Poker game begins in Eastern Mediterranean
Greece has proposed creating a forum of coastal states in the East Mediterranean, where American interest in energy resources is intensifying, but the initiative has already drawn objections from Turkey over Cyprus’ participation.
FM Gerapetritis hopeful for an agreement on Mt Sinai monastery
Egypt and Greece have arrived at a “preliminary understanding” about the status of St. Catherine’s monastery at Mt Sinai, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told state Athens and Macedonian News Agency Saturday.
Androulakis: Inconceivable for Turkiye to be part of the European defence architecture
Europe is up against serious geopolitical, economic and social challenges, main opposition PASOK-KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis said in a statement on Saturday at the Party of European Socialists’ Congress in Amsterdam. The only solution, he stressed, was “a progressive plan with solidarity and mutual understanding.” Talking about his meeting on Friday with European Council President Antonio Costa, Androulakis said that he presented PASOK’s position that “Russian revisionism cannot be dealt with differently than Turkish revisionism” and that “for us, any participation by Turkiye in the European Defence Architecture is therefore inconceivable.”
Controversial labor bill passed by Parliament with government majority
Parliament on Thursday ratified a controversial Labor Ministry bill that critics say paves the way for a 13-hour workday. The legislation was passed by the government majority with 158 votes in the 300-seat House. The “nays” came to 109, while leftist opposition SYRIZA refused to participate in the vote, which was carried out by roll-call.
ATHEX: Index counts loss of 5.81% in one week
A week with wall-to-wall losses for the Greek stock market, in line with its eurozone peers, very nearly ended in a selling spree on Friday, though the latter half of the day’s session contained the losses of many stocks and the benchmark, preventing a major drop. Even so, the main index fell below 2,000 points, and the international worries about the credit sector, given conditions in the US, will likely continue to put pressure on the biggest category at Athinon Avenue.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1284175/athex-index-counts-loss-of-5-81-in-one-week
SUNDAY PAPERS
KATHIMERINI: The poker game regarding the Mediterranean begins
TO VIMA: Double-ballot strategy for the next general election
REAL NEWS: The new Gaza and Athens’ role
PROTO THEMA: In search of the second party
MONDAY PAPERS:
TA NEA: Louvre: The heist of the century
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Mitsotakis: The high priest of lies
KONTRA NEWS: The Turks are now demanding negotiations about the Aegean Sea!
DIMOKRATIA: Turkey proposes joint exploitation of the Aegean
NAFTEMPORIKI: Double bet for the increase of investments
DRIVING THE DAY: UKRAINE
EU LEADERS EMBRACE ZELENSKYY AFTER TOUGH TRUMP MEETING: European leaders are rallying around Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a disappointing encounter with Donald Trump in the White House. The Ukrainian president is expected to participate in a top-level gathering later this week in Brussels, according to two people briefed on the European Council meeting’s preparations.
Huddle with the home team: Zelenskyy will seek to “galvanize support” from the EU in the wake of the Washington summit, during which a Trump aide demanded Ukraine hand Donbas to Russia as part of a peace deal, leaving Kyiv “unhappy,” according to two people familiar with the White House talks and planning for Thursday’s EUCO in Brussels.
Playing it down: An EU diplomat said the encounter had not been “as bleak as reported,” but still demonstrated that Trump’s position on Ukraine keeps changing.
Just one call away: “American weapons remain absolutely crucial for Ukraine’s defense,” the EU diplomat said. “But with a single phone call, Putin appears to have changed President Trump’s mind on Ukraine once again.”
“Four days ago, we were discussing Tomahawk missiles; now, the focus is on Ukraine making territorial concessions. It falls to Europe to ensure that the next shift in Trump’s position goes in Ukraine’s favor,” the same diplomat said.
Standing with Z: That message echoed a flurry of social media posts from the leaders of Germany, the U.K., Poland, Finland and the European Council, all of whom voiced full-throated support for Ukraine. “None of us should put pressure on Zelenskyy when it comes to territorial concessions. We should all put pressure on Russia to stop its aggression,” wrote Polish PM Donald Tusk.
Only so much we can do: But EU support is likely to come in the form of warm words and a potential deal at EUCO on using Russia’s frozen assets as the basis for ramped up financial aid for Kyiv — not the powerful armaments Zelenskyy was seeking in Washington, nor even a firm pledge to back Ukraine’s full territorial integrity in any peace deal.
Indeed, absent from the European leaders’ statements was any clear pushback against the idea that Ukraine would have to give up land as part of a peace deal. Asked whether the EU’s position on this question, which has been to reject territorial concessions, remained unchanged, an EU official texted Playbook: “No comment.”
Rock, meet hard place: A second EU diplomat said the EU was in a tough spot, with “no choice” but to accept the final shape of any peace deal brokered by Trump. “We stand behind territorial integrity at this stage,” said the diplomat, adding that the EU had “no choice” but to accept the decisions on a final peace deal once they have been made.
FAC/EUCO lookahead: The shifting U.S. position raises the stakes of the gathering of foreign ministers in Luxembourg today and the EUCO summit kicking off Thursday in Brussels, where ministers and leaders will zero in on plans to mobilize Russia’s frozen assets in the form of a “reparation loan” to Ukraine.
Slowly does it: However, per three EU diplomats who briefed journalists ahead of the gatherings, chances of a quick deal to unleash the assets are slim given ongoing concerns from Belgium, where most of the assets are stored, and Hungary’s staunch opposition.
Meanwhile, trepidation is growing in EU capitals over a planned but as yet unscheduled meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest (catch up here on the complications the Russian leader will face in getting there).
The subs that stack: In a lengthy Substack post on Friday, Balazs Orbán — political director to the Hungarian PM, no relation — argued “there is a real risk that European leaders will not even be invited to the negotiating table.”
The bottom line: It’s hard to argue with him on that score. Europe is once again in danger of being left on the sidelines, and bearing the costs, as Trump pursues his aggressive form of conflict diplomacy.
NOW READ THIS: Jacopo Barigazzi, Aitor Hernández-Morales and Gabriel Gavin explain how the upcoming EUCO summit is all about fending off the far right with its focus on issues like migration, housing and cutting EU red tape.
ENLARGEMENT CHARGE
NEW PLAN TO LIMIT VOTING RIGHTS OF NEXT EU MEMBERS: In this exclusive piece out today, Hans von der Burchard and your Playbook author report on a new initiative to unblock the EU’s enlargement process by limiting the voting rights of potential new joiners by removing their veto.
Thinking outside the box: Currently under consideration in Brussels, the initiative is at an early stage and would require support from all EU leaders to become reality. But it’s already garnered backing from countries that are ready to think outside the box to get around Hungary’s determined opposition to Ukraine joining the bloc.
Try something, anything: The idea is that by removing the veto, the EU could win over countries which fear new members could hijack major aspects of the bloc’s foreign policy (any resemblance to Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, is purely coincidental).
Positive feedback: The plan for new members to join without full voting rights would “ensure that we remain capable of acting even in an enlarged EU,” said Anton Hofreiter, chair of the German Bundestag’s European Affairs Committee. “From discussions with representatives of the Western Balkan states, I am receiving clear signals that this approach is considered constructive and viable.”
Ready, Player 2: The push comes after EU countries shot down an attempt by European Council President António Costa, first reported by POLITICO, earlier this month to move ahead with expansion, and coincides with growing frustration among EU candidate countries.
Let’s go: “If the EU does not step up its game, we will lose ground to third actors who are already waiting to take our place,” warned Claudia Plakolm, Austria’s Europe minister.
INTERVIEW — UKRAINE REMAINS UPBEAT ON EU TALKS BY YEAR-END: On the same theme, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka told Playbook that Kyiv was banking on a breakthrough in its membership process at a December gathering of EU leaders.
Christmas present? “I believe that member states will find a solution in December,” he said after sharing notes on Ukraine’s internal reforms with EU national representatives. Read the interview here.
PHASING OUT RUSSIAN ENERGY
STEPPING ON THE GAS: Energy ministers from all 27 EU member countries will today be asked to sign off on landmark proposals to ban the import of Russian gas by 2027 — plans that put the bloc’s leadership on a collision course with Kremlin-friendly Hungary and Slovakia. The two countries fiercely oppose the move, which can be forced through with a qualified majority of support from capitals, circumventing their no. Full details here.
Time to decide: Gabriel Gavin is in Luxembourg following developments in the Council and spoke with Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, who vowed he will “make sure the EU no longer imports one single molecule of Russian gas in the future. And I count on the member states to support this effort. Today we have a key chance … to bring this unprecedented ambition closer to reality,” he said.
No backing down: But it has already been an uphill struggle to convince other countries, including France, that new rules designed to prevent Russian gas slipping in the back door won’t create unnecessary red tape for businesses. A draft of the latest proposal, obtained by POLITICO, reveals the Commission is not bowing to critics, and four diplomats say they expect the measures to be passed regardless.
Taking on Orbán and Fico: While most EU countries have slashed their dependency on Moscow, anger is growing at those who refuse.“Billions of euros have been paid … by Hungary and Slovakia to Russia,” said Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas. “They are using this for their war machine.” However, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has promised to hold up the passage of more sanctions on Russia and a discussion on support for Ukraine at this week’s EUCO in retribution. More on that from Victor Jack.
SHADOW FLEET: Meanwhile, a new internal options paper developed by the EU’s External Action Service and obtained by Jacopo ahead of the FAC reveals Brussels wants to strengthen powers to board tankers illegally shipping Russian oil and gas in violation of sanctions. Details here.
FRANCE WOBBLES ON ENGINE BAN
PARIS WANTS FLEXIBILITY: France will put forward a discussion on the 2035 de-facto combustion engine ban at Tuesday’s Environment Council meeting in Luxembourg, a French official told my colleague Jordyn Dahl. “We want to get it back in the right forum,” the person said.
Pressure ramps up: Germany and Italy wrote to the Commission to call for a radical overhaul of the legislation, stopping just short of campaigning for it to be reversed entirely, as we reported earlier this month.
Not a done deal: Germany’s coalition between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats remains divided. While the CDU campaigned on undoing the ban, the SPD wants it to remain.
A similar proposal: France’s peace offering to Germany and its supporters mirrors the SPD’s demands. It is going to offer automakers that meet certain local content requirements flexibility to use alternative fuels, hybrids or range extenders past 2035. But the emissions target cannot change, the French official said, because “2035 is a symbol that we want to keep.”
KEEPING UP WITH THE SOCIALISTS
BIG BASH RECAP: The Party of European Socialists met over the weekend in Amsterdam to plot how to battle the right-wing surge across the continent. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez — the sole Socialist PM to show up — was praised as the savior of social democracy in Europe, with leaders tripping over themselves to get a handshake, Max Griera reports.
But the real talk of the town … was the upcoming midterm Parliament reshuffle, when all the institution’s top jobs will be up for grabs. Socialist MEPs told Max they expect the European People’s Party to try to keep the European Parliament presidency, despite a power-sharing agreement signed after the 2024 EU election that ought to see it go to the S&D.
Publicly, the Socialists are standing their ground, with party boss Stefan Löfven insisting the agreement stands. “If they want a decent working environment in Brussels, they need to stick to the deal,” Löfven told Max.
REACH-OUT EFFORTS
BEIJING ON THE LINE: EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is set to talk to his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on Tuesday, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed to my colleague Camille Gijs on Sunday, as tensions between Brussels and Beijing heat up over China’s expanded export controls over critical minerals.
Stronger together? The EU, Canada and the U.K. are mulling a coordinated response at the G7 level to Beijing’s tightening grip over the critical materials, my POLITICO colleagues report.
BEIJING BOUND: A delegation from the European Parliament is planning an official visit to Beijing in May, despite the fact the first meeting in seven years between the two sides last week ending with huge tensions. (The Chinese delegation told lawmakers that NATO’s existence is to blame for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and that NATO is unnecessary and its rearmament poses a threat, the Parliament’s China delegation Chair Engin Eroglu told Max.)
Long-term therapy: “Many issues have accumulated, and both sides now need to gain a better understanding of how each other’s systems function,” said Eroglu, who will travel to China in November to lay the ground for the future visit. The Parliament is also pondering whether to invite Chinese representatives “to a special session in December dedicated to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Eroglu said.
MOSCOW MONTHLIES: Meanwhile, Luxembourgish MEP Fernand Kartheiser announced on Sunday evening that he has independently agreed with Leonid Slutsky, chair of the Russian Duma’s international affairs committee, to hold monthly meetings between select MEPs and Duma members, following an initial meeting on Oct. 1. Backstory here.
IN OTHER NEWS
CEASEFIRE WOBBLES: Israel announced last night that it was once again observing the ceasefire after bombing several Hamas targets in Gaza on Sunday — a reminder of just how fragile the situation remains.
Meanwhile, in Luxembourg … the EU’s foreign ministers will mull the question of what to do about Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed sanctions against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Spoiler alert: European capitals are rallying around the Trump peace plan, and EU leaders are expected to shelve the sanctions at this week’s Council summit, Jacopo Barigazzi and Gabriel Gavin report.
Two states: Meanwhile, the EU is pushing to maximize the EU’s leverage in the implementation of the Washington-brokered agreement. A note from the EU’s External Action Service — obtained by Jacopo and Gabriel — outlines steps to ensure the bloc’s positions remain respected, including continued support for a two-state solution.
SIMPLIFICATION DRIVE: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is determined to deliver votes on two of the biggest bills in the EU’s simplification drive before the end of this week, a Parliament official told Playbook. While the Left group is likely to protest against both files, if all goes to Metsola’s plan they are expected to pass muster during a vote on Wednesday — in time for EUCO.
SEE YOU IN COURT: The European Central Bank’s staff union is taking the bank to court, accusing ECB management of trying to silence and intimidate its representatives, Johanna Treeck reports.
FUN ONE: My colleague Pieter Haeck asked three different AI chatbots to imagine they’re a top adviser to Ursula von der Leyen and to suggest ways to handle the Commission’s chief’s thorniest political and policy queries. Check out the results.