Extremist group claims responsibility for bomb attacks on Hellenic Train and Labor Ministry
A new extremist group claimed responsibility Sunday for a bomb that exploded near the offices of Hellenic Train, Greece’s main railway services operator and the planting of another near the Labor Ministry in early February.
Parliament refers Triantopoulos to judiciary over handling of Tempe disaster site
The plenary session of the Parliament voted in favor of referring the case of former deputy minister to the prime minister Christos Triantopoulos, to the judiciary.
PM Mitsotakis: Challenges provide opportunities; I plan to renew Greek-US defense agreement in 2026
The PM said on the radio of ‘Monocle’ that Greece has a strategic partnership with the United States that supercedes the current presidents, and he pointed out, “It is a partnership I want to cultivate and strengthen.” The current Greek-US defense agreement will come up for renewal in 2026, he noted, adding that “my purpose is to renew it.”
Left parties demand answers over ‘Truth Team’ report
Opposition parties SYRIZA and New Left have attacked ruling New Democracy over a report alleging that key figures within its communications apparatus have been employed for years by a private company with close ties to the governing party. Published by investigative outlet Inside Story, the report claims that among the people hired by the private company, Blue Skies, were two individuals involved in the Omada Alithias (“Truth Team”), a social media platform that has evolved into a key instrument for promoting government positions. SYRIZA and New Left have called on the government and New Democracy to answer whether public money has been spent to finance this specific company.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1266777/left-parties-demand-answers-over-truth-team-report
ATHEX: Quiet trading session after the storms
Following a series of sessions with dramatic ups and downs, the Greek stock market enjoyed a rather quiet Friday, with a mixed picture for stocks, significantly reduced turnover, and banks underperforming to see their index close lower.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1266799/athex-quiet-trading-session-after-the-storms
SUNDAY PAPERS
KATHIMERINI: The great gamble regarding tarrifs
TO VIMA: Why the state keeps failing
REAL NEWS: “Electrified” atmosphere regarding the power cable linking Greece, Cyprus and Israel
PROTO THEMA: No sleep for the PM’s office due to concerns about the economy and national issues
MONDAY PAPERS:
TA NEA: Mitsotakis-Macron: One phone call and one raincheck…
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: “Truth Team” is deep state
KONTRA NEWS: Dirty games in the stock market
DIMOKRATIA: New fee for services inside bank branches
NAFTEMPORIKI: The arsenals of the USA and China
WHIPLASH — IPHONE, PHARMA TARIFFS ARE BAAACK: Grab your vomit bags, here comes another hairpin turn: After pausing global reciprocal tariffs for 90 days and granting an exemption for electronics (take that, China), Trump announced Sunday that “there was no Tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’”
Beijing’s retaliation: China suspended exports of many critical minerals and magnets while it drafts a new regulatory system. The retaliatory move will hit automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world, the New York Times reports.
Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs on electronics would be back soon. Electronics are “exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs which are coming in probably a month or two,” Lutnick said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
**A message from Uber: Uber isn’t just about movement—it’s an economic powerhouse. In 2024, Uber contributed €24 billion to the EU economy, including €5B in added local value. The app also saved Europeans 48 million hours of unnecessary travel, worth €379M. Learn more.**
Éire go yikes: Worryingly for the EU, Lutnick also flagged that Washington would be introducing tariffs on pharmaceuticals in this upcoming batch of levies. That’s an unpleasant prospect for Ireland, which has a massive pharma sector exporting to the U.S.
But will tariffs actually bring drug production back to America? Trump has justified hitting pharma by asserting it would force companies to move manufacturing to the U.S. But as Mari Eccles and Hanne Cokelaere report in this deep dive, that’s extremely unlikely.
GAS GAMBIT: Trump’s acrobatics on tariffs have raised hopes in Brussels that a deal can be done to avoid a full-blown trade war. Speaking to POLITICO, three European diplomats confirmed that the EU will try to conclude a deal to buy more American fossil fuels over the next 90 days. My colleague Gabriel Gavin has the story.
Ghosting us: As the diplomats pointed out, Brussels has been keen to talk about the substance of Trump’s demand the bloc spend more on American energy to address the transatlantic trade deficit. However, diplomats have privately complained the U.S. administration has been entirely uninterested in penning an agreement to date. Now, they hope, that could change.
No harm in trying: EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington today for talks with the administration.
DRIVING THE DAY: SUMY ATTACK OVERSHADOWS FAC
TRUMP TALKS ON UKRAINE AFTER PALM SUNDAY MASSACRE: Sunday’s Russian ballistic missile attack that killed at least 34 people, including two children, and injured 117 others in Sumy, Ukraine is set to loom over a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Brussels today. It comes as the bloc bids for relevance amid Trump-brokered “peace” talks.
Global outrage: The broad-daylight attack, which used cluster munitions against families attending Palm Sunday celebrations, met with widespread condemnation by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.
Trump in a corner: The condemnations pile pressure on Trump to start showing results more than two months after he started direct talks between Washington and Moscow.
Indeed, Putin has shown no intention of slowing his attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets, while Trump’s Middle East Steve Witkoff — who was in Saint Petersburg when the missiles slammed into central Sumy — has little to show for his embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Basic human principles”: “This is not even about politics; it is about basic human principles, such as the need to protect children in Europe from being killed by cluster warheads,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, told Playbook via WhatsApp. “Our main message: it is time for big and strong steps to demonstrate to Putin that Europe is serious about its defense.”
He added: “The attack demonstrates once more that Putin will not be persuaded by discussions about potential concessions or other signs of weakness. He will only back down if he senses real strength. There are many tools that can be used. Economic sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet, as well as an embargo on any Russian energy. Increased pressure in sectors such as banking, metallurgy, atomic energy, and access to technology. Frozen assets. Confiscate and use them for Ukraine’s defense and recovery.”
MUM ON SUMY ATTACKS, TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA TALKS GOING “OK”: As Playbook was being sent, Trump had yet to mention the Sumy attack. But speaking to reporters aboard Airforce One on Saturday, Trump said he thought the Ukraine-Russia talks “might be OK,” adding: “There’s a point where you need to either put up or shut up.”
It’s not clear which side he was referring to. Trump has recently put pressure on Ukraine to sign a minerals deal imposed by his administration. But he could just as easily be referring to Putin, having said a few weeks ago he was “pissed off” by the Russian leader’s delaying tactics.
Easter deadline? Indeed several EU diplomats have pointed to April 20 (the date proposed by Finnish President Alexander Stubb as a deadline for Putin to abide by the ceasefire) as a moment when Trump may start increasing pressure on the Kremlin, namely by imposing sanctions on energy exports. (It should be noted that Trump has so far refrained from direct pressure on Putin, going so far as to exempt Russia from his tariffs.)
Zelenskyy asks Trump to come to Ukraine to see “what Putin did”: In a CBS interview broadcast on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.” Then, he added, “you will understand with whom you have a deal.”
Trump was watching, taking to Truth Social after the interview to blast CBS for mentioning him “in a derogatory and defamatory way.” But Trump didn’t mention the Sumy attack, or Zelenskyy’s appeal, so it’s unclear whether Kyiv’s message got through.
EUROPE’S CARDS: Over in the EU, leaders may well be looking to Trump to change the dynamic on the conflict, as they aren’t expected to put any new cards on the table when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha opens proceedings in Luxembourg today.
New sanctions: In briefings ahead of the FAC, diplomats said they intended to put forward a 17th package of sanctions against Russia, which could include measures against its “shadow fleet,” though no decision is expected today. Two EU diplomats also said that talks on using the principal from Russia’s frozen assets in Europe were showing signs of movement thanks to support from Germany’s incoming ruling coalition.
Easy does it: But the sanctions will take longer to finalize. And caution remains the byword on frozen assets, with diplomats mentioning further doubts by some countries as well as legal matters to be studied.
Also: No major announcements are expected on top diplomat Kaja Kallas’ plan to source 2 million artillery rounds for Ukraine (though the high representative is expected to underscore progress, with some two-thirds of the goal met).
When to watch: Minister doorsteps kick off at 7 a.m., the meeting itself starts at 8 a.m., with a press conference expected at 3:30 p.m.
The bottom line: Don’t necessarily trust the process. As for Europe’s so-called coalition of the willing, which is meant to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war, a meeting last week wrapped up with no clear indication of who would be doing what. Asked if the group had been able to clarify its goals, Kallas deadpanned: “No.”
AUF WIEDERSEHEN: Today’s FAC marks the last one for outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. So long!
Right on cue: Incoming German leader Friedrich Merz last night indicated he’s willing to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Berlin Playbook’s Hans von der Burchard reports. But there’s a caveat: “If it is coordinated, then Germany should participate,” Merz said in a German public TV interview. Merz added that the missiles could be used to “destroy” the Kerch bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea.
Kyiv trip? Berlin Playbook reports Merz, together with other Western heads of government, could arrive in the Ukrainian capital in early May. The timing is deliberate, given Putin is holding a parade in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of victory against Nazi Germany.
Mercosur update: “Even Emmanuel Macron is now leaning toward ratifying the Mercosur agreement,” Merz said last night, referring to the EU’s long-stalled but Trump-invigorated trade deal with South American countries. Referring to Macron, a critic of the deal, Merz said: “He sees at the moment how the balance is shifting in the world and that we Europeans now very quickly need partners in the world who will sign free trade agreements with us.”
FAC CONT’D — BALKANS AND MIDDLE-EAST
FOCUS ON WESTERN BALKANS AMID ENLARGEMENT PUSH: The EU’s top diplomat hosted an informal dinner in Luxembourg with the foreign ministers of six Western Balkan nations on Sunday evening, amid deepening concerns about Serbia’s drift away from the bloc.
Context: The EU is pressing ahead with plans for its next big enlargement round, which could include Western Balkan countries like Albania and Montenegro, along with Ukraine and Moldova (if Hungary’s opposition to the latter two can be overcome).
BOSNIA SANCTIONS PUSH: Several countries are looking to impose sanctions on Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is facing a political crisis. “For the time being, Hungary is blocking” sanctions, an EU diplomat said, “but we want to see what happens at FAC and take it from there.” The diplomat added: “EU sanctions are on the table, some member states have sent a very strong message.”
SERBIA TREADING A FINE LINE: The EU is also increasingly concerned about democratic backsliding in Serbia following months of protest over the summer. Speaking to Playbook, Sweden’s Europe Minister Jessica Rosencrantz warned about a “lack of progress” on reforms in Serbia on her return from a trip to Belgrade. “We have a deep concern about democratic backsliding … and we expect there to be concrete reforms going forward if Serbia is serious about becoming a member of the European Union.”
Stockholm calling: Sweden is determined to keep EU enlargement going despite the fact Hungary is blocking any forward movement on Ukraine’s accession. “The Nordics and Baltics have been very clear that we want opening of all clusters [with Ukraine and Moldova] this year,” Rosencrantz said, referring to the formal chapters of the EU negotiating process. “What we’re trying to do is show our support and put pressure on,” including via her tour of the Western Balkans — whose potential membership Hungary is more favorable about. So far, however, there’s little sign Budapest is budging.
EU HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE WITH PALESTINIANS TODAY: The EU will also host its first high-level dialogue with the Palestinian Authority, chaired by Kaja Kallas and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib will also be present.
West Bank violence: Several diplomats voiced concern about Israel’s ongoing activities in Gaza as well as violence being committed by settlers in the West Bank. The topic will be on the table today.
HITTING TEHRAN: Ministers plan to adopt sanctions on nine Iranian individuals, after the U.S. and Iran wrapped up a round of indirect talks, according to several EU diplomats. (Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and his Iranian counterparts were reportedly holed up in separate rooms at a hotel in Oman, with local officials ferrying messages between them.)
In case you were wondering: Europe isn’t anywhere near these talks either, folks.
AID
USAID SHORTFALL PROMPTS CALLS FOR EU TO STEP IN: With pro-democracy groups facing a funding drought caused by Trump killing USAID, the EU needs to step in and fill the gap or risk seeing the collapse of key parts of civil society. That’s the message a group of some 80 EU diplomats heard at a Brussels event organized by the EU’s Polish presidency last week.
Gaping hole: University of Groningen law professor John Morijn pointed out that USAID had been spending €2 billion-€3 billion per year supporting pro-democracy groups in Central and Eastern Europe — but that money is now gone and the EU isn’t making up for it with its much more modest outlay of about €1 billion per year.
Lifeline: Morijn pointed out that it was these funds, among others, that had helped keep civil society alive in Poland during Law and Justice’s reign. In the case of Hungary, he added, withdrawal of USAID funds has emboldened Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to go after NGOs and independent media outlets. (Orbán warned last month he intends to eliminate a “shadow army” in the service of a “liberal American empire.”)
Options: The European Commission could review and redirect funds it pays out in for support democracy and rights and judicial independence (some €950 million over 2021-2027) to make sure the money goes where it’s needed most — though this would take getting over a “can’t do” attitude, said Morijn. It could also earmark a small amount of the €800 billion it plans to spend on defense toward defending of democracy.
Where we’re at: Poland wants to rally EU countries to include language on defending democracy in the conclusions of the next European Council gathering. Any pressure from capitals would feed into the Commission’s work on the Democracy Shield initiative, which went out for public consultations late last month.
Now or never: “It’s an enormous gap,” said Morijn, who’s also a fellow at the Hertie School in Berlin. “If you are spending so much on defense, to earmark 1-2 percent on defending democracy should be doable.”
NOW READ THIS: European NGOs are warning of a Trump-inspired campaign to defund them, as they battle with conservative lawmakers over the use of EU grant money for lobbying. Marianne Gros and Giovanna Coi have the story.
BROKEN BRUSSELS
TRAIN STRIKE: Starting at 10 p.m. today, Belgian railway unions will begin a 24-hour strike. Plan ahead here or the SNCB app. Other industrial action is planned for the next two Tuesdays, including a general strike scheduled for April 29.
BRUSSELS IS A MESS: Strikes, shootings, petty crime, crippling debt, political paralysis — Brussels is falling apart, reports Hanne Cokelaere in a must-read this morning about the sad state of Belgium’s capital. Nine months after an election, the Brussels region has no government in sight, and the problems keep piling up — much like the garbage bags on its streets.
“It really is the survival of Brussels, as a city, that’s at stake,” Christophe De Beukelaer, a centrist MP, told Hanne.
On the case: A delegation from the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee will head to Antwerp (as well as to Rotterdam in the Netherlands) to take stock of the drug trafficking situation in the two major EU ports, Pieter Haeck writes in to report.
IN OTHER NEWS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The General Court of the EU has scheduled its ruling on Pfizergate for April 14 at 9:30 a.m. In case you forgot about one of the biggest scandals in EU history: Journalist Matina Stevis-Gridneff and the New York Times sued the Commission for refusing to disclose the text messages Commission President Ursula von der Leyen exchanged with Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine talks.
EUROVISION SNUBS SPANISH BROADCASTER: The European Broadcasting Union, organizer of the Eurovision song contest, on Friday rejected a request by Spain’s television broadcaster RTVE to address Israel’s entry. In a letter, RTVE had called for opening a discussion, citing “concerns raised by various civil society groups in Spain regarding the situation in Gaza.” Write-up here.
IS PARKINSON’S A MAN-MADE DISEASE? As Parkinson’s disease cases climb, scientists are warning that the EU’s pesticide oversight system is failing to catch long-term neurological risks, Bartosz Brzeziński reports in this in-depth profile of Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem.