PM Mitsotakis: Measures against youth internet addiction on December 30
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in an interview with ERT on Tuesday evening, referred, among other things, to the problem of youth addiction to social media. He stressed that on December 30, the government will present its comprehensive plan and said that in order to tackle the issue “we need parents as allies.” He underlined that he had spoken on the issue at the UN General Assembly.
Broad Parliamentary majority backs amendment to suspend State funding for ‘Spartiates’
The amendment of the Ministry of Interior, which refers to the conditions and procedure for suspending the funding of political parties, has secured a broad majority in the Hellenic Parliament.
Mitsotakis to visit Brussels to attend EU-Western Balkans Summit
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Brussels on Wednesday after attending a ceremony in Ioannina in northwestern Greece, where he will participate in the signing of the contract for the expansion of the Ionian Highway (Ionias Odos), a vital infrastructure project linking Ioannina and Kakavija in Albania.
Greek stocks find love as turnaround efforts pay off
Greek stocks are fast becoming a popular option for investors, with some expecting an upgrade to coveted developed-market status next year, as the economy outpaces its eurozone peers and bank stocks roar ahead.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1256568/greek-stocks-find-love-as-turnaround-efforts-pay-off
ATHEX: Investors cash in recent gains
The time came for traders to cash in their recent stock gains, as sellers dominated proceedings at Athinon Avenue on Tuesday, focusing on blue chips, and especially banks. Infrastructure companies begged to differ though, recording growth. Nevertheless, the favorable reports by the international media are certain to lead to more stock price expansion in the coming weeks, with the Greek bourse increasinglyon international investors’ radars.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1256608/athex-investors-cash-in-recent-gains-3
KATHIMERINI: Triple “block” on children’s social media usage
TA NEA: PM meets with ruling party MPs: Wishes and whispers
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Price hikes “pumped” the profits of 500 companies
RIZOSPASTIS: Greek government – EU: Huge questions regarding plans of an “energetic presence” in Syria
KONTRA NEWS: PM launches operation to rally New Democracy MPs
DIMOKRATIA: “Black hole” in the economy due to the new constructions regulation
NAFTEMPORIKI: “Diaspora” of changes in the Athens Stock Market
DRIVING THE DAY: DON’T BALK AT THE BALKANS
EU ENDS YEAR WITH FOCUS ON SMALL WINS: The leaders of six Western Balkans countries (Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina) will meet with António Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and their EU counterparts today, for a largely symbolic annual summit.
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Ferit-based approach: “This is the real moment that everybody will be getting to know everyone,” said Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s head of mission to the EU. “It’s important to make our case in front of the EU leaders … to get them really hooked into the enlargement process,” Hoxha said.
But why bother? From the EU’s perspective, today’s performance serves as a show of intent that enlarging the bloc will remain a top priority over the coming five years, especially as Russia threatens and destabilizes other would-be joiners like Georgia, Moldova and — duh — Ukraine.
Notable aside: This isn’t even the first time Costa has met the Western Balkan leaders since his term began this month. He had dinner with them on Dec. 3., and now the full red carpet will be rolled out.
In their must-read story today, my colleagues Barbara Moens, Clea Caulcutt and Tim Ross explain why Costa’s honeymoon period might end this week. (Spoiler: Ukraine and Donald Trump).
Cluster busters: After years of blockage, there’s been a flurry of activity this year, with Montenegro and Albania making yet more progress in their lengthy accession talks just this week. Albanian PM Edi Rama spoke ahead of today’s summit about his desire for his country to conclude what he described as “neurotic” membership talks this decade. Montenegro is leading the pack, making leaps on hitting EU criteria and aiming to join by 2028.
So at least one: “We have a realistic prospect to bring one or more enlargement countries to the finish line during this Commission’s mandate,” EU enlargement chief Marta Kos said last night. There is “new dynamism” in the EU’s expansion, hails a declaration that will be agreed today, obtained by Playbook reporter Šejla Ahmatović.
Von-ditionality: In von der Leyen style, much of that dynamism is greased by the prospect of single market access and a whopping €6 billion “facility” of loans and grants that the EU has dangled in front of these countries as incentives to keep up the exhaustive list of reforms Brussels requires. (The word “should” appears 54 times in the declaration.)
Orbán claims the credit: Rama was effervescent with praise for Hungary, which has made enlargement a priority since July. “All this is happening thanks to the Hungarian presidency,” he said. “More has happened in the past two months than in the last 15 years,” Hungary’s Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó bragged Tuesday.
Grudging praise: Even Socialist MEP Nacho Sánchez Amor conceded the Hungarian presidency “did the job,” at a dinner attended by my colleague Max Griera in Strasbourg. “But they did find a very fertile ground because there is an appetite” for enlargement, the Spanish MEP quickly added.
No dice for Serbia: But not all is going swimmingly on the enlargement file. EU countries didn’t sign off on as much progress for Hungary’s close ally Serbia as Budapest would have liked. That’s despite grandiose statements from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić about accelerating the country’s EU path. “There seems to be a lot of inertia,” said Milena Mihajlović Denić from the European Policy Centre think tank in Belgrade. “And everyone is very lethargic when it comes to EU accession, it seems that nobody still believes that it’s going to happen,” she said, adding “the problem is the deterioration of the Serbian democracy.”
As for Kyiv … Polish PM Tusk said his country would accelerate Ukraine’s bid to join the EU when it takes over the Council presidency in January.
ZELENSKYY IN TOWN: But today in Brussels it’s Kyiv’s relationship with NATO, rather than the EU, that will be top of mind. NATO chief Mark Rutte will meet with Zelenskyy, along with a whole battalion of EU leaders, to discuss the worsening picture in Ukraine’s east. The aim is to help Kyiv secure strategic gains before Trump takes back the White House next month. Today’s discussion will center on how Europe can continue to provide the most effective support.
Among those in town and due at the VIP dinner this evening is Tusk, who poured cold water on Macron’s idea of deploying EU soldiers to Ukraine to enforce a potential cease-fire (something Rome appears to be warming to). Tusk, during a surprise visit to Lviv on Tuesday, reaffirmed Warsaw’s commitment to Kyiv’s defense — but cautioned that his government would not be able to “give everything” to its neighbor as Poland itself faces increasing threats from the Kremlin.
The EU’s moment of truth on Ukraine is fast approaching, argues Mujtaba Rahman.
Trump’s man in Kyiv: Meanwhile, Reuters reports this morning that Keith Kellogg, who is set to serve as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will travel to Kyiv and several other European capitals early next month. But he’s not planning to visit Moscow during this trip, the newswire says, citing two sources familiar with the planning.
NOW READ THIS — WORLD WAR III IS ALREADY UNDER WAY: In a long read out this morning, POLITICO’s Eva Hartog writes that what began in February 2022 as the biggest European land war since World War II, now competes for the title of the most global conflict since the Cold War.
GEORGIA
DREAM ON TBILISI, SAY SPAIN, ROMANIA AND ITALY: The Spanish and Romanian foreign affairs ministries called out the Georgian government for spreading “disinformation,” after its X account claimed that Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Spain and Romania had supported it at Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council. Italy also pushed back.
More words: In a document agreed by the Council Tuesday, the EU lamented Georgia’s decision to suspend accession talks, condemned the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters and urged the government to refrain from actions that could deepen political tensions, including promoting “anti-EU rhetoric and disinformation.” In the latest draft of a document set to be agreed by EU leaders Thursday, seen by my colleague Barbara Moens, there’s no mention of Brussels imposing major sanctions on Georgia — a move Baltic countries have taken individually. So far, the EU’s response has largely been limited to announcements that funding to the government will be cut and visa-free access for diplomatic passport holders restricted.
Vili big speech … Georgia’s pro-EU President Salome Zourabichvili, who stands to be replaced by Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer allied to the ruling Georgian Dream Party, will address MEPs in the European Parliament in Strasbourg at 8:30 a.m. this morning.
RULE OF LAW
HUNGARY BLASTS COMMISSION OVER BLOCKED FUNDS: Hungarian EU Minister János Bóka accused the European Commission of “political pressuring” for its refusal to unblock around €1 billion for the country’s higher education and research sectors over rule-of-law failings.
Hungary casts Brussels as the Grinch: “That is very unfortunate because it is discriminatory towards Hungarian individuals and entities,” Bóka said at a press conference in response to a question from the FT’s Paola Tamma. He said the Commission is coming up with extra demands just to keep the money out of reach.
Enlarging or shrinking? Bóka acknowledged that he was giving the Hungarian government’s line from a podium at which he was supposed to represent the EU, but then vowed Budapest would use “all political and legal tools” available against the European Commission — and was not challenged by the European commissioner standing next to him, Marta Kos.
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW — POLAND’S WARNING: Hungary may be so far gone in terms of defying EU law and undermining civil society that it won’t be able to change course as long as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is in power, Poland’s justice minister warned.
Experience is the best teacher: In an interview with Playbook’s Nick Vinocur, Adam Bodnar said the example of Poland — whose previous right-wing leadership clashed with Brussels for years before its 2023 ouster — showed that illiberal governments don’t change their ways even under intense pressure from Brussels.
Hope vs. reality: Bodnar’s comments are in contrast to those of Michael McGrath, the EU’s new rule of law commissioner, who said last week it was “never too late” for Hungary to come back in from the cold.
Warning: “Under the current leadership it might be difficult” for Hungary to return to the fold, Bodnar said. “The example of Poland shows that unless you have a change of leadership, it might be extremely difficult to reverse [course on the] rule of law and to regain democratic values.”
Not that easy: Even if opposition leader Péter Magyar defeats Orbán in the 2026 Hungarian election, as polls suggest he might, the damage to civil society after 16 years of Fidesz rule will have been profound and would require a Herculean effort to repair, Bodnar said. The depth of institutional changes, combined with a weaker civil society than in Poland, would make it difficult for the Commission to bring Budapest back in from the cold, he concluded.
MIGRATION
VDL SLIPS ERDOĞAN A COOL BILLION: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan got some good news from Ursula von der Leyen during her trip to Ankara Tuesday. The Commission president announced a €1 billion package was on its way to Turkey for handling migration and border management, and to support the voluntary returns of Syrians from Turkey, which has hosted millions of refugees since the civil war broke out in 2011. “As things evolve on the ground, we can adapt this €1 billion to the new needs that might occur in Syria,” von der Leyen said.
Turkish dream: Erdoğan focused on his country’s ambition of joining the EU. “EU membership remains a strategic goal for Turkey,” he said, adding that the meeting with von der Leyen included “steps on how to revive” Ankara’s relations with the bloc.
Frozen turkey: Ankara was granted candidate status to join the EU in 1999, but negotiations were frozen in 2018 due to persistent democratic regression and suppression of fundamental rights. Erdoğan called on EU leaders meeting Thursday to “remove all restrictions” in bilateral relations, “revive all the suspended high-level dialogues,” update the EU-Turkey customs union, and to speed up processes to achieve visa-free travel. “I hope that we will hold the Turkey-European summit as soon as possible and bring our relations where they should be,” Erdoğan said.
Is he Syrious? But the question of Turkey’s intentions in Syria are a sore point. Erdoğan played a long game and is clearly flexing his muscles in his region. It’s now a matter of seeing what he does next — with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Ankara and its militia allies are building up forces along the border potentially in preparation for a large-scale incursion into territory held by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds.
RUSHING BACK INTO THE VOID: EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the EU will reopen its delegation in Syria. Germany is also sending diplomats to the country for the first time in over a decade, our Berlin Playbook colleagues report.
Nostra culpa: Due to an editing error, Tuesday’s edition of Brussels Playbook misidentified the EEAS diplomat who was dispatched to make initial contact with the new Syrian government. It’s Michael Ohnmacht, the EU’s charge d’affaires for the EU delegation to Syria.
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Palestinian officials told the BBC that talks over a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal are now in a “decisive and final phase.”
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
EUROPE’S NEW ETHICS WATCHDOG: MEPs elected Portugal’s Teresa Anjinho as the new EU Ombudsman on Tuesday, Max Griera, Sarah Wheaton and Carlo Martuscelli report. After two rounds of voting, Anjinho secured a five-year mandate with the support of 344 MEPs in a plenary vote in Strasbourg. Anjinho, a member of the supervisory committee of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), announced during her hearing in December that she wants to empower citizens by addressing their complaints, tackling systemic issues and teaming up with national offices and communities for better governance in Europe. Anjinho will take office on Feb. 27.
NEW HARD-RIGHT GROUP LEADER: The European Conservatives and Reformists group elected Patryk Jaki as its new co-chairman on Tuesday, replacing Joachim Brudziński. “These are our internal arrangements within the coalition of PiS (Law and Justice) and Sovereign Poland party,” Brudziński told Max Griera via email when asked about the change of leadership. The other co-chair remains Nicola Procaccini, from the Brothers of Italy party.
METSOLA FORMER HEAD OF CAB PROMOTED: The European Parliament this week greenlit four new directors general for new departments, who will start work mid-January. They include the Parliament president’s former head of cab, as previewed in Playbook.
Get ready for some awful acronyms: Per two Parliament officials, Roberta Metsola’s former head of cabinet Leticia Zuleta de Reales Ansaldo will lead the Directorate-General for Citizens’ Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs (DG IUST); Agnieszka Walter-Drop will lead the Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies (DG CASP); Monika Strasser will lead the Directorate-General for Budgetary Affairs (DG BUDG); Michael Alexander Speiser (who is the partner of EPP Secretary-General Ouarda Bensouag) will lead the Directorate-General for Economy, Transformation and Industry (DG ECTI).
IN OTHER NEWS
JUSTICE DELAYED: The European Commission is taking “too long” to close cases related to countries breaching EU law, according to a European Court of Auditors report published Tuesday. The Commission opened more than 9,000 infringement cases between 2012 and 2023 — but many take years to resolve.
Not much of a stick: While the Commission has improved the way it deals with alleged infringements, most cases settle before countries are hit with financial penalties. “In some cases, member states have not rectified breaches of EU law despite being sanctioned for years,” the report notes.
The solution? The auditors urge the Commission to boost its monitoring of enforcement actions, improve how it manages infringement cases and make handling complaints clearer and more consistent for everyone. Sounds easy enough.
FIFA GETS A RED CARD: Members of the European Parliament have delivered a stern warning to football governing body FIFA over the decision to hold the 2034 men’s World Cup in Saudi Arabia, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO.
“We are writing to express our grave concerns regarding the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia,” said the letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, which was signed by 30 lawmakers. Their concerns include the alleged lack of safeguards for human rights in Saudi Arabia’s bid and that FIFA is backtracking on its commitment to environmental sustainability by partnering with the oil company Aramco. Read the story by Ali Walker here.
TIKTOK PROBE: The European Commission launched a formal investigation into TikTok on Tuesday over the app’s handling of Romanian election-related content. More here.
DENMARK TO SPEND MORE ON DEFENSE: Denmark will have to redo its five-year defense funding plan eight months after it was agreed, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen telling the FT the country will need “to spend as much as needed on defense and deterrence.”