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In at present’s information from The Capitals:
ROME
An assistant to a member of the European Parliament faces a listening to at present via which she could possibly be despatched from Italy to Belgium to be detained over Huawei-linked corruption prices. Learn extra.
WESTERN EUROPE
PARIS
Marine Le Pen takes goal on the judiciary. Simply hours after being sentenced to 5 years of ineligibility with fast impact, Marine Le Pen as soon as once more denounced what she known as a “political resolution” throughout a televised deal with final night time. Learn extra.
NORDICS & BALTICS
OSLO
Rocket crash is ‘European cooperation at its finest,’ says Norwegian house minister. The cooperation between Norwegian Andøya Spaceport and German startup Isar Aerospace, which launched its first rocket on Sunday is “European cooperation at its finest,” stated Norwegian Area Minister Cecilie Myrseth to Euractiv.
After lift-off, the rocket couldn’t full its first manoeuvre and crashed not afar from the Norwegian Andøya launchpad. The check flight “met all our expectations,” stated Isar Aerospace’s CEO and co-founder Daniel Metzler in a message on X.
The check flight was a primary for the German startup, and a primary for the Andøya launchpad.
Norway needs to be a “totally built-in” member of EU’s safe communications constellation of satellites IRIS2, Myrseth advised Euractiv earlier this month.
(Theophane Hartmann | Euractiv)
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STOCKHOLM
Swedish far-right doesn’t rule out Swedish nuclear weapons. Jimmie Åkesson, the chief of the far-right Sweden Democrats, doesn’t rule out the potential of Sweden growing its personal nuclear weapons, he advised Göteborgs-Posten.
“We had quite a lot of experience in nuclear know-how a very long time in the past… I feel every thing must be on the desk at this level” he stated.
The social gathering leaders of the centre-right Swedish coalition are open to being a part of the French nuclear umbrella, which President Emmanuel Macron talked about earlier this month, an answer to which the far-right social gathering can be open.
The Sweden Democrats help with out collaborating within the centre-right ruling coalition made up of the EPP-members Moderates and Christian Democrats in addition to the Liberals.
(Charles Szumski | Euractiv)
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HELSINKI
Europe one step nearer to wash power as Helsinki ditches coal. Europe’s coal phase-out is in full swing as Helsinki joins the fray as the subsequent European capital to go fossil-free for its heating and electrical energy wants. Learn extra.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Suspected Russian drone over EU hub in Italy triggers espionage, terror probe. The Milan Prosecutor’s Workplace has launched an investigation into suspected political or army espionage, with doable hyperlinks to terrorism, following repeated drone incursions over the European Fee’s Joint Analysis Centre (JRC) in Ispra, northern Italy. Learn extra.
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LISBON
Portugal: Group monitoring abuse in Church receives 128 complaints; 71 need compensation. A gaggle arrange by the Portuguese Bishops’ Convention (CEP) to watch conditions of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in Portugal, has obtained complaints from 128 victims, of whom 71 are in search of compensation, its coordinator introduced on Monday.
On the day that the formal deadline for submitting complaints ends, the Vita group’s coordinator, Rute Agulhas, defined that 32 folks have already been heard within the case of compensation claims, and that this work is predicted to proceed till July, after which the Catholic Church’s investigative fee shall be chargeable for deciding tips on how to reply.
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ATHENS
Greek exporters push again towards Bulgarian 50% nationwide product invoice. The Bulgarian authorities proposed final week a invoice to manage the agri-food chain to scale back meals costs, requiring retailers to supply at the very least 50% Bulgarian merchandise, sparking a backlash from neighbouring Greek exporters. Learn extra.
EASTERN EUROPE
WARSAW
Poland prioritises safety over local weather in first half of EU presidency. Warsaw is efficiently delivering on the highest precedence of its EU presidency, which is European safety and defence, the Polish authorities advised reporters as Poland reached the midway mark of its six months on the helm of the EU Council, whereas speaking comparatively little about local weather coverage and focusing as a substitute on competitiveness. Learn extra.
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PRAGUE
Czech military may supply €40,000 sign-up bonus as recruitment falters. Czech President Petr Pavel at present signed a legislation that might grant the one-off fee to recruits that full a three-month trial interval.
The modification, backed by the federal government, quadruples the present recruitment bonus cap and introduces extra perks resembling elevated housing allowances, larger pay for international missions, and a boosted stabilisation bonus.
Determined transfer. The transfer is a part of a broader push to draw and retain personnel amid persistent recruitment struggles. As Euractiv beforehand reported, Defence Minister Jana Černochová just lately warned that the military is critically understaffed.
The Czech military at present numbers round 23,600 troopers – nicely under an earlier goal of 30,000 by 2030. Final yr’s recruitment drive resulted in a web acquire of solely 176 troopers.
(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)
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BRATISLAVA
MEP warns of Slovakia’s shortcomings in dealing with foot-and-mouth illness. Whereas the Slovak authorities emphasises that, in response to the European Fee’s evaluation, it took well timed and even above-standard measures towards the virus, Slovak MEP Michal Wiezik (PS/RE) warns that the EU-VET report additionally factors to shortcomings that the federal government has not talked about. Learn extra.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian opposition hopes Kövesi cracks down on political corruption in Sofia. The professional-EU liberal opposition social gathering We Proceed the Change has despatched a sign to the EU’s chief prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, to open an investigation into stories of large-scale misuse of European funds in Bulgaria’s power sector.
Liberal former prime minister Kiril Petkov of We Proceed the Change is demanding that the EU prosecutor raise the immunity of Bulgarian centrist politician and businessman Delyan Peevski and open a prison investigation.
The suspended prosecutor. Teodora Georgieva, the Bulgarian member of the EPPO who was suspended final week for doable wrongdoing, introduced that she feels threatened by Peevski over the investigation into the growth of the Chiren gasoline storage facility.
Georgieva claims “there may be proof that Delyan Peevski demanded 20 million leva (€10 million) from subcontractors on the mission” to develop the gasoline storage facility, which is essential for Bulgaria and the area.
Peevski, who’s sanctioned by the US and UK for corruption, has denied the allegations.
The Renew Europe group has additionally weighed in on the scandal, asserting on X that it stands “towards corruption and totally helps the work of European Public Prosecutor Laura Kövesi”.
The liberal formation has known as on the Bulgarian authorities to completely help with the EPPO’s investigation into the corruption allegations.
(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)
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BUCHAREST
Romanian presidential runoff: two sovereignists face off – ballot. The chief of the far-right social gathering, George Simion, is polling at 35% in voting intentions for the primary spherical of the presidential elections on 4 Could. He’s adopted by Victor Ponta, who has 21.2%.
Former Prime Minister and former president of the Social Democrats, Ponta is now working as an impartial, with a program that shares many similarities with that of the far-right.
Based on the opinion ballot carried out by Verifield, the mayor of the capital, Nicușor Dan, is down in third place with 20.8%, adopted by the candidate of the governing coalition, Crin Antonescu, with 16.4%, and the chief of the opposition social gathering USR, Elena Lasconi, with 4.3%.
Elena Lasconi has been urged, together with by her social gathering colleagues, to withdraw from the race within the hope that her votes would shift to Nicușor Dan, however she refuses.
She said that she isn’t discouraged by polls inserting her in decrease positions, arguing that they really verify her possibilities of reaching the ultimate. She is satisfied that she’s going to repeat final yr’s situation.
“Nicușor Dan has no probability of reaching the second spherical, and I’ve no intention of withdrawing,” declared Elena Lasconi.
(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)
AGENDA:
- EU: Fee President Ursula von der Leyen participates in Parliament’s plenary debate on European Council assembly conclusions of 20 March 2025; Hosts Greens/EFA Co-Chairs Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout;
- Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Excessive Consultant for Overseas Affairs and Safety Coverage Kaja Kallas meet;
- Fee Vice President Teresa Ribera travels on institutional mission to Washington DC, United States;
- Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib meets with EU Particular Consultant for the Center East Peace Course of Sven Koopmans;
- Parliament’s plenary debates votes on Widespread information platform on chemical substances, and extra; Debates on Implementation of the widespread international and safety coverage – annual report 2024, New European Inside Safety Technique, EU Preparedness Union Technique, Crackdown on democracy in Türkiye and the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, state of affairs in Gaza, and extra.
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[Edited by Vas Panagiotopoulos, Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara]