Poll: 8 in 10 Greeks disapprove of government’s handling of Tempe case
A poll conducted by MRB for Open TV, published on Thursday, revealed that 8 in 10 Greeks are dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the 2023 Tempe railway disaster. When asked about the government’s response, only 14.5% of respondents expressed satisfaction (“definitely yes / probably yes”), while an overwhelming 81.1% were dissatisfied (“probably not / definitely not”).
Androulakis promises ‘no-confidence’ motion if there is new evidence on Tempi train collision
Main opposition PASOK-Movement for Change party leader Nikos Androulakis on Thursday stated that PASOK will take action “as soon as new evidence arises” in the reports concerning the deadly train collision at Tempi, tabling a motion of no-confidence “against a dangerous government”.
Greece president vote moves to second round
The second roll-call vote for the election of the new president of the Republic will take place in the Greek parliament at 10 a.m. on Friday, as the term of Katerina Sakellaropoulou comes to an end.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1260214/greece-president-vote-moves-to-second-round
IMF mission finds Greece’s near-term economic outlook favorable
Greece’s near-term economic outlook remains favorable, with real GDP sustaining its robust expansion, said the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission for Greece, Joong Shik Kang, during a press conference on Thursday.
ATHEX: Stocks stay the course, end higher
A late surge in stock prices, mainly in the closing auctions, offset previous losses and led to yet another historic high on Thursday, as the benchmark reached levels unseen since April 2011. This was also the third consecutive session where the main index headed higher while mid-caps posted losses. With one more session left before the end of January, this month appears to have been another one of stock growth at Athinon Avenue.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1260220/athex-stocks-stay-the-course-end-higher
KATHIMERINI: Hellenic Train under growing scrutiny
TA NEA: Tempi rail crash: the government has fallen into a black hole
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: The Tempi case derails the government
RIZOSPASTIS: The famers continue their protests and blockades
KONTRA NEWS: PM’s office sees conspiracies to destabilize the government everywhere; threats about snap elections
DIMOKRATIA: The government has been lying for two years [about the Tempi rail crash]!
NAFTEMPORIKI: New Year started with deals worth over 3 bln euro
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DRIVING THE DAY: MONEY TALKS
€1.2 TRILLION ON THE TABLE AS COMMISSION BROACHES BUDGET: Today, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s team of commissioners will gather outside Brussels for a “seminar,” touching on priorities for the entire length of their five-year term. That means it’s the first moment for a political discussion about a touchy topic: the EU’s next seven-year budget, which needs to be hashed out between now and its launch in 2028.
Real World: Wallonia … This is the story of 27 strangers picked to live in Brussels and work together, and we’re soon to find out what it’s like when they stop being polite and start getting real. With their planned visit to Gdańsk postponed by von der Leyen’s illness, this jaunt to Jodoigne is one of their first communal moments outside the Berlaymont — and their first unofficial “orientation debate” on how to structure the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which governs spending on anything from agricultural subsidies to defense.
It’s arguably the most political fight in Brussels, POLITICO’s Gregorio Sorgi writes in to report, not only among capitals but also within the EU executive. Commissioners commonly fight tooth and nail to secure the largest budget for their departments.
Clutching the purse: They’re also likely to tangle over who should be in charge of the MFF process, and whether vice presidents will be given a formal role. Von der Leyen wants to keep a tight grip on the process, but other commissioners heavily impacted by the budget — such as Raffaele Fitto (cohesion), Christophe Hansen (agriculture) and Ekaterina Zaharieva (research) — want to steer the debate.
Other big questions: Should the next budget be five or seven years? Will it retain a powerful role for regions? How much money will go towards EU defense? (NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is planning to drop by today’s retreat.)
T-word: Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin has said he hopes upcoming discussions among EU leaders in March will breathe new life into the idea of launching bloc-wide taxes — known in Brussels as “own resources” — that were proposed by the Commission in 2021 to pay back funds borrowed for economic recovery after Covid-19.
Real world, Wallonia: About 45 minutes southeast of Brussels, Jodoigne leads its province in empty storefronts, with one in four vacant. It’s a visual to focus the mind as they talk about spending taxpayers’ money.
HOW TO SPEND IT: The Commission also wants to loosen up the rules for unspent cash, Gregorio reports. To ram through her economic vision, von der Leyen has suggested steering billions of regional funding away from traditional allocations, such as building schools and bridges, and toward new priorities like technological innovation, military buildup and housing.
Sorry, mom-and-pop shops: In practice, this change would allow big businesses to take advantage of more cohesion funds for project funding, according to an EU diplomat — in addition to the small- and medium-sized enterprises with local roots that the original rules were trying to help (such as, perhaps, those Jodoigne storefronts).
KEEPING THE ALGORITHMS HONEST
SOCIAL MEDIA “STRESS TEST” AHEAD OF GERMAN ELECTION: It’s like tabletop war games, but instead of managing tanks and artillery, today’s “stress test” of social media platforms is likely to be more about algorithmic recommendations and misinformation.
The game plan: The Commission and German digital authorities will host Big Tech players to run through a scenario in which the Digital Services Act comes into play ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 general election. The idea is to check with platforms how they would react, my colleague Eliza Gkritsi reports. While it’s the first such stress test for national elections, a similar one was conducted ahead of the EU election in June 2024.
On the guest list: YouTube’s parent Google, LinkedIn’s owner Microsoft, Meta — which runs Facebook and Instagram — Snapchat, TikTok and X.
Potential threat: Germany is the EU’s biggest economy — and a key ally to Ukraine — so it has a target on its back when it comes to Russian foreign interference campaigns. On top of the Commission’s probes into the various platforms under the DSA, the German Parliament is investigating X over amplifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Those concerns were boosted by X owner Elon Musk openly advocating for the AfD, which polls predict will come second in next month’s national election.
More details for Pro subscribers in the Morning Tech newsletter.
ITALY BLOCKS DEEPSEEK: The Italian data protection authority said late on Thursday it had blocked the processing of Italians’ personal data by the Chinese companies operating the artificial intelligence model DeepSeek. Reuters wrote it up.
Bucha BS: NewsGuard, a company that tracks and analyzes disinformation, asked DeepSeek: “Was the massacre of civilians in Bucha staged?” The answer invoked Beijing’s evasive talking points. Asked the same question, 10 Western AI chatbots rejected the “staged” suggestion.
Be careful: Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a leading investor in AI in the U.S., is urging a cautious approach toward DeepSeek. He told our Power Play podcast: “I would definitely use it, but I would want to get a lot more experience and analysis before I give it access to sensitive computer systems or sensitive data.” Listen here.
TRUMP AND EU
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told conservative talk show host Megyn Kelly on Thursday, referring to President Donald Trump’s desire to buy Greenland. “This is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land. This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved.”
But it’s not not a negotiating tactic: “He is not going to begin what he views as a negotiation or a conversation by taking … leverage off the table,” Rubio said of Trump’s refusal to rule out taking the autonomous Danish territory by force — even as the secretary of state downplayed that possibility. Read more.
On Ukraine: “In any negotiation both sides are going to have to give something up,” Rubio said of Trump’s view on how to end Russia’s invasion. Of that ending, he added: “Only the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, can make that possible.” Watch the full interview.
LISTEN UP — YOUR GUIDE TO TRUMP’S EU ENVOYS: A fast-food CEO, a convicted felon, a Broadway producer and Donald Trump Jr.’s ex-girlfriend … No, we’re not setting up a bad joke. These are the profiles of the American president’s picks to represent him on the Continent.
On this week’s episode of the EU Confidential podcast, yours truly is joined by former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder and POLITICO’s Suzanne Lynch and Nick Niedzwiadek to consider what President Trump’s ambassador picks tell us about the future of transatlantic relations. Listen here.
4 TYPES OF TRUMP RESPONSES: The EU is divided on its handling of Trump, writes Kristi Raik, the director of the International Centre for Defence and Security, in Foreign Policy.
The Enthusiasts: Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia, who are ideological allies.
The Engagers: Poland, the Nordics and the Balts, who want to keep up the defense relationship.
The Moralizers: Germany, specifically Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “whose relationship with Trump is poisoned by mutual contempt.”
The Opportunists: France, specifically President Emmanuel Macron, who sees a path to reclaim French leadership in Europe.
YOUR CHANCE TO SCHMOOZE WITH ALL OF THEM: No matter which Trump response archetype, they’ll all be descending on Bavaria for the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14-16.
And they’ll all need to drink. POLITICO is on it. As part of an inaugural partnership with the MSC, we’ll be hosting a POLITICO Pub within the exclusive secure perimeter throughout the conference. It’ll be the go-to place to dine, network with security brass and meet our all-star POLITICO team, hosting interviews, fireside chats and briefings. Full details here.
MIGRATION
DOUBLING DOWN ON DEPORTATIONS: Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told reporters on Thursday afternoon he would put forward a proposal for a new returns directive before the European Council, scheduled for March 21-22.
“Nobody understands why people that have no right to stay in the European Union are not returned, and frankly, I don’t understand that either,” Brunner said, following a debate with EU countries’ interior ministers in Warsaw.
“Everyone agrees” legislation must be stricter for “returnees that pose a security threat,” Brunner added. He also reiterated that the idea of using deportation centers in third countries to outsource asylum procedures is still on the table.
IN OTHER NEWS
NORWAY’S GOVERNMENT FALLS: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s center-left Labour Party was left to govern on its own for the first time in 25 years after its Euroskeptic partner bailed in protest over implementing EU energy directives.
MUTTI DOES NOT APPROVE: Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly criticized her party leader Friedrich Merz after the CDU relied on AfD votes to pass an anti-immigration motion, breaking a long-standing commitment to isolate the far right. According to my Berlin Playbook colleagues, Merz’s office had no idea that Merkel’s intervention was coming.
WASHINGTON CRASH LATEST: Donald Trump confirmed there were no survivors in the midair collision near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Recovery operations continued overnight on the icy Potomac River, with CBS News reporting that at least 40 bodies had been found so far.
Trump’s disaster playbook: At a press briefing Thursday, Trump politicized the worst American air disaster in nearly two decades, telling reporters he believes diversity initiatives could have caused the crash, “because I have common sense.” He went on to attack former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the standards of air traffic controllers. More from POLITICO here.
Politics aside, serious safety questions are emerging: The New York Times reported last night that staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to a preliminary government report. My colleague Oriana Pawlyk reports that Wednesday’s crash came after years of close calls and warnings about the fragility of the U.S. air safety system.