French ship sails for Cyprus link
A French research vessel departed Irakleio on Tuesday to resume seabed surveys for the Greece-Cyprus electricity link, a strategic project, following diplomatic discussions between France and Turkey. The Abeille Marengo left five days after Greece’s Navy Hydrographic Service issued a notice to mariners, or Navtex. Great Sea Interconnector and grid operator ADMIE said the vessel would calibrate its equipment before beginning surveys under notices issued by Greek and Cypriot authorities. The ship was expected to remain in Greek territorial waters on Wednesday, possibly Thursday, before heading south of the passage between Kasos and Karpathos. No Turkish move had been reported by late Tuesday. Officials expected a Turkish response as the vessel approached waters east of Crete that Ankara considers its jurisdiction. In Ankara, officials have signaled since Saturday that the outstanding issue had been resolved, though details remain undisclosed. It was unclear whether Turkey’s hydrographic station in Antalya would issue a notice.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/foreign-policy/1320920/french-ship-sails-for-cyprus-link
PASOK leader Androulakis calls on gov’t to clarify French note verbale content
PASOK president Nikos Androulakis called on the government on Tuesday to responsibly inform the Greek people regarding recent “very serious developments” concerning the Great Sea Interconnector, speaking during the debate on the energy bill in the plenary session of Parliament. He underlined that PASOK’s position is clear: “The project must be completed with absolute respect for the rules and procedures laid down by the European acquis and international law of the sea. This is the only strategy defending the interests of the country, of Hellenism, as well as of the European Union itself.” Androulakis noted that the Great Sea Interconnector solely concerns Greece and requires no notification to Türkiye.
Mitsotakis says he won’t cling to Parliament seat when he’s no longer PM
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday that while seeking a record third straight term in office next year he would not cling on to his seat in Parliament when he was no longer head of government. “From the moment my career as prime minister ends, my Parliamentary career will also end,” Mitsotakis told a conference organized by Proto Thema newspaper. Mitsotakis is seeking a third continuous mandate in elections expected in the coming spring. While all opinion polls indicate that ND would easily win, with more votes than the two top left and center-left opposition parties combined, it would fall short of a majority sufficient to govern alone.
Greece mulls stricter measures to curb migrant inflows
Greece is considering additional measures to curb arrivals on its southern islands, including a possible suspension of asylum applications if authorities determine Libya is using migration flows as a tool, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said. More than 1,600 people are currently staying at facilities across the island, while residents continue to oppose a proposed new reception center outside Irakleio. Plevris has said the facility could open within days.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1320784/greece-mulls-stricter-measures-to-curb-migrant-inflows
ATHEX: Greek stocks extend their recovery
The Euronext Athens (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,642.07 points, adding 1.24% to Monday’s 2,609.63 points. The large-cap FTSE-25 index expanded 1.42% to end at 6,787.73 points.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1320933/athex-greek-stocks-extend-their-recovery
KATHIMERINI: French ship “Abeille Marengo” sails for exploration regarding the Cyprus link
TA NEA: The French vessel set sail from Heraklion: The thriller will begin in 48 hours
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Unprecedented decision: The Polytechnic School will remain closed during the uprising anniversary commemoration
RIZOSPASTIS: National strike: Call to fund salaries, pensions, health and education
KONTRA NEWS: Mitsotakis showed the way to PASOK [for post-election collaboration]
DIMOKRATIA: The Government is handing out millions to keep mouths shut
NAFTEMPORIKI: “Legacy” for new price hikes
DRIVING THE DAY
HOW TO BYPASS UNRULY MEPS: The decline of the once-dominant centrist forces in the European Parliament is leading to a new phenomenon: Getting positions agreed without risking all 720 MEPs voting on them, Max Griera reports.
What’s happening: Normally, all MEPs get the chance to amend laws before the Parliament brings its position into negotiations with governments. But the center parties are increasingly sidestepping votes in the plenary over fears that the chamber’s shifting alliances — particularly with the far right on the rise — could blow up legislation that lawmakers who are experts on the issues have negotiated at the committee stage.
Why this matters: It’s a less cozy Parliament these days, with many MEPs unwilling to toe the line. This practice is another symbol of the fragmentation of EU politics. But while the mainstream parties think it’s a handy way of avoiding their compromises being unpicked, some MEPs told Playbook it raises questions about democracy.
It’s “not democratic not to have it in plenary,” said a senior MEP, granted anonymity to criticize the widely accepted procedure. “That’s the trade-off.”
But it suits the center for different reasons. The center-left S&D, for example, thinks that the shortcut shields laws from being unpicked in the plenary by the far right with center-right EPP support. The EPP, meanwhile, worries that the S&D can’t control its own MEPs in the plenary — and that’s why the compromises could unravel.
The simple solution for both of them? Don’t risk it.
Nothing to worry about! In the full Parliament, “all the people that didn’t work on the text … come with their ideas and can disturb an equilibrium that is found in the committee,” Jean-Marc Germain, an S&D MEP, told our Agnes Rønberg. “The best way to proceed in this complex majority of the plenary is to go for committee mandate.”
How is this allowed? The groups are using a parliamentary rule that’s supposed to enable laws to be fast-tracked if there’s broad consensus. As our chart below shows, the share of files handled through this procedure in the first half of 2026 was already higher than in any full year since 2019.
Where it’s being used: Still reeling from plenary rebellions that derailed key laws, group leaders are allowing MEPs to bypass the chamber on long-term budget files. That’s a reversal from the last budget negotiations in 2021, when they pushed for plenary votes on all files — and despite a broad majority of committee chairs urging the same approach in September.
That means hundreds of billions of euros in EU funding could head into negotiations with the Council with the backing of just 20-30 MEPs instead of a plenary majority. Of 20 budget files, 11 are expected to take that route, according to an official.
“Using this mechanism in this case is undemocratic,” Raphaël De Wael, EU policy adviser at ocean protection NGO Bloom, told our Sebastian Starcevic.
There are protections, though.Lawmakers insist the process is democratic because 72 MEPs can force a plenary vote even if the committee wants to go straight to negotiations.
“The question is not whether Parliament has a mandate. We do,” the EPP’s lead budget negotiator Siegfried Mureșan told Playbook, arguing that committee positions were already backed by a plenary resolution adopted in April before the Commission unveiled its proposal. The committee-approved files “reflect that position, including on the figures.”
As the EU’s politics fractures, this is one of the ways the center is trying to retain its grip.
BIG AND BREAKING
DIGGING FOR TROUBLE: A mining giant wants to dig beneath Finland’s pristine wetlands in search of critical minerals, pitting environmentalists against EU China hawks.
VIENNA’S MFF TIFF: Austrian Europe Minister Claudia Bauer rejected any compromises on the EU’s next seven-year budget after her colleague Markus Marterbauer defied the government’s line to show openness towards new bloc-wide taxes in an interview with Playbook. Bauer said Marterbauer expressed “his own personal view” and that “Austria’s official negotiating objectives remain unchanged.”
MIGRATION DEAL: The EU signed a readmission agreement with Nigeria yesterday evening that would establish a framework for returns within 30 days — part of Brussels’ push to speed up deportations of unauthorized migrants through partnerships with third countries. “We are now stepping up our migration diplomacy to return those who have no right to stay,” Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told Playbook.
Next up: Brunner will have a call today with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo about the recent surge in arrivals there, and he’s staying in touch with Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
SPAIN’S HOUSING NIGHTMARE: Could Spain’s housing crisis bring down the government? Five charts tell the story.
HEGSETH OFF THE HOOK: House Republicans last night defeated an attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sparing the Pentagon chief a trial and handing the White House a major win, my stateside colleagues report.
EUROPE’S SEAT STILL EMPTY (FOR NOW)
DEALMAKING IN THE DESERT: Ukrainian and Russian negotiators return to the table in Abu Dhabi today for the second and final day of this round of talks. Day 1 focused on security guarantees and a possible prisoner swap, my colleague Tim Ross reports from Abu Dhabi.
Next up, territory: Negotiators are expected to tackle the thorny question of territory today, according to officials briefed on the plans. Meanwhile, after months of European anxiety about being sidelined, U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are now fully convinced Europe needs a seat at the table alongside Russia and Ukraine.
Hurry up and pick a rep: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants Europe to pick its representative — and fast. Speaking to reporters in Denmark on Tuesday, he called for a “dialogue” with Kyiv over who gets the job, rather than European leaders simply presenting Ukraine with a name. “I think that in November, not late, we need to accept who will represent Europe in negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.
Europe’s less good news: Washington is pressing European capitals to engage with one of Moscow’s long-standing demands: linking a Ukraine peace deal to a broader review of Europe’s security architecture, including NATO’s role.
Europe’s cunning plan: Ukraine’s allies hope that showing openness to discussing Europe’s wider security arrangements will coax Russia into making concessions in the Ukraine talks, according to officials. The trick is sequencing: Keep the two tracks moving, but hold the line against any deal on Europe’s defenses until after a peace agreement for Ukraine.
Moscow has other ideas: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the reverse order — sorting out NATO-Russia relations first, Ukraine second — is “absolutely reasonable.”
Whoever gets the job of speaking for Europe in the next round of talks had better buckle up.
20-SECOND PLAYBOOK PRIMER
Talks have stalled on the EU’s Automotive Package … but what’s that? Presented by the European Commission last December, the package is meant to support the auto sector as it gets cleaner. Among its aims are reforming the long-contested 2035 de facto combustion engine ban, making more batteries in Europe and slashing red tape. But member countries can’t agree on emissions targets and whether to create a new category for cars that run on alternative fuels.
7 MORE THINGS GETTING US TALKING
EXCLUSIVE — SERBIAN STUDENTS HEAD TO BRUSSELS: Serbia’s election-winning Student List is sending a leading figure to Marta Kos’ Enlargement Forum on Nov. 16, an EU source familiar with its preparation told Playbook. It’ll be the movement’s first public appearance in Brussels to spell out its EU vision.
A sneak peek: Playbook spoke to three student representatives last week. Their message? European values: yes. EU membership as an immediate priority: not quite. “A lot of people are not capable of having informed opinions about many subjects, not just [the] EU,” said Student List’s Jovana Pavloviç. “These topics shouldn’t be focused [on] until we have free media.”
SCOOP — NEW CONSUMER COP: The European Commission wants direct enforcement powers in consumer protection cases where breaches by large companies affect two-thirds of member countries and two-thirds of the EU population, according to a Commission presentation obtained by Sebastian Starcevic and Eliza Gkritsi.
PHONY FINFLUENCERS: Brussels wants to crack down on manipulative online sales tricks with its Digital Fairness Act, but the NGO Finance Watch says the rules won’t go far enough to rein in social media influencers who peddle risky investments. More in Morning Financial Services for subscribers.
COSTA WINKS AT MERZ: European Council President António Costa has replied to Friedrich Merz’s letter linking the EU’s next budget to unanimous backing for a multibillion-euro Ukraine loan (which didn’t go down well with the V4 countries). In a letter seen by Playbook, Costa confirmed both issues will go together on the agenda at the Nov. 26-27 summit, with Ukraine also getting airtime at this week’s informal Dublin gathering.
NATO GOES BACK TO BASICS: The alliance wants to put fighting Russia first and to scale back forces dedicated to missions abroad.
PORTUGAL VS. RUTTE: Lisbon has blasted NATO chief Mark Rutte for suggesting it downplays the Russian threat, calling his remarks “regrettable.”
MAKING WAVES: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis intends to raise Libya and Turkey’s controversial maritime border deal at Friday’s informal meeting of EU leaders in Dublin, Nektaria Stamouli and Martina Sapio report.