Defense Ministry’s bioclimatic facade reflects ‘bold & ambitious transformation of Armed Forces’
The bioclimatic facade and surrounding space of the building housing the National Defense Ministry and the General Staffs of the Armed Forces was inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In his address at the event, PM Mitsotakis spoke of the new facade as “reflecting the bold and ambitious transformation and the needed upgrading of the Armed Forces”, adding that “defending the homeland does not only relate to the power of arms but also to the power of our heritage and identity.” He also said that the area of the Unknown Soldier would also acquire a new image, “serving the unity and the common path of the Greek people.”
Parliament lifts Course of Freedom party leader’s immunity
Greek Parliament has voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of the leftist, anti-establishment Course of Freedom party, following a criminal complaint filed against her by the party’s 2023 election candidate, Olga Dalla. Lawmakers rejected a request to lift the immunity of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MP Liana Kanelli, previously a long-serving news presenter, who was sued by Konstantopoulou for defamation. That motion received 209 votes against, 25 in favor, and 50 “present.”
Minister’s office targeted in firebomb attack
Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Theoharis condemned an arson attack on his political office in the Athens district of Agios Dimitrios, calling it “an act of cowardice, blind violence, and a direct affront to democracy.”
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1285214/ministers-office-targeted-in-firebomb-attack
Georgiadis: The National Health System is performing better than ever before
“The National Health System (NHS) is today in the best condition it has ever been. It has significantly improved, however, the situation is obviously not perfect,” Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, said following the approval of a relevant bill by a majority vote in the parliament plenary.
ATHEX: Interest in bourse shows new momentum
Bourse indexes in New York, London, Tokyo and Seoul have recorded historic highs this week, and the Greek stock market aligned itself with the global trend on Wednesday and rebounded. The increased buying interest and turnover ahead of the interest rate policy decisions by the Fed and the European Central Bank, both within 24 hours, likely point to further growth over the rest of the week for Athinon Avenue.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1285224/athex-interest-in-bourse-shows-new-momentum
KATHIMERINI: 300 policemen in museums
TA NEA: Real estate asset owners: Reduction of taxation
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Government makes promises to farmers who are like a “boiling cauldron”
RIZOSPASTIS: We reject hospitals acting like private entities and patients who become clients
KONTRA NEWS: Government engages in coup d’état to protect two New Democracy executives involved in the OPEKEPE scandal
DIMOKRATIA: Wage increases up to 110 euro for security forces
NAFTEMPORIKI: Measures to improve private savings
DRIVING THE DAY: DUTCH ELECTION FALLOUT
STILL NECK-AND-NECK: The Netherlands delivered one of its most nail-biting election nights in years, with D66 and the PVV locked in a dead heat for top spot and both on 26 seats, according to a preliminary forecast by the Dutch news agency ANP.
Meet the (likely) new prime minister: Thorny coalition talks will start soon, with charismatic D66 leader Rob Jetten expected to get the first shot at forming a government. (He set out his European vision in Wednesday’s Playbook.) My colleagues Hanne Cokelaere and Koen Verhelst have an essential primer on Jetten and his progressive liberal party, which in the 2023 Dutch election managed to win just nine seats.
Geert outta here: Wilders and his PVV went from winning the popular vote and taking 37 of the 150 seats in 2023 to a projected 26 seats now. But Brussels better not celebrate the death of the Dutch far right just yet. As Tim Ross writes in his analysis of the election, Wilders might find a period in opposition — free from the constraints and compromises required in government — the perfect place to resume his inflammatory campaigns.
The PVV boss was defiant: “The voter has spoken,” Wilders posted on social media. “We had hoped for a different outcome, but we stood our ground. We are more determined than ever and still the second, and perhaps even the largest, party in the Netherlands.”
PARTY REPORTS: POLITICO’s team of intrepid reports spread out throughout the Netherlands to bring you these dispatches from the various contenders’ election night parties …
D66 had Obama vibes: Hanne Cokelaere was at D66’s watch party in Leiden, which erupted with joy when the first exit poll dropped. The crowd chanted the party’s slogan, “het kan wél” (“It is possible”), its own “Yes We Can” moment.
VVD was ready for a funeral: You could tell something was off at the watch party for the liberal VVD in The Hague Hilton. As Eva Hartog made her way through the crowd, she overheard one supporter ask another, “Looking forward to it?” The reply came with a smirk: “Yeah — I’ve already sent out the funeral bouquets.”
VVD looks set to finish third with 22 seats, down two. At party HQ, leader Dilan Yeşilgöz was greeted by fans chanting her name, and defied speculation she might have to quit after a poor showing. “Based on these [early] results, the Netherlands has chosen a center-right course,” Yeşilgöz told Eva.
CDA comeback kids: Across town, there was a very different mood at CDA’s beachside watch party attended by Koen Verhelst — cheers erupted when projections showed the party nearly quadrupling its seats, from five to 18.
Dismay for the GroenLinks-PvdA: The joint GreenLeft-Labor ticket, led by Frans Timmermans, is projected to win 20 seats — a dismal result that caused the former European commissioner to resign on the spot.
In Rotterdam, at the Maassilo venue, Pieter Haeck reports fans of the alliance fell silent as the numbers came in — and toward the end, fittingly, the DJ played Alcazar’s “Crying at the Discotheque.” “It’s clear that I, for whatever reason, couldn’t convince people to vote for us,” Timmermans admitted.
ALL THE WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM THE DUTCH ELECTION HERE.
BUSAN BILAT
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: All eyes — and ears — were on Busan, South Korea, where Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met for the first time since 2019, following months of tariff feints and fiery rhetoric. In a final show of saber-rattling head of the meeting,Trump said he’s restarting U.S. nuclear missile testing.
Deal coming “pretty soon,” Trump says: The two leaders didn’t sign a trade deal in Busan, though Trump said that would happen “pretty soon” and “we have not too many stumbling blocks.” The agreement, per Trump, will include a commitment from China to purchase soybeans from American farmers, curb the flow of fentanyl and postpone its export restrictions on rare earths.
Characteristically understated: Trump called the meeting “amazing,” adding: “Zero, to 10, with 10 being the best, I’d say the meeting was a 12.” Trump said he plans to visit China in April and that Xi would travel to the U.S. after that.
EU caught in the middle: Whatever happens in the wake of the Busan bilat, the ripple effects are set to reverberate across the world’s supply chains. All eyes are on whether China does ease its grip on rare earth exports — vital for Europe’s tech, auto and defense sectors. U.S. Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent hinted earlier this week that Beijing might delay new export curbs by a year.
Trade chokehold: China’s export restrictions on rare earths — imposed in response to Trump’s 100-percent tariff threats — are already hurting European industries, leaving Brussels nervously watching developments from afar.
Alarm mode: The European Commission will be scrambling to draw its conclusions out of the Xi-Trump meeting, as it prepares to host a delegation of “high-level” Chinese officials arriving in Brussels today. Beijing’s clampdown on chips and rare-earth magnets has put raw materials right at the top of the EU’s crisis list.
SPEAKING OF WHICH — G7 MINISTERS TALK MINERALS: G7 energy and environment ministers gather in Toronto today for a two-day summit dominated by one issue: how to secure supplies of critical minerals essential for green tech and defense — and wean themselves off China.
Mining for unity: The top item on the agenda, according to a senior G7 official speaking to my colleague Graham Lanktree, is to announce a “production alliance” on critical minerals on Friday. The aim is to coordinate mining and processing projects across G7 countries to reduce Beijing’s leverage.
Energy security, too: Ministers will also hash out plans to modernize electricity grids to handle renewables — and explore how AI can help boost energy efficiency and infrastructure resilience. Svitlana Grynchuk, Ukraine’s energy minister, will join the talks to discuss Kyiv’s energy security and how G7 partners can step up support this winter.
MEANWHILE IN BRUSSELS … The Commission says it is finally getting serious about diversifying the bloc’s supply of minerals and is racing to draft a new plan to do so before the end of the year.
We’ve been here before. So far, the Commission has provided few details on its new plan, mentioning that it would touch upon joint purchasing, stockpiling, recycling of resources and new partnerships — measures it already addressed two years ago in its first initiative on the issue, the Critical Raw Materials Act.
Money, money, money? The new “RESourceEU” plan is expected to follow a similar model to the REPowerEU plan, under which the Commission in 2022 proposed investing €225 billion to diversify energy supply routes after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The big question: Will Brussels mobilize with the same urgency it showed to ditch Russian gas? Or will the pressure fade once the headlines move on?
NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY
SOLIDARITY, THE SEQUEL: Remember the balloon saga from Tuesday? After the usual flood of institutional solidarity via social media, the EU took the next step …
Solidarity via statement, issued Wednesday by the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on behalf of all 27 countries. In it, the EU said it “strongly condemns Belarus’ persistent and provocative actions” after a string of airborne objects forced Lithuania to shut airports and seal its border with Minsk.
Hybrid war, literally: “These balloons are not merely smuggling tools,” the statement reads, “but occur in the context of a broader targeted hybrid campaign,” which also includes state-sponsored migrant smuggling.
Behind the scenes: Getting even that far wasn’t easy. The final version of the statement was watered down from an earlier draft — obtained by Gabriel Gavin — that explicitly said Alexander Lukashenko’s regime “is complicit directly or through deliberate inaction.”
Who else but Hungary? That line was dropped to secure Budapest’s backing, diplomats and an official confirmed. Hungary has long resisted stronger wording against both Moscow and Minsk — forcing previous joint statements, like one on Russian strikes in Kyiv, to go out without its signature.
Still strong: “Overall the statement is strong,” one EU diplomat said. “There was a will to compromise and to agree today.”
ENLARGEMENT PACKAGE WARM-UP: Ahead of next week’s long-awaited Enlargement Package — the Commission’s annual check-up on EU hopefuls — European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner is making a pit stop in the Western Balkans for a home affairs ministerial today.
What’s cooking: Security’s been top of the EU menu lately — and it’s shaping enlargement, too. Brunner will sign a new joint action plan between the EU and its Western Balkan partners on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
Enlargement through security: “The Western Balkans are not only our neighbours — they are deeply connected with the EU’s internal security,” Brunner said in a statement, adding that signing the plan takes the EU another step toward strengthening cooperation on security.
The fine print: The plan targets evolving threats like online radicalization and the misuse of new technologies — from drones to crypto — for terrorist purposes, and also steps up prevention efforts against violent extremism.
More Europol muscle: Expect closer cooperation with Europol — including joint counterterrorism investigations and greater involvement of Western Balkan partners in Europol’s Radicalisation Knowledge Hub and operational projects.
FROZEN ASSETS UPDATE (OR LACK THEREOF)
OPERATION UNFROZEN REPARATION LOANS: EU ambassadors met Wednesday to discuss the fallout from last week’s bruising European Council — and what comes next on the plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund reparations loans for Ukraine.
Still on ice: Not much new emerged, according to three diplomats Playbook spoke to. Everyone’s still in wait-and-see mode — as if Brussels has all the time in the world for that.
What’s the holdup? The Commission, tasked by EU leaders with presenting alternative options to fund Ukraine’s needs for the next two years beyond the frozen assets plan, hasn’t provided much detail. It’ll present an options paper … at some point. There’s still no clarity on timing, one diplomat noted.
The Commission is sticking to its guns: Using frozen assets remains its preferred route, the diplomat added. From Sweden on Tuesday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the plan as “legally a sound proposal.”
Do something (but, please, no new debt): Several member countries pushed for the Commission to finish its paper quickly, a second diplomat told Playbook. But none of those taking the floor backed joint borrowing as the best way forward.
All eyes on Belgium (again): Belgium — home to the bulk of the frozen assets — led calls for the Commission to move faster. No progress can be made without seeing the text, its EU ambassador stressed, according to a third diplomat.
A promise is a promise: The goal, once again, is to take a decision by the December EUCO, pending the options paper. EU leaders meeting last week agreed to cover Ukraine’s financial needs for the next two years — one way or another.
RIGA’S RETREAT
ISTANBUL REGRESSION: Latvia’s parliament votes today on whether to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention that protects women from violence — just a year after it entered into force. If passed, Riga would become the first EU country to quit the treaty.
Quick refresher: The Istanbul Convention — adopted by the Council of Europe in 2011 and opened for signature in, you guessed it, Istanbul — is the first legally binding international treaty to fight violence against women and domestic abuse.
Irony alert: Despite lending its name to the treaty, Turkey remains the only country to have officially withdrawn (though Latvia could soon follow suit).
Fast-tracked backlash: The withdrawal bill, rushed through under an urgent procedure, has triggered sharp criticism from human rights groups and EU institutions warning of a major rollback of women’s rights.
Numbers game: The first reading on Oct. 23 passed with 52 votes in favor — backed by opposition parties United List, National Alliance, For Stability! and Latvia First, plus coalition partner Union of Greens and Farmers and a few independents. New Unity and the Progressives boycotted.
Brussels reaction: “When we can’t even agree across political lines to protect women and girls from violence, we’ve reached dangerous levels of anti-gender backlash,” Swedish liberal MEP Abir Al-Sahlani told Playbook, calling the move one of the most concrete examples of the ongoing rollback of women’s rights in the EU.
Follow the money: Al-Sahlani blamed a well-funded anti-gender movement gaining traction across Europe — and the EU’s failure to counter it. “We need to make sure the EU funds gender equality at least on par with what anti-gender movements get from Russia, the U.S. and conservative forces across the EU,” she said.
MEANWHILE IN PARIS: The trial of Gisèle Pelicot’s rapists accelerated the debate on consent in France, moving lawmakers to approve legislation to define all nonconsensual sex as rape. My colleagues Victor Goury-Laffont and Klara Durand have more.
IN OTHER NEWS
LIKE A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER: Italy’s Court of Auditors on Wednesday rejected the government’s €13.5 billion-plan to build a long-debated bridge from mainland Italy to Sicily across the Strait of Messina. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the decision as “an act of overreach.” Elena Giordano has more.
IT REALLY WASN’T A MOVIE: Two suspects already in custody have “partially” admitted to their role in the spectacular heist at the Louvre Museum. Read the latest.
U.S. LIFTS DODIK SANCTIONS: The Trump administration lifted sanctions on Serbian leader Milorad Dodik on Wednesday, reversing course after the U.S. accused the pro-Russian ultranationalist of causing instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.