PM Mitsotakis in interview: Greece and India plan to double trade by 2030
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis underlined the excellent relations of Greece with India and of the relations with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in an interview to ‘Times Now’ TV station during his official visit to India.
SYRIZA decides against inner party elections
The inner party thriller in the main opposition SYRIZA party concluded on Sunday noon, with the Congress deciding not to go to leadership elections. “We are not heading to elections-the masks have fallen,” declared the party leader Stefanos Kasselakis. An unprecedented toxic party congress preceded that, marked by crowd uproar and political back-and forth.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1232604/kasselakis-insists-on-syriza-leadership-elections/
PM Mitsotakis meets Emir of Qatar: Focus on bilateral cooperation, investment opportunities
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, on Saturday in Doha. According to sources, the two leaders reaffirmed their mutual desire to strengthen bilateral economic ties, as well as cooperation in sectors such as tourism and culture.
Bill on private universities submitted to Parliament on Friday
Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Kyriakos Pierrakakis submitted on Friday to the Parliament the bill on private universities.
https://www.amna.gr/en/article/799185/Bill-on-private-universities-submitted-to-Parliament-on-Friday
ATHEX: Fifth week of gains for benchmark
The main index of the Greek bourse advanced for the fifth week in a row, despite the moderate losses suffered on Friday in what was a rather quiet session. Observers note that traders may be waiting for corporate moves and the placement of the state’s 27% stake in Piraeus Bank, so they are saving their strength for now.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1232471/athex-fifth-week-of-gains-for-benchmark/
SUNDAY PAPERS
KATHIMERINI: House of Cards game within SYRIZA
TO VIMA: SYRIZA: secret dinner in Exarhia
REAL NEWS: SYRIZA is heading towards second party-split
PROTO THEMA: SYRIZA: Tsipras vs. Kasselakis. There can be only one.
AVGI: SYRIZA: When the election for president will take place
MONDAY PAPERS:
TA NEA: SYRIZA: They all lost
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Balance of terror
KONTRA NEWS: SYRIZA’s party conference participants cancelled the divisive leadership elections
DIMOKRATIA: SYRIZA: All of them lost
NAFTEMPORIKI: High velocity mobility in Athens Stock Market
RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE
LEADERS’ SUMMIT IN PARIS: Some 20 European leaders are meeting today at the Elysée Palace for a hastily convened summit in support of Ukraine.
Among those present: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez, the prime ministers of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and Estonia Kaja Kallas, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Their goal? Getting their mojo back to help Ukraine win against Russia’s advancing troops.
Pep talk: “We are determined, we are motivated and we are committed to Ukraine’s victory,” an Elysée adviser told reporters.
Words vs. actions: The problem with the EU’s enthusiastic support? To date, the rhetoric hasn’t been matched with sufficient ammunition and weapons deliveries — with North Korea and Iran sending more ammo to Russia than the entire EU has to Ukraine.
Words vs. actions, bis repetita: The French adviser said no new arms deliveries would be announced today, my colleague Clea Caulcutt reports.
Reminder: France, Spain and Italy have given a tiny fraction of Denmark, Germany and the U.K. in arms deliveries.
“Nous ne sommes ni doomy ni gloomy”: The Elysée adviser insisted, using the English expression, that “there’s no ‘doom and gloom’ feeling on our part,” even though it “was an expression that was circulating a lot at the Munich Security Conference last weekend. But I’ll tell you very clearly here, we’re neither doomy nor gloomy.”
But many Europeans are gloomy: Without action to back it up, the Elysée is increasingly alone in its optimism. Only one in 10 Europeans think Ukraine can win, according to a recent poll.
Show of strength: French officials said Russia had shown renewed aggressiveness in recent weeks, such as President Vladimir Putin’s flight on a nuclear-capable bomber, in what they view as an attempt to intimidate Europeans at a time American support was thrown into doubt by the coming presidential election.
The question European leaders will need to answer: Are they prepared — and willing — to step in and make up for a flagging U.S.?
Mi spiace, non posso: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will not be in Paris today; the little-known Edmondo Cirielli, vice minister for foreign affairs, will represent Rome instead. After receiving the invitation from the Elysée last week, Meloni called a meeting with her ministers for this afternoon — at exactly the same time as the Macron conference — de-facto barring herself and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani from taking part.
Missing in action: The Italian government may not have appreciated that Macron was the only G7 leader to miss the video meeting organized by Meloni over the weekend, to attend the Salon de l’agriculture annual farm fest instead. On Sunday, the Elysée said there was no “bone of contention,” but that the Italian PM kept changing the date of the virtual G7.
Ammunition: Is France showing signs of flexibility on its insistence to “buy European” when it comes to purchasing ammunition for Ukraine? The same adviser asserted that Paris’ position on this point was not “dogmatic,” adding, “we’ll buy shells where they’re available.” But he added that European manufacturers should still be incentivized to produce more.
BLEAK NUMBER OF THE DAY: Some 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed defending their country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday — the first time Kyiv has given official casualty numbers.
BLEEDING UKRAINE SLOWLY: In the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, it’s ironic to hear Western leaders warn about war fatigue — since they’re the ones who’ve been delaying aid to Ukraine, thereby dragging out the conflict.
Reminder: A year ago we questioned the EU and U.S. strategy of sending weapons in dribs and drabs — something that’s still top of mind. Some Ukrainian officials told Playbook they believe Western aid is calibrated to prevent Kyiv from losing … but also from winning.
“Had decisions been taken faster and with more anticipation on some of the weapons systems which we ended up sending, then probably the war would have taken a different path and in any case we would have saved lives,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell warned last year.
Lack of equipment, or of political will? EU countries are still selling ammunition to third countries instead of prioritizing shipments to Ukraine. And as Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told her colleagues at the Munich Security Conference: “Sorry to say, friends, there is still military equipment in stock in Europe.”
MUST-WATCH TO FOCUS MINDS: “20 Days in Mariupol,” a grim documentary following Pulitzer-winning AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov and colleagues, who traveled to the south-eastern port city at the outbreak of the invasion and stayed there with doctors, civilians and soldiers as Russia’s troops launched their brutal siege. The (very hard to watch) film is the favorite to win the best documentary Oscar in March. Free online.
CELEBRITIES BACK UKRAINE: Robert De Niro, Mark Hamill, Emma Thompson, Liev Schreiber, Catherine Deneuve, Bernard-Henri Lévy and dozens of other actors and celebrities sent a video message of support for Ukraine’s victory on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal and bloody invasion.
WHAT UKRAINE WANTS — TO GRAB PUTIN BY THE PURSE: EU leaders should confiscate Russia’s frozen assets to make Moscow pay for the damage it’s done to Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba writes in POLITICO.
NOW READ: Ukraine has vowed more self-reliance as the war enters its third year. Veronika Melkozerova reports on the steps Kyiv is taking.
NATO
SWEDEN D-DAY: Hungary’s parliament is widely expected to approve Sweden’s bid to join NATO this evening, 649 days after Stockholm filed its membership application. Opposition lawmakers are optimistic Viktor Orbán’s ruling party Fidesz will approve the bid when parliament reconvenes today.
Flag Friday? A tent has already been set up at the NATO HQ, with officials saying they expect a flag-raising ceremony as soon as this Friday, “pending a sovereign decision by Hungary, of course.” That follows a similar timeline last year when Finland’s flag was raised five days after Helsinki’s bid was approved by the last holdout — Turkey.
Sweden signs deal: The final nod came from Orbán on Friday, when Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson swallowed his pride and made a high-stakes pilgrimage to the Hungarian capital. Swedish officials initially questioned the PM’s trip prior to the Hungarian lawmakers’ vote, fearing it would be seen as yielding to Orbán’s pressure for bilateral talks.
New jets: Kristersson and Orbán, in front of a hall of reporters, witnessed a new defense deal under which Budapest is allowed to purchase four new Swedish-made Gripen C aircraft and extend its agreement on support and logistics for its existing Gripen fighters — which make up the whole of Hungary’s small airforce — for another 10 years. Orbán was at pains to say the deal wasn’t the only reason for Hungary’s backing of Sweden’s NATO bid. Stuart Lau has more.
Seeing is believing: With Hungary, nobody takes signals for granted. “This is not a time for games,” U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said, calling on Fidesz lawmakers to finalize the process this evening. “Hungary has made a commitment that it will act. We expect them to do so.”
EUROPE’S INDUSTRIAL FUTURE
DRAGHI CALLS FOR EU PROGRAM TO AVOID SUBSIDY WAR: The EU will need to spend €500 billion a year to keep up with the U.S. and China and in the green and digital transitions, according to Mario Draghi. And one-third of that would need to be public money, which should be channeled at the EU level to avoid a subsidy war between member countries.
Background: Draghi is currently writing a report on competitiveness on behalf of the EU, which is due to be published in June. On Saturday, he met EU finance ministers in Ghent to present his diagnosis.
Details: Draghi warned that the three pillars on which the EU’s success has long relied — cheap Russian energy, lucrative exports to China and military protection by the U.S. — are either already gone, or are in doubt, Giovanna Faggionato reports.
To keep up, an “enormous sum” would have to be invested, by channeling European private savings, because “public money will never be enough.” But he also called for funds at the EU level, according to an aide.
De Croo backs EU fund: “We need to support industry, since energy costs in Europe are way higher than in the U.S. and China, but it should happen at the European level, based on industrial clusters,” Belgian PM Alexander De Croo told Playbook.
Subsidy war risks: The problem with national subsidies, “is that they are often arbitrary” and tend to overlook ecosystems that cross borders. “They should strengthen European ecosystems, or be ended as soon as possible,” De Croo added.
Save the blue banana: De Croo pointed out that some of the EU’s most successful industrial clusters were in the so-called blue banana, the region stretching from Benelux to Northern Italy. “This is a deeply intertwined ecosystem, it makes no economic sense to subsidize in a national logic.”
**Peek behind the scenes of EU digital and tech regulation with MEPs at the POLITICO Tech & AI Summit, happening this April 16 in Brussels. Get ready to discover news on Europe’s future digital priorities with us and check out our available passes on our website**
MOBILE CONGRESS
BRETON PITCHES SUBSIDIES FOR TELCOS AND WEAKER COMPETITION RULES: Commissioner Thierry Breton will today propose new subsidies for telecoms, and for the EU to allow more mergers, according to a draft speech that he will give at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, obtained by Playbook.
Telecoms lobby will cheer: Breton — a former France Telecom CEO — will call for “incentives for faster rollout” of networks, including a so-called IPCEI “on the infrastructure needed for” connectivity. IPCEIs are EU programs where Brussels allows countries to pump otherwise illegal subsidies into companies, when it considers that investments would not be realized under market forces alone.
Finally a single market for telcos? Breton will also pitch changing EU rules to allow telecom companies established in one country to operate across the EU to incentivize cross-border consolidation.
Weaker competition rules: Breton will also call for “shifting away from strict ex-ante control of the markets towards a more flexible tool” and for “demystifying the question of the optimal number of operators.”
On 4-to-3 mergers: “No, there is no magic number in this field,” Breton will say — a reference to the golden rule that no mergers should be allowed if they reduce the number of market players from four to three.
Background: Competition chief Margrethe Vestager has blocked proposed 4-to-3 telecom mergers, following the advice of the Commission’s chief economists and studies that evaluated previous mergers in Germany, Ireland and Austria, which led to price increases.
Playbook wonders: After double-digit inflation in Europe, which was in no small part driven by a lack of competition in certain sectors, is more state money for shareholders, and higher internet prices, really what the EU needs right now?
IN OTHER NEWS
GREEN WEDGES: Europe’s hopes for a greener future are being doused in pesticides, thrown in the furnace, hunted down, hit by cars and crushed by herds of cows, Karl Mathiesen, Nicolas Camut, Zia Weise, Charlie Cooper and Louise Guillot write. Our top team have put together a 28-country guide to how climate policies are splitting Europe ahead of the June EU election.
VDL’S LITTLE BLACK BOOK: Ursula von der Leyen really, really likes meeting Germans. That’s the main takeaway from Giovanna Coi and Sarah Wheaton’s eye-opening deep dive into the meetings the European Commission president has had since taking office in 2019.
MEET ATHENS’ NEW MAYOR: Haris Doukas has achieved the impossible: Gone from a total unknown to the mayor of Athens in just a few months. Nektaria Stamouli ponders whether he provides a model for other left-wingers wanting to disrupt the status quo.
WILL 13 BE LUCKY NUMBER FOR WTO MINISTERIAL? Probably not. As hundreds of delegates arrive in Abu Dhabi for the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference, even the EU, for all its WTO love, is not optimistic about the organization’s ability to create new global trade rules, report POLITICO’s Doug Palmer and Camille Gijs.