PM to meet farmers if blockades are lifted; date to be finalized Friday
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ meeting with farmer representatives will reportedly take place on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning after his return from Belgrade, provided they lift their roadblocks on the national highway network. The date is expected to be finalized on Friday.
PASOK’s Androulakis slams government for ’embarrassing’ EU Parliament resolution
The European Parliament’s resolution expressing concern over the rule of law in Greece drew stinging criticism directed at the government and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis from opposition PASOK-KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis on Thursday.
Clashes break out after student rally in central Athens
The Greek police fired tear gas and flashbang grenades against a group of approximately 30 hooded youths who were throwing petrol bombs and setting fire to garbage containers following a student rally in central Athens on Thursday. One policeman sustained minor injuries during the clashes.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1231189/clashes-break-out-after-student-rally-in-central-athens/
Trade deficit declines by 20% in 2023
The Greek trade deficit fell by 11.3% in December and by 20% in 2023, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) said on Wednesday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1231112/trade-deficit-declines-by-20-in-2023/
ATHEX: Rebound sees another new 13-year high
Greek stocks recovered after Wednesday’s respite, with the benchmark rising to yet another 13-year high on Thursday, thanks mostly to the growth recorded by a few blue chips and by mid-caps.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1231221/athex-rebound-sees-another-new-13-year-high/
KATHIMERINI: Citizens filed 6,784 complaints about tax-evasion within a three-month period
TA NEA: Real estate market: 5 moves erase objective tax criteria
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: The university students- who were called ‘bandits’ by the government-‘flooded’ Athens
AVGI: Athens ‘shakes’ due to student rally
RIZOSPASTIS: The government must accept farmers’ fair demands
KONTRA NEWS: The government retreats hastily in view of farmers’ blocks
DIMOKRATIA: Businesses to be reinforced with up to 10,000 euros
NAFTEMPORIKI: Banks’ closed real estte assets are being unlocked
DRIVING THE DAY: CARLSON’S PUTIN INTERVIEW
TUCKER CARLSON OFFERS PUTIN BULLHORN TO SPEAK TO THE WEST: In a carefully stage-managed interview with highly sympathetic ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin covered topics from his war in Ukraine to U.S. President Joe Biden to … Elon Musk.
On peace in Ukraine: When asked by Carlson about the prospect of peace in Ukraine, Putin said: “If you really want to stop fighting, you need to stop supplying weapons,” referring to Western aid to Kyiv. “It will be over within a few weeks. That’s it,” he added. Though Putin then immediately told on himself, responding “No” when asked whether he had achieved his war aims.
Joe who? Asked about when he last spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden, Putin said: “I cannot remember when I talked to him,” adding that the two last spoke before the Feb. 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Old pals: Carlson never mentioned Donald Trump by name — but Putin did, highlighting the “personal relationship” he said he had with the former U.S. president (and current Republican presidential candidate front-runner). He also said he liked George W. Bush.
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Hardly hardballs: Carlson, whom the Kremlin handpicked for the interview in light of his Moscow-friendly positions, took pains to appear as though he was asking tough questions. But the thrust of the interview was essentially why Russia is right and the West is wrong. Right at the start, Putin gave a lengthy (and obviously one-sided) overview of Russian history, and repeated old lines on how the West “tricked us” about NATO expansion.
Reminder: Putin hasn’t acquiesced to interview requests from any Western media outlets, including POLITICO, since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. News of the Carlson interview prompted furious reactions from established journalists, some of whom have sought a sit-down with Putin for years.
One interesting thing: Toward the end of the interview, Carlson asked Putin about the fate of Evan Gershkovich — the American Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for almost a year on espionage charges. Carlson asked Putin if he would release Gershkovich “as a sign of your decency.”
Some hope: Putin suggested Gershkovich could be released “if our partners take reciprocal steps.” He added: “There are certain terms being discussed via special services channels. I believe an agreement can be reached.” Putin then appeared to hint he may be open to swapping Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB agent currently serving a life sentence in Germany for murder. My U.S. colleagues have more here.
And what of Musk? Putin raised the subject of X owner Elon Musk when asked a question about AI. “I think there’s no stopping Elon Musk,” Putin said, but added that “you’ll need to find some common ground with him” on the subject of AI, which “needs to be formalized and subjected to certain rules.”
Get the full story: Read this account of the interview from top colleagues Eva Hartog and Sergey Goryashko. And for a reminder of the other “useful idiots” who have rendered their services to dictators, read this column by Jamie Dettmer.
UKRAINE AID
GERMANY’S SCHOLZ DINES IN DC: While Carlson was serving up the softballs to Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Washington doing his best to convince U.S. lawmakers it’s in their interest to help Ukraine protect itself. “What is needed now is for us to work together to give Ukraine the opportunity to defend itself and at the same time send a very clear message to the Russian president,” Scholz told reporters on his way to D.C.
More soup, please: Scholz met U.S. senators for dinner on Thursday, dining on porcini soup with crab salad and fried bass with dill potatoes. The German chancellor will meet Joe Biden later today, with Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East on the agenda.
Don’t mention this: Probably best Scholz doesn’t bring up the topic of *that report* from U.S. special counsel Robert Hur, which described Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Not gonna do it: Scholz’s trip is unlikely to convince congressional Republicans to suddenly green-light billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. Barring a sudden change of heart in Washington, Europe and G7 allies like the U.K., Canada and Japan will soon be on their own in bankrolling Kyiv, which needs billions more to finance its budget and defense operations this year.
TAX ‘EM: Speaking to Playbook on his way to Kyiv, EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said Europe should make Western companies that continue to do business in Russia, despite sanctions, pay for the privilege, in addition to confiscating Moscow’s frozen assets.
Why don’t we? “I think it is very important to find sources of funding that would be able to use as little as possible from the European taxpayer,” Sinkevičius said. “We still have Western companies that don’t care and remain in Russia. Why don’t we talk about taxing them?”
Dinner’s on you: The failure of the U.S. to unleash funds for Ukraine could embolden populists in Europe who can point to the mounting costs of helping Kyiv. But that’s why Europe should look to alternative sources, according to Sinkevičius.
Digging in: “We need to have a long-term plan here,” he said. “Russia is biding its time, waiting for Europe and the U.S. [to] get tired and the populists take over. That plan has to include funding that comes from funding or frozen assets.” Asked about Carlson’s interview with Putin, Sinkevičius called it an “unprecedented world propaganda festival.”
NOW READ THIS: Europe’s arms production is in “deep shit,” Marc Thys, a former Belgian general, told my colleagues Joshua Posaner and Laura Kayali. “It’s not a joke.” With Ukraine running into severe shell shortages as Russians push into cities like Avdiivka, the worry is that time is running out to ramp up arms production in Europe. Read more here.
While you’re at it: Read this harrowing dispatch from my Ukraine-based colleague Veronika Melkozerova, who reports on how the “eastern fortress” of Avdiivka is at risk of falling to Russian forces. “The enemy is pressing from all directions,” Avdiivka Mayor Vitaly Barabash said. The dire situation comes just as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny.
Now hear this: POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast this week asks the question of whether the EU can really defend Ukraine — and itself. Listen here.
ELSEWHERE — RAMA ACCUSES BRUSSELS OF DOUBLE STANDARDS: Outspoken Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused the Commission of turning a blind eye to allow Ukraine to join the EU.
Ukraine vs. the others: “Nothing comes for granted unless you’re attacked by a superpower and then you feel some compassion and then they get you in without really caring about the benchmarks,” Rama said during an event organized by the European Investment Bank, where he spoke alongside DG Near chief Gert Jan Koopman.
Commission, take that: Rama, whose country applied to join the EU a decade ago, added: “If you are not attacked, you have to tick all the boxes.” Ouch.
GERMANY HITS BACK ON STATE AID
GERMANY HITS BACK ON SUBSIDY ACCUSATIONS: As competition ministers meet today, Germany is hitting back against accusations it’s distorting the EU’s market with tens of billions in subsidies.
Big target on its back: Berlin has been the focus of criticism from smaller countries, who fear France and Germany are undermining the single market by pumping up their companies with state cash.
Having none of it: Economy Secretary Sven Giegold, who will represent Germany at today’s competitiveness council, says the criticism is unfounded.
Fending off Putin’s economic attack: “The truth is, we were under economic attack and needed to intervene urgently — you can’t compare that to market-distorting subsidies,” Giegold told my Playbook colleague Jakob Hanke Vela.
More than 85 percent of the money Germany’s state has pumped into companies “was spent on only two companies, SEFE and Uniper,” Giegold said, both of which “needed recapitalization because of Putin’s aggression on the German and European energy markets which would have collapsed without these measures.”
Beef with DG Comp: Giegold said Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s DG Comp was not exactly helping set the record straight. Just in time for today’s meeting of ministers, the Commission published another graph that portrays Germany as the biggest spender on subsidies.
While not disputing the tally, Giegold argued Berlin’s interventions should not be compared to regular subsidies, because it did not grant German companies an unfair advantage. “These figures are totally inappropriate to claim that Germany distorts the internal market by outspending with state aid,” he said. Brussels’ “graph counts this sum as if it was normal state aid,” which was “misleading,” he added.
Setting the record straight: “It is important that we have a discussion on state aid and how to avoid distortions in the single market — we are facing aggressive competition from outside the EU. But I want to have that discussion based on accurate and complete facts,” Giegold said.
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TOP JOBS TALK
WHO’S NEXT FOR HRVP? With the Commission top job all but promised to Ursula von der Leyen, attention is turning to other key posts, namely that of high representative — aka the EU’s top diplomat.
Could Kallas clinch it? Several well-placed officials name-checked Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as a possible successor to Josep Borrell. Kallas belongs to the liberal group in Parliament, which many still hope will place third in the election. However, according to Estonian media, Kallas is “deeply hesitant” about a proposal to become the ALDE party’s lead candidate, which would set her up for the role of high representative.
Maroš, are you there? Meanwhile some officials have floated the name of Slovak Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. A former diplomat who was touted as a possible high representative in 2019, Sefčovič has the advantage of being a Socialist like Borrell. But he’s got the disadvantage of having ties to Russia-friendly Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
IN OTHER NEWS
TOP READ: A small Hamburg bank was at the center of a clandestine financial network Iran relied on for years to funnel money to its terror proxies in the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials from two Western intelligence agencies say. Matthew Karnitschnig has the story.
INSIDE THE DUTCH COALITION TALKS: Some two and a half months after coming victorious in the Dutch election, far-right populist Geert Wilders is back to square one. Read this insider’s account of how government coalition talks fell apart, by Eva Hartog.
NEW EU DISABILITY CARD: The Parliament and Council have struck a provisional deal to introduce a European Disability Card, under a plan spearheaded by Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli. “With it we are guaranteeing the recognition of disability status across all EU countries,” Dalli told Playbook, adding this will “ensure greater freedom of movement and participation of persons with disabilities.”
RIGHT TO REPAIR: The EU has boasted about its plans to make it easier for consumers to seek repair of everyday electronic gadgets and appliances. But, as Louise Guillot reports, there’s a catch.
CANADA CALLING: Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng swings by Brussels today to meet EU trade boss Valdis Dombrovskis. They’ll co-chair the annual performance review of their free-trade agreement, CETA. While nine countries are yet to ratify CETA, the deal has been provisionally in force since 2017.