Parliament votes to investigate former transport minister
A parliamentary session filled with acrimony ended in the early hours of Thursday with a decision to investigate former transport minister Kostas A. Karamanlis over the 2023 Tempe rail disaster.
Patriot missile systems being moved to Souda base
An undisclosed number of Greek Patriot missile systems are being relocated to the Hellenic Navy and NATO base at Souda Bay in Crete to provide anti-ballistic protection to American assets in the region, Kathimerini has learned.
Mitsotakis open to nuclear energy
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday he would like Greece to join Europe’s nuclear energy club, marking a dramatic shift for a nation with no nuclear power history.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/energy/1272776/mitsotakis-open-to-nuclear-energy
ESEE: Greece among top EU markets for TEMU and SHEIN; warns of unfair competition
The President of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) Stavros Kafounis, in a press conference held on Wednesday, presented the updated data of the Confederation’s study on the impact of unequal competition against European and Greek commercial enterprises from Asian e-commerce platforms. He also emphasised that additional measures are necessary to create a fair competitive environment with major e-commerce platforms from third countries.
ATHEX: Worries grow and send bourse lower
For the first time this year, the main index of the Greek stock market has completed an entire week of decline (five consecutive sessions), a sequence not seen since last November. On Wednesday Athinon Avenue continued its drop, amid uncertainty and fears of a further escalation in the Middle East grow if the US gets directly involved in the conflict. Stocks tried to show some reaction at the start of the session, but eventually were reduced to damage limitation, managing to keep the benchmark above the 1,800-point mark.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1272762/athex-worries-grow-and-send-bourse-lower
KATHIMERINI: Patriot missile systems being moved to Souda base
TA NEA: Debts to social security funds may be erased under certain circumstances
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: The government is still being arrogant regarding the Tempi fatal rail-crash
RIZOSPASTIS: The USA is pushing for a full-on war in Iran – Great danger for Greece
KONTRA NEWS: Iran missiles are targeting the US base in Suda, Crete
DIMOKRATIA: Unrepentant and complicit
NAFTEMPORIKI: The finance staff is in the trenches
DRIVING THE DAY: DESPERATE DIPLOMACY
BRUSSELS’ NEW FOREIGN POLICY CRISIS: The EU is desperately trying to avoid being dragged into what threatens to become an all-out war in the Middle East, amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to authorize military action against Iran within days. The U.S. has already begun moving to protect its citizens and assets abroad, our colleagues in Washington report, although some voices in the MAGA movement oppose American intervention.
Bunkering down: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been pushing the U.S. to strike the Fordo nuclear enrichment facility, much of which is underground and could only be fully destroyed by a bunker-buster bomb delivered by a B-2 Spirit bomber — which only the Pentagon has access to. The Wall Street Journal reports Trump has told senior aides he has approved Iran attack plans, but is holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran will abandon its nuclear program.
“If the war ends with Fordo still standing, it will not have achieved its directive and people will ask Netanyahu why he started it,” former Israeli deputy national security adviser Chuck Freilich told Playbook. He added that the Israeli government believes “European support will be critical” in the aftermath of any military action.
Another take: America’s bunker-busters “can only reach a depth of 200ft but Iran’s facilities are 300ft deep, so it’s possible the U.S. can’t even destroy Iran’s nuclear material,” former U.S. intelligence officer and military expert Matthew Shoemaker told Playbook’s Tim Ross. If it does succeed, Shoemaker said, the ensuing fallout “poses a significant chemical hazard to anyone in the area” and could be spread further by the wind.
What is Trump thinking? Or rather, how does his brain work? That’s the question our Berlin defense reporter Chris Lunday asked the president’s former national security adviser John Bolton, who said Trump’s decision-making process is more driven by “neuron flashes” than expert advice. “His rhetoric seems to be moving toward a more direct U.S. involvement,” said Bolton. Full interview here.
What is Europe thinking? In a joint statement Wednesday, the E3 group — France, Germany, and the U.K., along with the EU — called for “restraint” and cautioned against “escalation,” but also backed tough language on Iran’s efforts to develop atomic weapons. Responding to a question from POLITICO, European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said “all the necessary channels are being activated” to deter the Americans and prevent a broader regional war, while insisting Brussels does not support “regime change” in Iran.
Macron’s plan: French President Emmanuel Macron, after holding a defense Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, asked his Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to work with European partners to formulate a proposal for a negotiated settlement, Clea Caulcutt reports. An EU official confirmed that the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, “will join her E3 counterparts for talks with the Iranian foreign minister in Geneva on Friday,” in the hope of encouraging Tehran to get serious about a diplomatic resolution.
Could Europe get involved? “We’re at the point where Trump is going to have to get this to the end game,” retired U.S. Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery said. “In terms of the Europeans, French and U.K. aircraft are in theater and if the U.S. does this, and Iran takes the wrong next steps and attacks U.S. forces, that’s where you could see them as part of it, defending our assets and holding the Iranians accountable.”
Surplus to requirements? “The Brits and the French are not in the game,” Zohar Palti, former head of the Mossad Intelligence Directorate, told Playbook. “The real players are the Americans.” However, the former spy chief added, Europe’s diplomatic efforts are important and “every agreement with the Iranians would be the Americans plus the E3. We need the E3 to be very decisive to keep Israel safe.”
Israel optimistic: “The leadership here understand and recognize that this is an Israeli action against a regional actor,” Haim Regev, Israel’s ambassador in Brussels, told Playbook’s Nick Vinocur. “I think the EU can play a very important role in the aftermath of this, putting pressure to once and for all to end this threat that comes from Iran.”
Beyond the warm words: The uncertainty comes as Brussels faces pressure to take concrete action against Israel as a result of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Ambassadors will meet later today for a Coreper session to prepare their positions for Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council, at which Kallas will present a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. European Council President António Costa has hinted Netanyahu’s government could be found in breach of its human rights obligations and face targeted penalties, for example on trade.
Parliamentary pressure: Members of the European Parliament will unveil a new report in Strasbourg this morning, commissioned by the Renew, Socialists and Democrats and Greens groups, which argues that the EU and member countries could be legally liable for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza and the West Bank.
The legal opinion, written by two Belgian law professors, and which Playbook exclusively obtained an advance copy of, says the EU “must exercise special caution and reassess any licences to export arms to Israel, due to the risk that these arms would be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
Canceled: Late Wednesday night, the Commission confirmed it would scrap next week’s planned meeting of partner countries, including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and Libya, “in light of the situation in the region.” A new date “will be communicated in due time once the situation allows,” El Anouni said.
COMMISSIONER WATCH
TALKING OF TRUMP: Intensive negotiations are underway to seal a deal with the U.S. administration before a moratorium on Trump’s 50 percent tariffs expires on July 9. EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič met his American interlocutors at least twice this week, my colleague Camille Gijs writes in to report.
Busy man: According to a Commission spokesperson, Šefčovič met Monday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the margins of the G7 summit in Canada, which U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joined remotely. The trio then had a follow-up meeting in Washington on Wednesday, the spokesperson said.
RIBBING RIBERA: The European Commission’s competitiveness chief, Teresa Ribera, is under fire from colleagues who say she intervened to water down the bloc’s plans to ease its reliance on Russian energy and thereby stop funding Moscow’s brutal war in Ukraine. The plans, presented by Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen on Tuesday, included an unexpected clause that creates an opening for a return to Russian gas despite a blanket ban from 2027.
Pain in Spain: According to five officials with knowledge of the closed-door talks, Ribera pushed for looser measures, against the backdrop of fears that her home country — Spain — will be among the most affected by the plans. “For five weeks, Ribera was saying no good assessment had been done and the risk of getting sued by the Russians was high,” said one official, granted anonymity to speak. “She used her cluster role [to try to weaken the plans] but the Jørgensen Cabinet remained solid.” Spain is currently required to buy supplies from Russia’s Novatek until 2042 under a long-term contract signed with domestic energy firm Naturgy.
Not everyone is happy with the fudge. The provision is a “step backwards,” said Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, which “sends a signal that partly, indirectly and under certain conditions financing Putin’s war in Ukraine could be still tolerated while some countries [earn] margins from that.” The legal article should now be scrapped, he insisted.
We were just making it better: However, speaking to Playbook, a spokesperson for Ribera insisted she has been working solely in the interests of Europe, not Spain. “We have been helping to craft a sound and legally robust proposal and helping to address others’ concerns, such as those expressed by member states that have no operational alternative than the pipeline coming from Russia or [need a solution] in case of unexpected disruptions.” The legislation, as shaped by Ribera, is “much better than the initial draft and has been largely supported,” the official insisted.
LAHBIB -> BUDAPEST: Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib will attend the Pride celebration in Budapest amid Hungarian government efforts to block the event, according to two senior EU officials. A third senior Commission official said she will only go as long as the march is not banned, but that, in any case, Lahbib will meet with stakeholders in the Hungarian capital the day before, Max Griera reports. Earlier this week, the Budapest mayor announced he would organize Pride as a municipal event, shielding it from a potential police ban.
MONEY MATTERS
FINDING CASH FOR KYIV: Eurozone finance ministers are arriving in Luxembourg this morning for a monthly summit, where they will weigh up how to keep funds flowing to Ukraine. The Polish Council presidency is convening a dinner today to discuss stepping up financial support amid uncertainty over U.S. policy. The EU’s funding for Ukraine is running low and officials are mulling alternatives to keep it going from 2026.
Here’s an idea: Commission mandarins are devising a scheme to generate more windfall profits from investing almost €200 billion of frozen Russian assets that are held by Belgium’s Euroclear in riskier assets, POLITICO’s Gregorio Sorgi reports.
Besides the frozen assets … The Polish Council presidency also suggested using the EU’s new cheap defense loans scheme to buy weapons for Ukraine, according to the invite letter seen by Morning Financial Services.
PARTY POLITICS
LUXEMBOURG PATRIOTS? Uncertainty is growing over the future of Luxembourg’s Alternative Democratic Reform party (ADR) after its sole MEP, Fernand Kartheiser, was kicked out of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group after defying his colleagues and visiting Moscow. Now, ECR officials are also pushing for ADR to be removed from the group.
PiSed off: “It will happen when it happens,” one ECR source told Playbook, “but it will happen.” The group’s president, Polish Law and Justice (PiS) politician Mateusz Morawiecki, is said to be fuming that Kartheiser’s visit coincided with Poland’s presidential election, which could have opened the group up to claims it was soft on Moscow. “I suspect Morawiecki is more focused on domestic politics right now, but he won’t have forgotten this,” the person said.
Rumors have been swirling that the ADR could join the far-right Patriots for Europe faction instead, with two sources saying the Luxembourg party had been approached for talks. However, speaking to Playbook, ADR leader Alexandra Schoos poured cold water on the idea and said she would fight any expulsion attempts. “We as a party are still members of the ECR,” Schoos said. “We don’t want to attend any other group because the differences are too big. We are sharing the values of the ECR.”
In case of emergency: “Worst-case scenario, maybe if we get expelled, we might not adhere to another political group,” she said. “As a party, we are deciding what European political family we want to belong to — we are currently checking,” she said. “So far, there are no other discussions planned regarding getting a membership of one of the other groups.”
NEW GROUP IN THE MAKING? Cypriot YouTuber-turned-politician Fidias Panayiotou, along with the MEPs of Slovakia’s SMER and Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance — all of whom visited Moscow for Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day celebrations, alongside Kartheiser — are coordinating their parliamentary work through a loose alliance, according to two officials.
Small crowd: Their long-term objective is to establish a new political group, but they currently fall short of the required 23 MEPs from at least seven EU countries.
NATO
RUTTE GOES DOGE: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is swinging his scythe through the ranks of bureaucrats inside the alliance’s Brussels headquarters, unpicking staffing expansions that took place under his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg.
Making his Mark: Just days before members of the military pact meet in The Hague next week, my colleague Seb Starcevic reports that two administrative divisions and dozens of positions, including press and public diplomacy roles, will be cut as part of a major restructure.
IN OTHER NEWS
FRENCH MP BARRED FROM ENTERING U.S.: French parliamentarian Pouria Amirshahi, who sits with the Ecologists group in the National Assembly, was refused entry to the U.S., the MP told POLITICO.
Pro-democracy voyage: Amirshahi was meant to travel to the U.S. representing La Digue, a group of left-leaning lawmakers he spearheaded in March to connect pro-democracy activists, academics and public figures. He said U.S. authorities asked why he was making the trip, which he stated was to “build a progressive alliance and understand life in the United States under the Trump presidency.”
Official document: The Iranian-born MP said he was informed on June 17 that his request had been refused, despite having a formal note stating he was traveling as a parliamentarian. He said it was the first time he had been refused access, having traveled to the U.S. three times between 2000 and 2013, and that he had been in touch with Emmanuel Macron regarding the situation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security could not immediately be reached for comment.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Sweden and Belgium are forming an unconventional pairing to push for an EU-wide limit on the number of children who can be conceived from a single sperm donor. The initiative is designed to present cases of accidental incest, Giedrė Peseckytė reports.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT: The U.K. may have negotiated a new deal with Brussels in a bid to slash red tape, but the country will still have to slap “Not for EU” stickers on products sold in Northern Ireland, Sophie Inge writes.