Government firm on illegality crackdown
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsostakis insists that his pledge to enforce the law “everywhere” is being implemented, citing the crackdown on sports hooliganism, juvenile delinquency and overall crime.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1237513/government-firm-on-illegality-crackdown
Kasselakis criticizes government’s economic policy at island chambers assembly
Criticism of the government’s economic policy, with references to the problems of the Greek islands, was voiced by the leader of the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance Stefanos Kasselakis, during his speech at the general assembly of the island chambers of commerce. Kasselakis emphasized that “if we don’t prioritize a welfare state first, followed by a state of law and open regulated markets, we’re not going anywhere.”
Androulakis: National necessity a strong PASOK
Opposition PASOK-Movement of Change leader Nikos Androulakis, on Sunday from Amfilochia, where he completed his three-day tour to prefectures of Epirus and Western Greece, called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to explain the incidents happening at the Ministry of Interior.
Development Min Skrekas: Southwest Crete’s promising prospects in exploring energy reserves
The initial signs “ give us cause for optimism about what may be discovered beneath the seabed southwest of Crete,” stated Minister of Development Kostas Skrekas during the 5th East Mediterranean Business Summit of The Economist held in New York.
ATHEX: Deal reports power index to fresh highs
The deal for Epsilon Net boosted not only the information technology sector but also the entire stock market at Athinon Avenue on Friday, leading to a new 13-year high at the end of a week of significant growth across the board. The advance was also fueled by the rise in foreign markets, and has signs of being sustained for the time being.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1237493/athex-deal-reports-power-index-to-fresh-highs
SUNDAY PAPERS
KATHIMERINI: Erdogan’s bargain with the USA and Greece’s case
TO VIMA: Civil wars within parties’ euro-election ballots
REAL NEWS: Heavy fines for landplots that have not been cleaned for fire prevention reasons
PROTO THEMA: Justice Minister on the new Penal Code: “When we say imprisonment, we mean it”
AVGI: Reverse dynamics regarding parties’ performance in the upcoming euro-elections
MONDAY PAPERS:
TA NEA: Well-performing state employees to receive up to 2 salaries as bonus
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Greece shamed regarding health and safety at work places
KONTRA NEWS: New blow by former PM Samaras against Kyriakos Mitsotakis
DIMOKRATIA: Election process full of holes!
NAFTEMPORIKI: US ambassador to Athens: Bilateral investment relations are auspicious
EU CANDIDATES DEBATE
AND THEY’RE OFF: All eyes are on Maastricht this evening, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will debate seven other EU election lead candidates for the first time on stage, in a debate co-hosted by POLITICO and Studio Europa Maastricht.
Crowded field: Squaring off against von der Leyen will be Walter Baier (Party of the European Left), Bas Eickhout (European Green Party), Valeriu Ghilețchi (European Christian Political Movement), Maylis Roßberg (European Free Alliance), Nicolas Schmit (Party of European Socialists), Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party) and Anders Vistisen (Identity and Democracy Party).
Key topics: The debate will center around climate change, security and democracy, says my colleague and co-moderator Barbara Moens. You can watch and follow along via POLITICO’s live blog from 7 p.m. And don’t forget to submit your own questions here.
Call me “Ursula”: Ahead of tonight’s big showdown, von der Leyen launched her new campaign website on Friday. It features bright orange and purple hues and a spiffy new logo — a spinning circle of golden stars that references the EU flag and features the “Ursula 2024” slogan, as Barbara reports in an essential piece out this morning.
Eyes emoji — Do those colors and the spinning logo seem familiar? Maybe Team von der Leyen was subconsciously inspired by UKIP, the Brexit-backing party made famous by arch Euroskeptic Nigel Farage. Judge for yourself.
Homage to UKIP aside: The “personal” element is key to von der Leyen’s bid for a second term, Alexander Winterstein, the campaign’s chief spokesperson, told reporters on Friday. “People know her as Commission president,” Winterstein said. “What people may know less about is who she actually is as a person … Who is Ursula von der Leyen?”
Germans may remember this: The strategy to focus more on von der Leyen’s personality and family may surprise the Brussels bubble — but not Germans. Back in 2008, when she was Germany’s family minister, von der Leyen allowed actor Hugh Jackman pull her out of a trash can, as Barbara notes in her piece. It’s a contrast to the past five years, when von der Leyen’s public persona was all self-discipline, work ethic and sleeping in the Berlaymont. Read the story in full here.
EU TO SANCTION RUSSIAN GAS
TARGETING PUTIN’S LNG BILLIONS: The European Commission is in talks with EU governments to hit Russian liquefied natural gas exports as part of a 14th sanctions package, POLITICO’s Victor Jack reported on Friday.
The problem: Moscow’s LNG exports to the EU have continued to increase despite the war, and Russia is building additional export terminals to boost sales further, as Wirtschaftswoche reported.
Russia’s offer meets willing demand: While some EU countries, such as Germany, have decided to totally phase out Russian gas imports, the gas is still coming in via Belgium, France and Spain, which have increased their purchases. Belgium’s Zeebrugge is the biggest port of entry.
Time to act: Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck last week hinted at those double standards, as my colleague Hans von der Burchard reports in today’s Berlin Playbook. If Germany can afford to stop using Russian gas, this must also be “reasonable for other EU countries,” Habeck said.
Rome on board: Italy can also do without Russian LNG, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin told my colleague Hannah Roberts in an interview.
Circumvention crackdown: Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera argued last month that it was hard for Madrid to ban Russian LNG if it could still come in via other EU countries, and called for a “joint approach” to the problem. “We will be insisting on that… we need it as soon as possible,” she said.
Brussels’ plan: The Commission will propose banning the onward sale of Russian LNG from EU ports, to avoid circumvention. It also plans to impose an import ban on three new Russian LNG terminals, diplomats told Victor.
Soft approach: But Brussels is only addressing half the problem — existing LNG imports will continue, because some EU countries still fear rising energy prices.
First step: Still, a ban on transhipment and resale in EU ports could hurt Moscow, as it will likely raise pressure on those that are still buying Russian gas. It’s also likely a first step before a total phaseout.
Next steps: This week, the Commission wants to pull together a written proposal for the new sanctions package, with EU permanent representatives set to discuss it at their weekly meeting Wednesday week.
ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE: Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi announced Kyiv’s troops had withdrawn from their positions in Donetsk as Russia surges ahead there. “The situation at the front has worsened,” Syrskyi said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a fresh plea to international partners to speed up arms deliveries and start EU and NATO entry talks.
NOW READ THIS — MOLDOVA’S ENERGY LEVER: Moldova gets cut-rate Russian energy via Transnistria, the Kremlin-backed separatist region. The link allows Russia to preserve control over the strategic strip of land along the Ukrainian border, where its troops are stationed despite Moldova’s objections. For the first time in three decades, Moldova has the means to cut the energy link to its breakaway territory — but the dilemma is how to do that without unleashing a humanitarian crisis. Gabriel Gavin has the must-read story.
FOCUS ON SPAIN
WILL SÁNCHEZ STAY OR WILL HE GO? After five days of silence, Pedro Sánchez will today announce whether he will resign as Spain’s leader.
Permacrisis: If Sánchez decides to stay, he may call a confidence vote — which he would likely win with the same majority with which he was elected. But, as a blunt editorial in El País notes, a lack of confidence in parliament is not the biggest issue facing Sánchez’s government. Spain cannot afford to live in a constant state of emergency, the paper argues.
The real headache: The snap May 12 election in Catalonia could result in the Catalan Socialists excluding Carles Puigdemont’s separatist Junts party from the regional government. That could have significant repercussions in Madrid: Puigdemont has threatened to withdraw his support for Sánchez’s government and to back motions from the opposition.
What it boils down to: Sánchez is increasingly cornered by his fragile deal with the Catalan separatists, who insist on additional financial and political concessions. An investigation into Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez over a possible conflict of interest also threatens to weaken the PM ahead of the Catalan and EU elections.
Opposition wrong-footed: But if Sánchez does resign, the move could significantly wound the right and far-right opposition, whose campaigns focus on being anti-Sánchez.
Fake news with real consequences: In a letter announcing his possible resignation last week, Sánchez mentioned personal attacks against his wife. Sánchez and his family have been subjected to an avalanche of wildly fake rumors on social media, including false claims that Gómez is actually a man, and that her family owns a network of sex clubs and is engaged in international drug smuggling operations.
Feeding the monster: Yet in a sign of how politicians themselves can’t escape that new ecosystem in which reality and fiction appear side by side, Sánchez published his letter announcing his possible resignation not on his official website or via a newspaper, but on X.
Impact on EU top jobs: Sánchez’s exit would also have an impact on the EU top jobs race. Rumors have swirled for weeks that Sánchez could run for a top post, such as president of the European Council, succeeding Charles Michel. Meanwhile, as my colleague Aitor Hernández-Morales writes, the Socialists and Democrats’ ability to influence the top job negotiations will likely be weakened if Sánchez, one of the bloc’s most senior and powerful Socialist prime ministers, isn’t in the room when those talks happen.
IN OTHER NEWS
HAPPENING TODAY — EU BUDGET CONFAB: The debate over the bloc’s next seven-year spending plan begins today, when bigwigs gather for the Annual EU Budget Conference. Things are going to get messy, as demands grow for the Union to focus spending on areas that get it ready for war, Gregorio Sorgi and Barbara Moens report this morning.
GERMAN COUP TRIAL BEGINS TODAY: Nine men go on trial today in Stuttgart in connection with the Reichsbürger plot. They’ve been charged with high treason, attempted murder and plotting a violent coup. Reuters has more.
ICYMI — AFDGATE LATEST: The office of far-right German MEP Maximilian Krah, who is embroiled in espionage and corruption allegations, accessed “sensitive” documents from the European Parliament’s trade committee via an internal online system, committee Chair Bernd Lange confirmed to POLITICO.
KUSHNER TOWER OPENS SERB WOUNDS: Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner plans to redevelop an informal memorial to the 1999 NATO bombing of Belgrade. For many Serbs, it’s as if the Taliban wanted to build a luxury apartment compound on the site of New York’s Twin Towers, reports POLITICO’s Una Hajdari.