Mitsotakis and Erdogan set for NYC meeting
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York on Tuesday, September 23, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, government officials confirmed. Mitsotakis departs Monday and will deliver his address to the assembly on Friday, September 26.
Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed as US ambassador to Greece
The United States Senate has confirmed the appointment of Kimberly Guilfoyle as US ambassador to Greece. Guilfoyle was among a group of 48 nominees brought to a vote following a change in Senate rules, implemented by Republicans to expedite the approval of government appointments.
Asylum rejections blocked amid capacity crisis
Greece has suspended the rejection of asylum applications, as authorities face a lack of detention capacity under a new migration law. The measure stems from Law 5226, which introduced the “return or prison” doctrine for people denied asylum. With no facilities to detain thousands, the Asylum Service told staff to halt denials until further notice.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1281292/asylum-rejections-blocked-amid-capacity-crisis
BoG revises growth to 2.2%
The Bank of Greece has revised its growth forecast for this year slightly downward, to 2.2% from 2.3%, while revising its inflation forecast upward, to 3.1% from 2.5%.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1281208/bog-revises-growth-to-2-2
ATHEX: Rebound after three days of losses
The benchmark of the Greek bourse enjoyed its first day of growth for this week on Thursday, albeit with small gains, on the back of the latest estimates by the Fed on the US economy, and a number of positive corporate results from Athens-listed companies. This was despite the negative start to the day and the reduction of daily turnover to the lowest level of the last nine sessions.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1281290/athex-rebound-after-three-days-of-losses
KATHIMERINI: Athens ranks second in Europe in terms of climate change victims
TA NEA: A golden lira is worth one whole salary
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Ruling New Democracy imposes mafia-like “omerta” in parliament regarding the OPEKEPE scandal
RIZOSPASTIS: Farmers-Livestock breeders: message of escalation through the blockade of the E-65 highway
KONTRA NEWS: Extortion dilemmas by the PM regarding new Memoranda [austerity policies]
DIMOKRATIA: EU Commission: agriculture subsidies hang in the balance
NAFTEMPORIKI: 10+1 complaints about the new labor bill
DRIVING THE DAY: BRUSSELS TO PRESENT SANCTIONS
WHITE SMOKE! The European Commission is expected to unveil its latest round of sanctions targeting Russia today, as the EU seeks to strangle Russian President Vladimir Putin’s revenues and show goodwill toward U.S. President Donald Trump.
Have I seen this movie? Probably one just like it. This is the 19th round of sanctions that the EU has passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and diplomats say the main substance of the package — with measures targeting energy, banking and crypto — has been broadly ready for some time, my colleagues Victor Jack and Camille Gijs report.
What’s more, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Brussels is weighing a provision within the package to phase out imports of all Russian LNG earlier than end-2027 as originally planned.
The big difference: Trump’s Truth Social Post last weekend urging NATO allies to stop relying on Russian energy and impose sky-high tariffs on China. It prompted last-minute efforts from EU officials to fine-tune the package in consultation with G7 partners, including the U.S.
Aiming at the middleman: The result is that Brussels is now expected to beef up measures targeting third countries that continue to trade with Moscow, including Chinese and Indian interests. This isn’t entirely new: previous rounds of sanctions have hit companies and banks in China, Hong Kong and Turkey.
Show of goodwill: But this round doubles down on the approach, with an eye to showing Trump the EU is on board with his agenda to get tougher on China. But only to a limited extent, as Brussels isn’t close to hitting Beijing with Trump’s desired 100 percent tariffs.
Showing muscle: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s focus on Beijing “is likely to mean tougher action against Chinese entities for supporting Russia’s war efforts and a more aggressive use of the EU’s trade toolbox to counter growing economic imbalances,” Noah Barkin, a senior adviser at Rhodium Group, wrote in an email to Playbook.
Curb your enthusiasm: “I am less optimistic that any of this will satisfy the Trump administration, whose own China policy has been all over the place,” Barkin added.
Exhibit A: Trump, who is negotiating a trade deal with China, declined to approve more than $400 million in U.S. military aid to Taiwan this summer, the Washington Post reports this morning.
Will these sanctions actually work? Yes and no. Sanctions against India’s Vadinar refinery, for example, have been “really effective” in stopping the flow of fuel to sanctioning countries, said Isaac Levi, the Russia lead at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank. And Russia’s gasoline sales hit a two-year low this week as Ukrainian drone strikes and surging harvest-season demand intensify the country’s fuel shortage (more here).
Meanwhile, China this month cut its imports of Russian crude to their lowest since 2020, per Homayoun Falakshahi, lead crude analyst at the Kpler commodities firm, partly after the most recent sanctions package.
Whack-a-mole: But the Vadinar sanctions prompted Saudi and Iraqi companies to stop supplying the refinery, leaving more space for Russian crude to enter India. And while at least one Chinese bank has stopped accepting Russian payments following the 18th sanctions package, more broadly Chinese banks can “easily circumvent” the EU system, Falakshahi added.
The bottom line: The EU is charging ahead with its sanctions against Moscow, hoping Washington will jump in anytime. But without U.S. buy-in, the new measures are “unlikely to actually stop Russian oil exports in practice,” said Martin Vladimirov, energy lead at the Center for the Study of Democracy think tank. Waiting for Trump to get tough with Putin is a bit like waiting for Godot. Spoiler alert: He never actually shows up.
SPEAKING OF TRADE: The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday announced that it will hear oral arguments in the challenge to Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on Nov. 5. The case will determine whether Trump exceeded his authority by using his emergency economic powers to impose tariffs on nearly every country in the world.
CIVIL SERVICE WOES
EU STAFF UNION CRIES FOUL OVER SHAKE-UP: The European Commission is gearing up for a sweeping internal review of its civil service — complete with an external “benchmarking exercise” (whatever that means). But staff unions complain they’ve been left in the dark, Playbook’s Gerardo Fortuna writes in to report.
AI stole my job: Staff urge caution on two hot-button issues: generative AI (which they say “lacks a moral compass and cannot replace human judgment”) and teleworking (arguing the pandemic proved flexible work is here to stay).
ICYMI: The overhaul — framed as a modernization of the Commission’s administrative machinery — first surfaced not in an internal memo but in Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines back in July 2024. It also topped the public administration section of Commissioner Piotr Serafin’s mission letter — and was referenced during his confirmation hearing in the European Parliament. Only later did the internal HR updates start trickling out.
Not another top-down exercise: TAO, part of the larger Alliance coalition of nine staff associations, demands a formal seat at the table of this overhaul. In an email obtained by Playbook, the group insists staff must be part of the High-Level Reflection Group guiding the reform — citing precedents from the 1998 and 2004 shake-ups.
Please, join in: So far, TAO is the only union that has formally asked to participate. “We’re expecting a response by our administration and by other trade unions, that will most likely endorse this initiative for obvious reasons,” a TAO rep told Playbook. Cristiano Sebastiani, boss of the Renouveau & Démocratie union, agrees. “Any workers’ representation would ask to be involved in this exercise, especially given the risks that initiatives like this can carry.”
So who’s in the “High-Level Reflection Group?” That’s yet to be confirmed. It’s expected to include seven to nine outside experts from public administration, academia and possibly even the private sector. But as for staff reps? There’s no indication they’ll be involved — which is why frustration is mounting.
EU-ISRAEL RELATIONS
MACRON EXPLAINS HIMSELF: Just days before he’s set to announce the recognition of a Palestinian state at the U.N., French President Emmanuel Macron explained the thinking behind the move directly to Israelis via a TV interview broadcast on Channel 12 Thursday.
His message to Netanyahu and his supporters: “You are causing so many civilian deaths and victims, that you are completely destroying the image and credibility of Israel not only in the region but in public opinion everywhere,” Macron said.
What Hamas wants: Macron denied the French-led plan to recognize Palestine rewards Hamas for orchestrating the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and hands the militant group a massive propaganda win. “Hamas’ goal was never to create two states … They want an Islamist state and they want primarily to destroy Israel, that is their goal,” Macron said. He argued a two-state-solution is “the best way to isolate Hamas,” adding that he was still willing to work with Netanyahu.
But Netanyahu is working on a different plan. Israeli government officials are discussing a range of options to signal their displeasure at Macron’s move, including shuttering the French consulate in Jerusalem and accelerating West Bank annexations, Clea Caulcutt and yours truly report in this piece out today.
MERZ FLAGS UPCOMING DECISION ON ISRAEL SANCTIONS: After the EU unveiled tariffs and sanctions against Israel, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said he would reveal whether his government will support the measures at an informal meeting of EU leaders on Oct. 1, Aitor Morales-Hernandez writes in to report.
What’s next: Merz, speaking ahead of a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid, said the coalition government would discuss the topic next week, before settling on an official position.
Make or break: A key reason why the EU hasn’t yet moved forward with measures against Israel is because there hasn’t been enough support for them in the European Council. Proposed tariffs require a qualified majority of countries to be adopted; sanctions need unanimity. If Germany changes its position, that could shift the balance in favor of tariffs and potentially also sanctions.
Gradual shift: Berlin has been one of Israel’s most ardent supporters on the international stage, standing against any EU-wide measures to penalize it over human rights abuses in Gaza. But German officials have become increasingly critical, with a decision to suspend arms sales to Israel seen as a domestic inflection point.
Agree to disagree: The Merz-Sánchez meeting reflected wider EU divisions over how to address Israel’s military operations in Gaza, Aitor writes. During the one-to-one chat, the Spaniard underscored the need for European “coherence” when responding to war and condemning violations of human rights and international law, be they in Ukraine or in Gaza. Merz, for his part, reaffirmed Germany’s long-standing position.
Nuance: “We stand with Israel,” the chancellor said in a post-meeting press conference, though he added that Berlin’s stance “does not mean we support all the decisions the Israeli government takes.”
And speaking of Sánchez: His tough line on Israel has given the beleaguered prime minister a boost at home, reports Guy Hedgecoe.
IRAN SNAPBACK LOOMS
CRUISING TOWARD GLOBAL SANCTIONS: In the same interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Macron said sanctions on Tehran will be reimposed by the end of the month “because the latest news from the Iranians is not serious.”
Any minute now: That reflects comments from an EU official who told Playbook that Iran was days away from the snapback of sanctions despite a last-minute deal between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Association to let inspectors visit nuclear sites.
Clock ticking: Ministers from the so-called E3 countries (France, Germany and the U.K.) negotiating with Iran have repeated in recent days that the door to diplomacy remains open ahead of a deadline next week. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas hit the same message during a news conference on Wednesday: “The window for finding a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear issue is closing really fast,” she said.
Not good enough: But Iran has still failed to account for some 400 kilos of highly enriched uranium reportedly removed from enrichment sites prior to U.S. strikes, while access to enrichment sites for IAEA monitors remains tbc. Barring a breakthrough in coming hours and days, Iran stands to get hammered with far-ranging sanctions that target just about every sector of its economy.
Stand back: The snapback of crushing sanctions would heighten West vs. The Rest tensions at next week’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, where divisions will already be laid bare over Palestinian state recognition and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Hawks winning the day: Iran doves have been working behind the scenes to stave off the snapback, arguing it won’t help win further cooperation from Tehran and may penalize regular Iranians more than regime members. But following the 12-day Iran-Israel war, and the U.S. bombing of the Fordo nuclear site, hawkish arguments seem to be winning the day. Still, never say never — a lot can happen in a few days.
BREAK UPS AND MAKE UPS
BREAKING UP WITH FRANCE: Berlin is considering alternative partnerships to the Franco-German fighter FCAS jet program, Chris Lunday and Laura Kayali report. Options include teaming up with the U.K. or Sweden — or going it alone with Spain, the remaining partner— if no compromise with Paris is reached by year’s end.
BREAKING UP WITH BABIŠ: Right-wing populist Andrej Babiš is tipped to win October’s Czech general election — but President Petr Pavel is weighing barring him, reports Ketrin Jochecová.
Now hear this: Speaking to our EU Confidential podcast, Czech former Commission Vice President Věra Jourová predicts plenty of drama ahead of next month’s election. She also opens up about life after Brussels — from checking Playbook each morning to laughing that the bubble barely recognizes her anymore — and argues Ursula von der Leyen’s concentration of power may be right for hard times but makes the EU less democratic.
BREAKING UP GOOGLE: German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer has called for Google to be broken up, in an interview with POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski.
IN OTHER NEWS
SALIS FEARS REVENGE: Italian Ilaria Salis, who spent more than a year in detention in Hungary before being elected an MEP, said she fears Budapest wants “political revenge,” days before a crucial vote on her future in the European Parliament.
GREEK DRAMA: Greece has until Oct. 2 to fix its farm subsidy plan or risk having EU payments suspended, the European Commission has warned. Nektaria Stamouli has the story.
TRUMP WANTS TO GET BACK INTO AFGHANISTAN: Trump wants to get Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan back from the Taliban, saying during a press conference with U.K. PM Keir Starmer on Thursday: “We gave it to [the Taliban] for nothing” and “we’re trying to get it back, by the way.” CNN reports the push to claw back the base has been underway for months.
FRIDAY FEATURE: Is Trump the next British prime minister? Paul Dallison considers the prospect in this week’s Declassified humor column.