Socialist Party, PSOE, struck a deal with Catalonia’s Republican Left to meet its last demand that parliament pass an amnesty law for those involved in the 2017 secession attempt. Read more.

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VALLETTA

EU Commission reconfirms possible funding for Maltese gas pipeline linked to murder. Malta’s TransGas pipeline project has been re-added to the European Commission’s sixth ‘Projects of Common Interest’ (PCI) list, meaning it will be eligible for EU funding despite years of protests about the pipeline’s viability, environmental impact, and links to corruption and murder, a leaked document reveals. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Polish FM angers Israel with ceasefire plea. Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau appealed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on social media, sparking outrage from Israel’s ambassador to Warsaw. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Volkswagen rejects Czech gigafactory location, citing low demand for EV batteries. Volkswagen will not set up more European gigafactories for producing electric vehicle (EV) batteries for the time being, the carmaker’s CEO Oliver Blume has revealed, despite Czechia hoping to receive investments from the automotive giant. Read more.

Czech government bows to young doctors’ demands to rest after 24-hour shifts. Young doctors in the Czech Republic have challenged the existing system, which forces them to work overtime without adequate pay and rest with the government, after weeks of negotiations, finally bowing to pressure and preparing new legislation. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgaria expels Russian correspondent deemed threat to national security. Bulgaria has removed Rossiyskaya Gazeta’s Bulgarian correspondent Alexander Gatsak after declaring him a threat to national security and banning him from entering and staying in the EU, the State Agency for National Security (SANS) said on Wednesday, in a move, Russia called illegal and vowed to respond to. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Two in three Romanians believe Israel has right to attack Hamas: poll. Two-thirds of Romanians believe that Israel has the right to attack Hamas in Gaza, and more than half support a two-state solution, according to an IRSOP survey published on Wednesday. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Serbia announces parliamentary and local elections for December. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and President of the Assembly of Serbia Vladimir Orlić announced on Wednesday extraordinary parliamentary elections for 65 cities and municipalities, including Belgrade, to take place on 17 December. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in global AI Safety Summit 2023, in Bletchley Park, United Kingdom; Holds meetings with Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak;
• Germany: Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock hosts ministerial conference on EU issues; Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba on official visit;
• Greece: MSF holds press conference on violence at Greek borders against asylum seekers;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]

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