PM Mitsotakis meets with the heads of the international pharmaceutical manufacturers
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Wednesday with the heads of companies and unions’ that are members of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Traders (IFPMA) at the Maximos Mansion.
Protocols not followed in woman’s murder
The commander of the Agioi Anargyroi Police Department in northern Athens that received a complaint by a woman who was being threatened by her former partner and subsequently murdered on Monday night, and the 100 emergency dispatch operator whom she called asking for a police escort to her home were both suspended on Wednesday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1235510/protocols-not-followed-in-womans-murder
Kasselakis talks about phone tapping, leaked e-mails to head of data protection authority
Main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Stefanos Kasselakis on Wednesday met the President of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) Konstantinos Menoudakos and asked for a briefing regarding two cases, one relating to phone tapping using Predator surveillance software and a second concerning the leaking of the private e-mails of voters abroad.
ADEDY announces 24-hour nationwide strike on May 21
The federation of public sector employees ADEDY has announced a 24-hour nationwide strike on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
https://www.amna.gr/en/article/809006/ADEDY-announces-24-hour-nationwide-strike-on-May-21
ATHEX: Banks drop for the sixth day in a row
The decline continued at the Greek bourse on Wednesday, though not as strongly as on Tuesday, with the benchmark yielding more ground. The banks index remained on a southbound course for a sixth consecutive session, underperforming the market and showing that the absence of initiatives or positive news on the domestic front will allow the momentum of the year’s first quarter to slip.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1235517/athex-banks-drop-for-the-sixth-day-in-a-row
KATHIMERINI: The deadly mistakes prior to the murder
TA NEA: Developments expected this month regarding retroactive payments
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Greece is selling prohibited arms
AVGI: Mr. Chrysohoidis, you have failed
RIZOSPASTIS: NATO is a gang of wars
KONTRA NEWS: Tempi fatal rail crash: the hard drives expose the government
DIMOKRATIA: Discussions of OSE workers 8 months after the Tempi rail crash: “I’ll tell you how we will cover-up the case”
NAFTEMPORIKI: Inflation obstacles in the battle against price hikes
NATO MEETING
DIAMOND JUBILEE: Ministers from NATO’s 32 member countries will today mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary. The celebrations come as NATO is once again front and center, both in terms of leaders’ attention and in budgets, after decades of decline.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is due to attend, despite the fact the club is unlikely to accept Kyiv’s membership application any time soon.
Biggest threat comes from within: Ironically, just as Europeans are convinced like almost never before of NATO’s importance, the shadow cast by Donald Trump has put America’s commitment in doubt like almost never before.
Warning to Washington: In a speech previewed by my colleague Stuart Lau, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is expected to remind Americans (especially Republicans) that they too need allies. He’ll note that the only time the Article 5 collective defense clause was invoked was in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, on behalf of the U.S. Stoltenberg will stress he does not believe in “America alone” — the U.S., he’ll say, needs Europe, which is home to world-class militaries and vast intelligence networks.
But Trump-proofing Ukraine support won’t be easy: Stoltenberg’s ideas to prepare the alliance for a potential Trump presidency by making its Ukraine support more predictable received mixed reactions from ministers on Wednesday.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó lashed out, saying: “Hungary will reject any proposal that would transform it into an offensive alliance as this would lead to the serious danger of escalation.” Referring to Ukraine’s efforts to fend off the Russian invasion, Szijjártó said: “This isn’t Hungary’s war and it isn’t NATO’s war either.”
More nuance: Other countries said they needed more details about the specifics and financing before committing to a figure. “We need to calculate how much Ukraine needs to keep its democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity. And when we have that amount, we have to decide how we can get it,” Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said, adding that several ministers, including from “big countries,” shared that position.
Background: As we reported earlier this week, Stoltenberg floated setting up a $100 billion fund to support Ukraine and allowing NATO to coordinate the military aid — something the U.S. is currently managing. Stuart and Aitor Hernández-Morales have more on the reactions to it here.
Behind the plan is Stoltenberg’s wish — shared by Eastern flank countries bordering Russia — to secure consistent Western support for Ukraine, regardless of who’s in power, where, and when. “We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul, so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments,” Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday.
Timeline: The 32 foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to start planning for the financial commitments, as well as reorienting aid coordination toward NATO control, in the lead up to the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington in July.
Talking of DC summits: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — whose plane broke down in Paris Wednesday, forcing him to travel to Brussels by car — hosted a group of NATO officials, diplomats and journalists for American food and booze, and delivered a short speech. Playbook can confirm the treats tasted better than they sound. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel was among those attending.
BACK TO THE BIRTHDAY BASH: Stoltenberg will lead today’s celebrations, cutting a chocolate cake around 10 a.m., with the Belgian air force and Dutch navy band playing the NATO hymn Esprit de Corps and music from Steven Spielberg’s World War II miniseries “Band of Brothers,” Stuart tells us.
FOCUS ON ROMANIA
WHY EVERYONE’S GOING TO BUCHAREST: Romania is this year’s top destination for European leaders, candidates and political campaigners — but why?
The place to be: Center-right bigwigs last month flocked to the country on the Black Sea for Ursula von der Leyen’s big nomination event at the European People’s Party congress in Bucharest.
On Wednesday, it was Council President Charles Michel’s turn. Accompanied by Belgium’s PM Alexander De Croo and other EU leaders, Michel headed to the Presidential Cotroceni Palace to brainstorm priorities for the next five years.
And on Saturday, Europe’s Socialists and Democrats will hold a rally in Bucharest, with their lead candidate for the EU election Nicolas Schmit, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Swedish PM Stefan Löfven expected to attend.
‘BATTLEGROUND STATE’: “This is the first time that we are having this large focus on Romania,” Victor Negrescu, an S&D MEP and former Romanian EU affairs minister, told Playbook over the phone.
Pro-European stance at risk: “We’re the only country in the EU holding all rounds of elections this year — local, European, parliamentary and presidential,” center-right MEP Siegfried Mureșan told me. “We are a battleground state, particularly in the fight against extremism.”
Populists rising: Both Negrescu and Mureșan cited growing support for anti-Ukrainian nationalist parties, in particular newcomer AUR, which is polling equal second at around 19 percent in POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, and has reportedly been backed by Russia. Its leader George Simion has campaigned against Romania’s support for Ukraine. (Neither AUR, whose name means “Gold” in Romanian, nor Simion responded to Playbook’s questions.)
GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE: Katja Christina Plate, head of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s office in Romania, said the big European focus had “geo-strategic reasons first and foremost,” citing the country’s “location on the Black Sea, between Ukraine and the Western Balkans,” its pro-European stance and strong economic growth.
Exhibit A: Romania reportedly played a key role in NATO’s transport of weapons to Ukraine, and last month started construction on the alliance’s biggest military base in Europe, which will host 10,000 personnel and boost its eastern flank.
Anchor of stability: Unlike in Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia or Hungary, most Romanians are deeply skeptical of Russian influence, and the country’s dogged support for Ukraine meant it had become “an anchor of stability in the region,” said Plate.
The cost of supporting Ukraine: Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is also credited for withstanding pressure to clip support for Kyiv. “When Ukrainian grain flooded our markets, we were the only [bordering] country not to take unilateral measures against Ukraine, despite the big pressure from Romanian farmers, and there was negative consequences of those imports … but we always said we believe in a European solution, we’re not going to turn our back on our Ukrainian neighbors,” Plate said.
CRONYISM: But the spotlight on the EU’s sixth-biggest country by population (19 million) also highlights the work that still needs to be done. Despite its growing economy, Romania is suffering from massive brain-drain, with indicators such as Transparency International’s rating pointing to pervasive corruption and cronyism, including in politics. “The dynamic development of the economy and society is being slowed down by a political development, or rather its non-development,” Plate argued.
Where’s the opposition? Observers have also criticized the decision of the leading center-right and center-left parties, PNL and PSD, to run on a joint list for the upcoming EU election. The parties govern Romania in a coalition, but presenting a joint list could come back to bite, Plate argued, “if people have the impression that they can no longer vote out the government, because everything is one.”
Asked about that risk, Mureșan of the PNL said “it is essential indeed that my party keeps up its profile as a center-right, pro-European party with a clear agenda on the economy … security and defense … and support for farmers.”
Negrescu, of the PSD, argued the team-up was paying off. “Thanks to this large coalition we were capable, according to recent polls, to counterbalance the rise of the far right and the populist movement,” he said. “It is like in football, we are competitors in Romania, but sometimes you have to play for the national team.”
**Join us live on April 10 as POLITICO’s Research & Analysis experts deep dive into how the EU’s net-zero ambitions have shaped digital, industry and sustainability policy. Register here.**
SCANDAL FILES
MEPS TO GET MANDATORY TRAINING: The EP’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs on Wednesday backed mandatory training to tackle harassment and workplace conflict in the European Parliament. The report should be submitted at next week’s plenary session in Strasbourg, and the changes to the internal rules are expected to come into force mid-July, in time for the new crop of MEPs, the Parliament’s press office confirmed to Playbook. It comes after MeToo, Qatargate and Russiagate scandals rocked the institution.
What will change: If the rules are adopted, MEPs would have to undergo mandatory training within the first six months of taking office, in five areas including harassment prevention, successful team management and recruitment. Those who don’t complete the course could face fines, with training a prerequisite for MEPs seeking to become rapporteurs or committee chairs or participate in official delegations.
SPEAKING OF RUSSIAGATE — GERMANY’S FAR-RIGHT IN TROUBLE: The AfD has been at pains to distance itself from allegations of Russian influence-peddling in the EU. In a letter obtained by my POLITICO colleagues, leaders of the far-right party pile pressure on AfD lawmaker Petr Bystron to come clean regarding Czech media reports that he accepted €25,000 from a pro-Russian network that’s trying to influence European public opinion ahead the June EU election. Full details here.
IN OTHER NEWS
FRENCH PROSECUTOR OPENS EDOUARD PHILIPPE PROBE: Police raided the town hall in Le Havre on Wednesday, as investigators probe the city’s mayor, Edouard Philippe, who has been accused of a series of alleged wrongdoings including harassment and misusing public funds. Write-up here.
VALÉRIE HAYER SPEAKS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s pick to lead his party in the EU election said she was “proud” of the bloc’s Green Deal despite the ire it has provoked among farmers. Speaking to POLITICO at an event in Paris, Valérie Hayer also said she was “appalled” by far-right rival Jordan Bardella’s decision to skip debates, a strategy reminiscent of Donald Trump’s approach in the Republican primaries. Read the full interview.
SPAIN TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD: Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed on Wednesday that Madrid will recognize Palestine before July. “We need a real Palestinian state,” Albares said at a meeting with journalists in Brussels. “The Palestinian people must not be condemned to forever be refugees.” Aitor Hernández-Morales has more.
IRAN THREATENS ISRAEL: Tehran reiterated threats of retaliation against Israel following Monday’s airstrike that killed seven Iranian officials and destroyed its consulate in Syria. President Ebrahim Raisi said the attack “will not remain without answer,” while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned Israel “will be punished.” Details here. The IDF said it is bolstering its aerial defense unit and calling up more reservists in response.
MEANWHILE, IN DENMARK: Denmark on Wednesday fired its defense chief Flemming Lentfer, after he had failed to report malfunctioning weapon systems during a Houthi militant attack last month on a Danish frigate in the Red Sea, reports local paper Olfi.
PORT SECURITY: A company based in Hong Kong controls a key part of Poland’s Gdynia port, raising national security concerns, Jeremy Van der Haegen and Wojciech Kość report.