Greece condemns Iranian attack, calls for restraint
Greece “ unequivocally condemns the attack against Israel” and calls for “restraint from all sides in order to avoid a wider regional conflict,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Sunday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1236508/greece-condemns-iranian-attack-calls-for-restraint
Greek prime minister pushing for European Security Fund
Seeking new ways to bolster European defensive cooperation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for the creation of a European Security Fund in statements after meeting with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Friday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1236403/greek-prime-minister-pushing-for-european-security-fund
PM unveils four-pronged eco-protection strategy
Ahead of the Our Ocean conference in Athens this week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that Greece is quietly but methodically playing a leading role in defending itself against dramatic climate change, from agricultural production and tourism to the safety and health of its citizens.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1236457/pm-unveils-four-pronged-eco-protection-strategy
Androulakis lashes out at PM for ‘avoiding’ TV debate
Socialist PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday for refusing his challenge to a televised debate ahead of the European Parliament elections in June, alleging that the conservative leader is avoiding scrutiny over fraud allegations.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1236449/androulakis-lashes-out-at-pm-for-shirking-tv-debate
Technical Chamber takes on mayors over building heights
The conflict over building heights in Athens took on a new twist on Friday with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) sending an out-of-court notice threatening lawsuits against the mayors of Alimos and Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, who have imposed a suspension of the issuance of construction permits that make use of bonuses included in the building regulation.
ATHEX: Geopolitics takes toll on local market
Concerns over a possible expansion of the war in the Middle East, with the involvement of Iran, weighed on the Greek stock market, inflicting losses on the benchmark on Friday. Even so, the index narrowly maintained the 1,400-point level and got to close the week with net growth, with turnover also rebounding.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1236404/athex-geopolitics-takes-toll-on-local-market
SUNDAY PAPERS
KATHIMERINI: Bureaucracy: Consulates issue passports after six months
TO VIMA: Food: What you could buy with 37 euros now costs 50 euros
REAL NEWS: Alert for wildfires!
PROTO THEMA: Block and quarrel over construction permits
AVGI: Mr. Mitsotakis, you have lost the confidence of society
MONDAY PAPERS:
TA NEA: War in the Middle East: 3 persons hold the keys to its ignition
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Balance of terror
KONTRA NEWS: Asymmetric threat for the economy
DIMOKRATIA: Terror regarding a 3rd World War
NAFTEMPORIKI: Terror returns for international markets
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
ESCALATION FEARS AS ISRAEL PLANS RETALIATION AGAINST IRAN’S ATTACK: Iran’s first-ever direct attack against Israel on Saturday with 300-odd missiles and drones — the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israel with help from the U.S., U.K., France and Jordan — has increased fears of more turmoil in the Middle East.
Hitting the phones: Over the weekend, American and EU diplomats and leaders were working the phones, trying to avert a wider escalation.
Talk Tuesday: The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell called a meeting of the Union’s foreign ministers for Tuesday. “On behalf of EU Member States, I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian attacks against Israel and call on all parties to exercise utmost restraint,” he said in a statement.
No decisions yet: Israel’s war Cabinet met on Sunday, but reached no decision on when and how to respond to Tehran’s barrage, the Times of Israel reported. In his first remarks after Saturday’s attack, PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “build a regional coalition and exact a price from Iran, in a way and at a time that suits us.” Israeli officials briefed journalists Sunday that their response will follow within 48 hours.
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Scholz’s China-trip overshadowed: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s state visit to China was overshadowed by Saturday’s attack. Instead of a boat trip across the Yangtze, the chancellor spent the day in a videoconference with the G7 and in calls with his own team as well as talks with Netanyahu and other decision-makers.
Not all counterattacks are the same: Scholz and his aides tried to dissuade Netanyahu from a direct counterattack, my Berlin Playbook colleague Gordon Repinski reports. A direct Israeli attack on Iranian territory (which would also be a historic first) would escalate the crisis further, the reasoning goes, while an attack on Iran’s proxies may avoid the most devastating effects. Scholz and his foreign policy adviser Jens Plötner have been working behind the scenes to prevent at least the former.
Don’t ruin it: Iran’s attack has strengthened Netanyahu’s hand, as my colleagues Jamie Dettmer, Gabriel Gavin and Christian Oliver write. With a measured instead of an escalatory response, Israel could expand its coalition of supporters and rebuild some goodwill, which has recently shrunk considerably, the reasoning among some Western allies goes.
But let’s be real: U.S. President Joe Biden and the Congress are the ones really guaranteeing Israel’s security — and those to whom Netanyahu will listen most.
What’s Biden saying? In a phone call Saturday and later conversations Sunday, Biden told Netanyahu to take the win for fending off Iran’s attack and urged him not to embark on a larger retaliatory strike, my Stateside colleagues report.
Quit while you’re ahead: “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said after Saturday’s call with Netanyahu.
US red line: On Sunday, American officials stressed the U.S. will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran.
It’s up to Netanyahu now: Tehran’s attack was designed to be shot down — but Netanyahu could still turn it into a real war, argues Michael Hirsh in POLITICO’s magazine.
TODAY: VDL CAMPAIGN OFF TO A ROCKY START
NOT A DONE DEAL: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EPP’s lead candidate for the coming EU election, will be in Riga for a campaign event tonight, as her race for the Berlaymont finally kicks off in earnest. But with two months to go until the EU-wide ballot, Brussels is abuzz with diplomats and officials warning that von der Leyen is not a shoo-in for a second five-year term.
Still the frontrunner, but … France — which is experiencing tensions in its relations with Germany — is still highly ambiguous about its support for von der Leyen’s candidacy. That’s probably to extract concessions, though Paris could also spy a late opportunity to rejig the top table.
Facing down the far right: If von der Leyen passes the potential Paris hurdle, she will also have to worry about whether she can secure confirmation from a new-look European Parliament, in which the far right is likely to be a larger player than today.
Friendly fire: Even the support from von der Leyen’s own center-right European People’s Party looks lukewarm. “We will enter the top job discussion with von der Leyen as European Commission president,” one EU official said. “Whether she’ll still be there at the end, is another question.” You can read more here by Barbara Moens, Nick Vinocur and Jacopo Barigazzi.
EU’S OTHER ELECTION PROBLEM: Chatbots produced by Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are sharing false information about the EU election, according to analysis shared exclusively with POLITICO.
ALSO TODAY
ENERGY MINISTERS SEEK NATO’S HELP TO PROTECT INFRASTRUCTURE: Top EU energy officials meet today at the Egmont Palace in Brussels to discuss new threats to energy infrastructure. As the EU’s energy mix shifts steadily from fossil fuels to renewables, old vulnerabilities (like pipelines, oil tanker routes) will be replaced by new ones (such as submarine electricity cables).
Working together: The ministers will discuss closer cooperation with NATO on energy infrastructure. “We need to find a way to secure these investments from external threats,” one EU diplomat told my colleague Victor Jack.
Renewables first: The day begins with a breakfast of the group of countries calling themselves “Friends of Renewables” (or the anti-nuclear coalition, for the cynics out there).
Too little too late … The ministers will also sign the European Solar Charter — a promise to local solar manufacturers that the EU still cares about keeping them alive.
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UKRAINE
EU COUNTRIES AREN’T BUYING TOGETHER: Despite big speeches and dozens of policy papers touting the advantages of joint procurement, EU countries are shunning the opportunity to buy ammunition for Ukraine together.
Hour of truth: EU governments have purchased a risible €350 million worth of ammunition for Ukraine via the European Defence Agency (EDA) out of a potential €1.5 billion offered by the defense industry, a senior EU official told my colleague Laura Kayali for today’s defense newsletter.
Grim conclusions: The figures show that while production capacity for shells exists, government orders are lacking with many member countries reluctant to use joint EU programs.
Background: The EDA has been involved in the joint procurement of 155mm ammunition for Ukraine under the Council’s (failed) three-track plan to provide 1 million shells to Kyiv by last month.
Failed test: According to diplomats, the plan was also meant to assess what role the agency could play in EU ambitions to boost its defense sector. As another official recently put it: “Either EDA manages to have a strong role in joint procurements or risks ending up being a think tank.”
HUNGARY VOWS NEW AGRI RESTRICTIONS: Meanwhile, Budapest will impose additional restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agri products, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said last week, without going into details. The announcement came after EU institutions agreed to extend trade liberalization measures on Ukrainian imports until June 2025, but also decided to restrict some agricultural imports.
See you in court: Nagy said he expected Brussels to challenge the restrictions, as trade is an exclusive EU competence. Hungary currently bans the import of 24 Ukrainian agricultural products.
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IN OTHER NEWS
NATCON IN TROUBLE: It was billed as a glittering gathering of right-wing political figures from across Europe. But the future of the National Conservative conference due to kick off in Brussels this Tuesday is in doubt after the host venue, Concert Noble, pulled out of the event, Suzanne Lynch reports.
TRUMP IN COURT: Donald Trump will make history today as the first former U.S. president to stand trial in a criminal court. His hush money trial is set to last up to eight weeks, and he’ll have to be in court every day. My colleague Erica Orden has the cast of characters who might take the stand, including a porn star, a president and a publisher named Pecker.
TAKING ON CHINA: The EU is making increasing use of its newest competition bazooka, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, as well as its anti-subsidy and anti-dumping weapons. Here’s how they work.