Government pushes security at center of debate
The government plans to keep security at the center of political debate in the weeks ahead, following arrests in the fatal arson attack on the Marfin bank and a Thessaloniki fire that killed Vagia Nestora, officials said. Government sources said security ranks high among conservative voters and centrists distancing from political violence, and more actions demonstrating a “law and order” doctrine are expected.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1309508/government-pushes-security-at-center-of-debate
SYRIZA loses third MP in one day
Corinth MP Giorgos Psychogios has become the third lawmaker on Tuesday to depart the troubled leftist party, which has been in turmoil since the launch of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras’ Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) in May. His resignation comes on the same day as that of Giorgos Gavrilos and Andreas Panagiotopoulos, who also quit the party to sit as independents. SYRIZA, which won 47 seats at the last general election, is now down to 20 MPs, reducing it for the first time to the fourth political group in Parliament in terms of size leaving it one seat behind the Communist Party. Another 10 SYRIZA MPs are also reportedly preparing to leave the party, which has also been hemorrhaging functionaries and members.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1309597/syriza-loses-third-mp-in-one-day
Androulakis: ‘A strong PASOK can deliver both political change and political stability’
Main opposition PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis on Tuesday urged voters not to support those whom, he said, have betrayed them through the policies they pursued, during his opening remarks at a meeting of the party’s Policy Circles devoted to preparations for the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF). Androulakis said he intends to use the TIF to present his vision for Greece in 2030: “A Greece with a stronger democracy, a more productive economy and greater social justice.” He stressed that PASOK has already put forward proposals aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, reinforcing the Constitution and placing greater limits on executive power. “When Parliament debates this issue next week, it will become clear which party has a comprehensive plan for addressing this crucial matter.”
Two men detained after appearing before an investigator on Marfin arson charges
Two men who are accused of participating in a group that caused the deadly arson of Marfin bank in May 2010 were detained in custody after appearing before an investigating magistrate on Tuesday. In written statements submitted to the magistrate, the 42-year-olds presented their stances regarding the charges and then answered the investigating magistrate’s questions, each remaining in the interrogation room for about two hours. The men denied the case file findings holding them responsible for the deaths of three Marfin bank staff members who were trapped in the burning building after the arson attack.
ATHEX: Traders go for the bigger picture now
The constant flip-flopping around the Persian Gulf truce and the Strait of Hormuz opening by the parties involved apparently have markets turning their back on daily developments, looking instead at the bigger picture. Case in point was the US inflation data released on Tuesday, which offset early losses at most eurozone bourse, including in Athens. The local benchmark even moved to positive territory before the closing auctions that left it with minor losses in the end.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1309613/athex-traders-go-for-the-bigger-picture-now
KATHIMERINI: Measures for quicker transfers of real estate assets
TA NEA: Retirement thresholds: Which ones will remain intact
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: “Like a lasting earthquake” – Concerns over buildings’ structural integrity in Kypseli [downtown Athens] due to metro works
RIZOSPASTIS: Public employees’ unions and students rally for permanent work and publicly-funded education
KONTRA NEWS: FinMin Pierrakakis to bankers: “Start giving loans to businesses and households now”
DIMOKRATIA: Dirty game by “cunning” parliament president Nikitas Kaklamanis
NAFTEMPORIKI: Professional insurance to become more attractive
DRIVING THE DAY
SANCTIONS SHOWDOWN: EU ambassadors are expecting a tense battle this morning over how to put the squeeze on Russian oil and gas revenues — money Moscow uses to pay for the rockets it fires at Ukraine. And it’s all happening while European leaders launch an effort to get Kyiv the air defenses it needs to shoot down whatever Russia sends its way.
Coming back to it: Envoys have been forced to reconvene today after late-night talks on Tuesday failed to produce an agreement on the bloc’s new sanctions package — the 21st since the start of the full-scale war.
No war profit: The proposals call for a price cap on Russian oil to be frozen at $44.10 per barrel. Without it, the renewed conflict in the Middle East could push up energy prices, letting Moscow charge more and generating extra revenue for its war effort. The new sanctions would also target the banks and other financial intermediaries that pay for these fossil fuels.
Closing window of opportunity: Without an agreement today, the Commission will be obliged to revise up the price cap in the coming weeks.
Tough talk: Greece is concerned about how the restrictions will affect the shipping industry, said two diplomats, granted anonymity to speak frankly. Austria, meanwhile, has revived a campaign to get compensation for Raiffeisen Bank, which opted to stay in Russia and would lose out from new measures restricting money flows. Neither country responded immediately to a request for comment.
“It’s very hard,” said one senior EU diplomat preparing for today’s negotiations. “But we are still hoping for a result.” Others were more vocal: “Many countries have companies that lost money as a result of leaving Russia,” said a second diplomat. “It’s ridiculous that a company would get compensation after having stayed there for four years and earned money.”
All in the timing: European countries will today announce a bid to get Ukraine the advanced weaponry it needs to shoot down Russian missiles, in a major move to cut Kyiv’s dependence on American support.
Funding commitment: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will lead a delegation to Ukraine where the leaders of Greece, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and others are expected to sign a new “Kyiv Declaration” that commits to mobilize funding and logistics to secure air defenses. POLITICO has seen a draft of the joint statement.
Integration, not handouts: “We are talking to the EU at the institutional level [about] how to boost our cooperation in [the] defense industry field,” Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov told my colleague Zoya Sheftalovich. “The issue is not only how the EU can financially support Ukraine’s defense industry, but also how Ukraine’s defense industry can be integrated into the broader European defense industrial base.”
Meanwhile, Putin’s next move could be a Baltic incursion, Russian opposition activist Garry Kasparov has warned. Such as move could target countries on NATO’s eastern flank, such as Latvia or Estonia, he said.
BIG AND BREAKING
TOLL FREE: U.S. President Donald Trump appears to have backtracked on his earlier threat to charge a 20 percent fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while Reuters is reporting that the U.S. has resumed its blockade of Iranian ports. And as the war restarts, there’s little sign that diplomacy can stop it.
NEW DELHI, NEW DEAL: The EU and India will today kick off formal talks to allow the world’s most populous country to take part in the Horizons Europe research and development scheme, Morning Tech tells Pro readers. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas and trade chief Maroš Šefčovič also meet their Indian counterparts today.
BIG GAME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s plans to ease restrictions on hunting have become a new battleground in Italy’s culture wars ahead of an election next year.
SPANISH FAMILY FIGHT: Plans by conservatives in Madrid’s regional government to offer family benefits linked to unborn children have triggered a new clash over abortion rights and warnings of “Trumpian politics.”
EXCLUSIVE — NEW PARTY SHERIFF: European Parliament legal adviser and Sciences Po trade-policy lecturer Philippe Musquar will become the next director of the Authority of European Political Parties, starting on Sept. 1. Musquar will be in charge of policing party financing and issuing sanctions, succeeding Pascal Schonard.
SUMMER LEGAL SPRINT
CASES TO WATCH: The final (real) working week before summer means EU courts are set to move on some big, outstanding cases. Here are our top picks of the ones to follow …
Catalan separatism: On Thursday, the European Court of Justice will rule on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s amnesty of Catalans behind the 2017 independence referendum. Judges will decide whether the vote undermined the EU’s financial interests or amounted to terrorism — two offenses excluded from amnesties under Spanish law.
Parliamentary transparency: A Czech watchdog is suing the European Parliament after it failed to hand over MEPs’ individual travel expenses, citing personal privacy concerns. A win for the website Kverulant.org could mean greater access to lawmaker expenses in future. A General Court decision is slated for today.
Russian sanctions: A slew of cases today and tomorrow will see the European Council’s decision to sanction Russian and Belarussian individuals come under the scrutiny of the EU’s top tier Court of Justice. Perhaps the most significant case involves billionaire oil trader Gennady Timchenko. He was sanctioned for, among other things, having participated in a meeting at which Vladimir Putin discussed the impact of a possible war in Ukraine, days before Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Some argue the evidence used to justify some sanctions is worthy of review.
Last tech standing: The European Court of Justice will hold a hearing this morning in the last of the Big Tech cases to wind through EU courts — and the only one the Commission has actually lost. As Jacob Parry writes in the Fair Play newsletter, the EU executive is trying to revive its €1.49 billion Google decision on AdSense for Search — the service that used to place Google search ads on third-party websites. The Commission’s penalty was annulled in full by the General Court in September 2024.
Fun fact: A ruling in this case isn’t expected before 2027 — more than a decade after Google dropped the disputed clauses.
20-SECOND PLAYBOOK PRIMER
The EU’s Rule of Law Report for 2026 is coming up this week. But what is it? It’s an annual report that evaluates the state of the rule of law across all EU member countries and some enlargement countries, and features sections on the justice system, anti-corruption, media pluralism and freedom, and other institutional issues relating to checks and balances. The idea is to flag problems before they escalate.
RETRAINING WORKERS
SKILLS BEFORE SPILLS: Brussels’ answer to Europe’s industrial upheaval: Invest in retraining workers. Commission Executive Vice President Roxana Mînzatu will today unveil who gets to participate in the EU’s Skills Guarantee Pilot projects.
Das Auto: Under the pilot, the Commission will distribute €14 million among six projects spanning 10 EU countries, focused on car-industry workers whose jobs are at risk, a Commission official familiar with the plans but not authorized to speak on the record told Playbook’s Zoya Sheftalovich.
PREEMPTIVE RESKILLING: The idea is to move people into new roles through targeted reskilling and upskilling before they lose their jobs, rather than helping them afterward. The projects will run until 2028, with their results feeding into a Skills Guarantee under the EU’s future Competitiveness Fund.
The backdrop to the announcement is grim. Volkswagen Group said it’s considering cutting up to 100,000 jobs worldwide — double the number previously signaled. Europe’s biggest carmarker, which owns VW, Porsche, Audi, Seat and Skoda, is under pressure from falling sales in China, U.S. tariffs and intensifying competition from lower-cost Chinese rivals.
Also happening today: Ylva Johansson, who chairs the European Skills High-Level Board that brings together business, universities, training providers and social partners, will hand Mînzatu the board’s first draft recommendations. Those proposals are intended to shape the Commission’s next wave of skills initiatives and help workers navigate Europe’s green and digital transitions
MFF FINISH LINE
IRELAND’S MFF CHARM OFFENSIVE: Ireland will use a September gathering of Europe ministers in Dublin to finalize a budget compromise ahead of a meeting of EU leaders, Gregorio Sorgi tells us. Ireland’s Europe minister Thomas Byrne signaled his intention to fast-track negotiations over the bloc’s €2 trillion budget in a presentation to colleagues on Tuesday.
Summer work: Byrne said he will hold bilateral meetings in September with fellow Europe ministers to identify a landing zone for the seven-year budget, which is due to take effect in 2028. Dublin, in its role as president of the Council of the EU, is expected to present a new set of figures and a revised package of EU-wide taxes before a leaders’ summit in October. “I urge you and your teams to make use of months ahead to assess pragmatically and collegially where you can compromise,” Byrne said.
5 MORE THINGS GETTING US TALKING
STEEL YOURSELF: Facing tariffs from the U.S. and competition from China, the EU is putting an iron ring around its steel market. But other countries that want to export to the bloc are feeling the pain.
MONEY FOR THE MAGA-ALIGNED: The U.S. state department is offering grants of up to $3 million for European groups that combat “censorship” and develop “civilizational bonds” with the U.S., the FT reports.
SÁNCHEZ VS. JUDICIARY: The brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was convicted on Tuesday of having been unfairly handed a public sector job by officials. The controversial trial of David Sánchez was the latest in a string of legal woes facing the Spanish government.
ARE YOU FILMING ME? The European Commission has relaxed rules that effectively limited the sale of “smart glasses” following pressure from the U.S. and big tech lobbying.
ENLARGEMENT PERIL: Southern Italy stands to lose big from EU enlargement, according to a study commissioned by The Left group. An EU-36 could see Sardinia lose up to 58 percent of its EU funding, Campania 32 percent and Sicily 29 percent. “Regions across Spain, Portugal, Greece, Romania and beyond risk a social massacre too, without adequate compensation,” MEP Danilo Della Valle told Playbook.