Three cooperation memoranda signed at 4th Greece-Cyprus-Jordan trilateral summit
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Jordan’s King Abdullah II to discuss trilateral cooperation and prospects for joint initiatives in civil protection, connectivity, and energy. The meeting took place during the 4th Cyprus-Greece-Jordan Summit in Nicosia.
Mitsotakis: Turkiye insists on its positions and we insist on ours
The 2025 budget confirms the positive outlook of the Greek economy, with growth rates well above the European average, stable public finances, and a debt that is being reduced, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with Alpha TV late on Wednesday, adding that the budget provides for 12 tax cuts.
PASOK chief files new lawsuit over phone tap attempts
PASOK chief Nikos Androulakis has filed a new lawsuit in connection with attempts to illegally tap his phone with Predator spyware in 2021, when he was serving in the European Parliament and running for the leadership of the center-left party.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1254661/pasok-chief-files-new-lawsuit-over-phone-tap-attempts
ND holds steady lead, PASOK entrenched in second place, poll reveals
A new nationwide survey by Pulse showed ruling New Democracy maintaining a significant lead, with socialist PASOK solidifying its position in second place.
ATHEX: Traders choose to reap profits
The momentum from the ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to end on Wednesday, and the benchmark of the Greek stock market succumbed to its first losses after five consecutive days of growth during which it had grown by over 3%. Banks were at the center of the profit-taking process. The rest of the week is certain to see significantly reduced action, due to Thursday’s holiday in the US followed by a half-day on Friday, also affecting European bourse trading volume.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1254714/athex-traders-choose-to-reap-profits
KATHIMERINI: Black Friday: The traps of the hunt for offers
TA NEA: Free health check: SMS for cardiological screening
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Parody investigation into the railway accident that was averted at the last moment
RIZOSPASTIS: Bill on minimum wage: Workers demand that the government withdraws the “abominable” law
KONTRA NEWS: Greek pilots go to Ukraine
DIMOKRATIA: Auctions of seized assets spiked 205% in 2 years
NAFTEMPORIKI: The consequences of the war in Ukraine remain an open wound
DRIVING THE DAY: COMMISSIONERS GET TO WORK
THE WAIT IS OVER — LET THE NEW WAIT BEGIN: After an election period of epic proportions that started way back in the spring, the next European Commission will take office on Sunday — and finally get to work solving the EU’s thorniest problems, from a sluggish economy, an eastern flank threatened by Russia and rising far-right anti-immigrant populism. “We are eager to start,” President Ursula von der Leyen told journalists on Wednesday in Strasbourg.
Final steps: The European Council will sign the new Commission into law today, with the College due to begin work on Dec. 1.
Waiting for God Knows: In the meantime, another waiting game with huge ramifications for the EU has already begun: Brussels is waiting for Donald Trump’s administration to take office on Jan. 20 and for the German election on Feb. 23. (Not to mention, the French government is teetering over a budget vote.)
Despite all the earnest pronouncements about the EU taking its future into its own hands, few hard decisions can be taken before Germany has elected a new chancellor (all eyes are on the CDU’s Friedrich Merz), or until more clarity is shed on what Trump’s White House intends to do with Ukraine. And speaking of …
TRUMP PICKS RUSSIA-UKRAINE ENVOY: The U.S. president-elect overnight named retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg to oversee negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The 80-year-old championed a plan over the summer to force both sides to the table: aid to Kyiv would be contingent on its participation in peace negotiations, while Russian President Vladimir Putin would be warned that the U.S. would boost support for Ukraine if the Kremlin refuses talks.
STRASBOURG WRAP
VDL’S LUKEWARM WIN: When the vote to elect the new 27 European commissioners — known collectively as the College — came Wednesday in Strasbourg, it was far from a resounding mandate for Team VDL.
A total of 370 MEPs voted in favor, with 282 against. That’s way fewer than the 401 MEPs who voted for von der Leyen in July. In fact, it was the weakest result in decades for a team of commissioners, as this handy chart from Giovanna Coi and Max Griera shows. “We wanted to show strength to the world but we ended up showing weakness at home,” lamented one MEP who voted “yes.”
EU 101 — Vote for yourself when you came: Four MEPs voted in favor of the team of commissioners they themselves will be part of, according to the Parliament’s voting results. That’s Romania’s Roxana Mînzatu, Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius, Finland’s Henna Virkkunen and Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen. Hansen told Wort’s Diego Velazquez that he initially planned not to vote, but changed his mind because he thought it would be close.
The Verdi Majority? Both the Brothers of Italy from the hard-right ECR plus a good chunk of the Greens voted for the College.
The Brussels effect in reverse: The Parliament’s tepid endorsement of VDL was partly due to national politics encroaching on the EU realm. The Spanish EPP voted no due to their objection to Teresa Ribera, the former Spanish ecological transition minister who has faced heat over the official response to the Valencia floods. On the flip side, the Italian Democratic Party voted in favor of the College, despite the fact it contains Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto, who was nominated by Giorgia Meloni, the PD’s arch-rival back home.
Madam President, we’ve lost France and Spain. Fewer than 50 percent of MEPs from France, Spain, Hungary, Belgium, Slovenia and the Czech Republic backed von der Leyen’s College. (You can add Greece and Romania to that list, if you count absent MEPs toward their lawmaker total, my colleague Hanne Cokelaere reports.)
More domestic politics: Three months before the German election, von der Leyen (who is a German CDU politician) took the steering wheel for Europe’s stalling car industry, announcing in her speech Wednesday that she would lead a big talk-shop on the future of the sector in Europe. German media leapt on it at a press conference after.
Even more: Spotted posing for a photo and cheering loudly after the vote with Spanish Socialist MEPs: Teresa Ribera.
You need a compass for that roadmap: Von der Leyen also announced a “competitiveness compass” as her “first major initiative” to boost the EU’s economy and a single law to streamline legislation about the common market.
Just so that’s clear: The “compass” will be a “frame” on three “pillars” based on the Draghi report. Playbook’s no expert on architecture, but it sounds like that could fall over.
Don’t say the T word: But the rest of the speech could have been written back when von der Leyen first announced her team in September — and perhaps it was. There was no mention of the U.S. election result, and she read out the same commissioners’ names, almost all with the same responsibilities, since none were rejected after a toothless hearings process.
Be grateful we even got here. “There were moments where it could have all collapsed,” said a Parliament official close to President Roberta Metsola, reflecting on last week’s negotiations.
Von der Leyen on the gender imbalance: “I fought tooth and nail just to ensure we got to 11 women in this College, up from five when the first set of nominations came in. And yet it is still not even half — and it is certainly not enough.”
19 minutes: The length of von der Leyen’s press conference after the vote. (She took a total of four questions.)
2 hours: The length of Viktor Orbán’s press conference in the European Parliament last month.
INSIDE THE TRANSITION
ALL CHANGE AS A NEW ERA DAWNS: The last interviews are taking place for jobs in the powerful Cabinets of the new commissioners; social media accounts are being handed over and desks packed up all over Brussels. A changing of the guard at the European Council, EEAS and Commission means job changes galore, and all the political shenanigans that come with it.
— Stefano Sannino will be the first director general for the Mediterranean, a Commission official familiar with the file told my colleague Jacopo Barigazzi. The new directorate-general will be up and running at the start of February. In the meantime Sannino, previously the sec-gen of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the bloc’s diplomatic body, will be hors classe adviser and busy with setting up the new structure. Sannino will be seconded to the Commission from the EEAS as of Jan. 1.
— Eric Mamer, chief spokesperson to Ursula von der Leyen, will deliver his final midday briefing today and introduce his successor Paula Pinho.
— Charles Michel will hand over the reins of the European Council to incoming president António Costa at a ceremony Friday afternoon, with speeches from Council staffers.
— The head of Cabinet of Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela will be Lucie Šestáková, currently Czech Coreper I ambassador. Another Czech, Veronika Musilová, will be a member of Cabinet for Costa (per Czech journalist Ondřej Houska, who revealed that scoop on hispodcast Bruselský diktát).
— Antoine Guéry, from the French perm rep, and Paola d’Amécourt, formerly in the Margrethe Vestager Cabinet, will jointly work on comms in Internal Market Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné’s Cabinet.
— Kai Wynands will join Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen’s Cabinet.
— Commission spokesperson Jördis Ferroli will become Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath’s comms adviser.
— S&D group’s Miron Podgorean joins Roxana Mînzatu’s Cabinet.
— Kaja Kallas’ Cabinet will be led by Vivian Loonela, working alongside Deputy Head of Cabinet Laure Chapuis, plus Indrek Kannik, Sibylle Bikar, Călin Ungur and Mathias Eichenlaub as comms adviser, according to a document seen by Playbook.
EEAS TO SLASH STAFF
CUTTING THE EU’S WORLDWIDE PRESENCE: One of new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’ first official tasks could be overseeing a vast reduction in the EU’s presence in dozens of countries, especially in Africa and Latin America, in plans outlined in a scoopy document obtained by my colleagues Barbara Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi. Critics of the plan say it could cede soft power terrain to unfriendly nations, Barbara and Jacopo report in this must-read story.
Why it matters, geopolitically: “There are clear worries that Russia or China could fill any vacuum we create,” one EU official said.
Why it matters, numerically: Some 800 local officials could be essentially abandoned, since relocating them is complicated. Which makes for an awkward introduction for Kallas.
COMMISSION IN-TRAY
REGIONS CHIEFS SHOW RED LINES TO FITTO: Not yet on the job as the Commission’s cohesion chief, Raffaele Fitto is already getting a taste of the power struggle between the EU’s local leaders and his new boss.
From controversy to popularity: With the new Commission ready to take office, Italy’s controversial pick is about to be one of Brussels’ most sought-after decision-makers: He’ll oversee €392 billion in cohesion funding, which is meant to reduce regional inequalities.
The €392B question: How exactly will this money be doled out?
Tug-of-war over purse strings: Von der Leyen’s idea is to make the funding contingent on economic reforms in the EU’s next seven-year budget, as POLITICO reported earlier this year, rather than previously agreed criteria. That’s not going over well with regional officials, and EU affairs ministers look ready to mount a defense as they meet to discuss cohesion today.
What’s the problem? A note by the Hungarian Council presidency, seen by Playbook, warns that overhauling the criteria would “entail a shift … to a more centralised mode of management of EU instruments.” Translation: Regions are worried that the Commission and national capitals will eat their lunch. Germany, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Slovenia hammered the same points in a separate document ahead of the meeting seen by Playbook.
MIDDLE EAST
BORRELL’S LAST PUSH FOR A 2-STATE SOLUTION: In his last major act as EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell will today push for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, as he convenes a meeting in Brussels of a global alliance for a two-state solution formed of European and Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia.
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: Playbook caught up on the phone with Samer Sinijlawi, a Palestinian politician and activist from Jerusalem who is part of an Israel-Palestine peace initiative being spearheaded by former Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser al-Kidwa and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Sinijlawi was present at a meeting that Borrell, Olmert and al-Kidwa (whose uncle is Yasser Arafat) held in Brussels on Nov. 17 before they all had dinner with the 27 EU countries’ foreign ministers. Borrell, Sinijlawi said, endorsed their plan. “There is now a sense of urgency to rescue and salvage … the two-state solution,” Sinijlawi added.
So what is the plan? The Olmert-al-Kidwa plan calls for an immediate cease-fire to end the war, the return of all hostages from Hamas captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, an autonomous transitional council to allow for a temporary Arab security presence and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarming and ceasing to rule in Gaza, elections in the West Bank and Gaza within 36 months of the plan’s start, new elections in Israel, a strengthened Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian state, an equal territory swap between Israel and Palestine, and a committee of five countries to manage the Old City of Jerusalem.
What does Borrell’s departure mean? “Maybe the new leadership of the EU will not be as critical of Israel, but this does not mean they [will give] less support to peace and the two-state solution; they will still work very hard,” Sinijlawi said.
Picking up speed: “It’s getting momentum, we have just started and we are continuing,” Sinijlawi said, mentioning a recent meeting with Pope Francis. Next stops: Governmental meetings in Oslo and Helsinki.
NOW READ THIS: Jamie Dettmer has this story on Trump’s effect on the Middle East.
DEAL OR NO DEAL
NO DEAL — SANCTIONS: The EU’s next package of Russia sanctions is going back to technical civil servants for expansion, an EU diplomat told my colleague Koen Verhelst. Ambassadors discussed the package of measures on Wednesday at their Coreper meeting, where several envoys “pushed the Commission and EEAS to add further listings,” such as individuals, companies and shady ships, the diplomat said. The ambassadors are expected to look at the package again next week, Koen reports.
NO DEAL — EDIP: EU ambassadors also didn’t reach a deal on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), several diplomats told our colleague Jacopo Barigazzi. The Hungarian presidency will give it another try during next Wednesday’s ambassadors meeting. It’s unclear whether the text will go back to the Council’s working group in the meantime to clarify some technical details. Our Defense team has obtained both the Hungarian Council presidency proposal, and the proposal put forward by Poland and the Netherlands.
ROMANIAN ELECTION FALLOUT
CRISIS TALKS: President Klaus Iohannis will hold a meeting today with the country’s top national security officials to discuss possible risks “generated by the actions of state and non-state cyber actors” in the Romanian presidential and parliamentary elections. It comes after far-right candidate Călin Georgescu seemed to come from nowhere to win the first round of the presidential ballot.
TIKTOK SHUTDOWN? With questions being raised about the role of social media in the shock first-round result, Pavel Popescu, the deputy chief of Romania’s telecoms regulator, has called for a TikTok ban. “I call for the TikTok platform to be suspended in Romania as of Nov. 28 until state institutions finalize an investigation concerning the manipulation of the electoral process,” Popescu told profit.ro, adding that he planned to start the “official process” today.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FARMERS: Georgescu, meanwhile, is campaigning on a platform of rural populism and anti-globalization. His 17-page manifesto is titled “Food, Water, Energy: A return to the roots of the Romanian nation,” and throws red meat to the agricultural sector, which makes up 23 percent of Romania’s labor force and 18 percent of the population, our Agri colleague Alessandro Ford reports.
NOW READ THIS: Seven reasons why Romanian voters are hacked off — by the numbers.
IN OTHER NEWS
PARLIAMENT AND EPPO SEAL DEAL FOR INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS: Parliament President Roberta Metsola signed a working agreement with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, allowing for smoother investigations within Parliament, Max Griera reports. The agreement lays down easier ways for the EPPO to access the Parliament’s premises, request immunity waivers of members and staff, and access to information required to conduct its investigations.
DHL PLANE CRASH UPDATE: A preliminary investigation into Monday’s cargo plane crash in Vilnius does not indicate signs of sabotage, according to Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas.
LE PEN’S DATE WITH DESTINY: The verdict on whether French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen can run in elections will be delivered on March 31, a Paris court said on Wednesday.
STARMER’S DATE WITH THE EU: António Costa, incoming president of the European Council, plans to invite U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet EU leaders to discuss security at an informal retreat in Belgium on Feb. 3, two EU officials told the FT.
FROM THE BULLET TO THE BALLOT BOX: As Irish voters prepare to vote in today’s general election, nationalist party Sinn Féin is hoping to make gains and break into government in Dublin. But the election is also being closely watched across the Atlantic.
Wearing the green: This must-read piece by Suzanne Lynch reveals how Sinn Féin has developed a sophisticated fundraising operation in the United States. Decades after the eruption of violence in Northern Ireland, funded in part by Irish-Americans, supporters of Irish Republicanism now have their eye on the next battle: a possible reunification referendum.
BIDEN PREPPING MORE AID FOR UKRAINE: U.S. President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration is preparing a $725 million weapons package for Ukraine, two U.S. officials told Reuters.
DON’T MAKE X AN EX? A senior American lawmaker representing Silicon Valley says progressives should remain engaged on Elon Musk’s social media platform X. “Not only do I stay, I use it all the time … I don’t think that the answer for progressives is to disengage,” Democrat Ro Khanna told Anne McElvoy on the Power Play podcast.