SYRIZA MPs ready to follow ex-leader
After the initial surprise and doubts, most of the now 25 SYRIZA party MPs have reacted positively to the resignation of their former leader Alexis Tsipras and his push for a broad left-of-center coalition to challenge the ruling conservatives.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/1283152/syriza-mps-ready-to-follow-ex-leader
BoG Governor Stournaras: Slow insolvency proceedings seriously impact financing of the real economy
The Governor of the Bank of Greece Yannis Stournaras, speaking at the scientific conference of the Think Tank Group for the Modernisation of Justice held at the Ministry of Justice, stressed that “despite the progress made recently, Greece is one of the countries with the lowest efficiency of the judicial system in the European Union.”
New Democracy reinstates MP expelled for insulting Konstantopoulou
Drama MP Dimitris Kyriazidis has been reinstated in the ruling New Democracy’s parliamentary group, Parliament announced on Wednesday. Kyriazidis was expelled in early March after insulting Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of the Course of Freedom party, during a no-confidence debate against the government. As Konstantopoulou addressed Parliament from the podium, Kyriazidis, a former police officer, shouted, “Go have a baby.” Mitsotakis later apologized to Konstantopoulou “on behalf of the party.”
Heating oil rates at roughly the same level as last year
The sale of heating oil begins next Wednesday, October 15, with the starting price estimated at around 1.11-1.12 euros per liter. Although the rate remains almost unchanged from last year, its final configuration will depend on international markets and the euro/dollar exchange rate.
ATHEX: Athinon Avenue celebrates its upgrade
FTSE Russell gave the Greek stock market the upgrade that Athinon Avenue had been expecting late on Tuesday, taking it back to the fold of developed bourses as of September 21, 2026, after more than a decade among emerging ones. While the firm’s move was widely expected, it still generated some more growth in prices on Wednesday, in the face of further political uncertainty in France.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1283275/athex-athinon-avenue-celebrates-its-upgrade
KATHIMERINI: Greece maintains no record of medical mistakes
TA NEA: Former PM and New Democracy leader Samaras is burning his bridges with PM Mitsotakis and his former party
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: A gift for Netanyahu
RIZOSPASTIS: Traps of death in working spaces due to “flexibility” and the extreme extension of working hours
KONTRA NEWS: Italian Hellenic Train company humiliated Alternate Transport Minister Kyranakis
DIMOKRATIA: Former PM Samaras cannot stand PM Mitsotakis
NAFTEMPORIKI: The lucky ones regarding the newly reduced tax-criteria
DRIVING THE DAY: VDL’S NO-CONFIDENCE SHOWDOWN
EUROPE’S ULTIMATE SURVIVOR: Today brings another tightrope test for Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. She’s walking a thin line while MEPs on her far left and right try to pull her down. Perpetually precarious, but she’s still standing.
Motion sickness: The mood in Parliament has changed since July, when von der Leyen accused critics of doing Moscow’s bidding during the last censure motion. Two months later, and von der Leyen is now facing two new censure motions — and changing her tone. But it can always get worse.
Socialist threat: Prominent German Social Democrat René Repasi dropped this bombshell during an interview with Playbook’s own Sarah Wheaton in Strasbourg: von der Leyen “has to deliver; there might be in the future an S&D motion if we do not see that.”
Asked when that moment might come, the MEP replied: “I’d say if in half a year’s time we see that nothing of the promises related to S&D priorities was implemented, that might be the moment when critical voices rise again.”
Strassed out: Unless she tackles the growing dissatisfaction with her leadership, Strasbourg could turn into a nightmare for von der Leyen, with endless challenge to her position. My colleague Max Griera goes through five tribes of MEPs with very different views but one thing in common: they’re all giving von der Leyen headaches.
TODAY’S CHOREOGRAPHY: The action starts around noon (give or take, it’s the Parliament, after all). Two motions are on the table: the first from the Patriots for Europe’s Jordan Bardella, the second from The Left’s Manon Aubry and others. (Both are French, which isn’t a coincidence — these motions are as much about domestic politics as they are about Brussels.)
Which group will get more votes against VDL? It’s an interesting internal duel, as the two groups don’t exactly get along (otherwise they’d have put forward one motion together). Only a few on The Left plan to back the far-right motion. The Patriots are more open-minded: as far-right MEP Roberto Vannacci ominously told me in a Parliament hallway, “I vote against von der Leyen every time, even for motions pushed by vampires. Even werewolves.”
The math: To oust the Commission, a motion needs a double majority: two-thirds of votes cast and a majority of all MEPs. With 720 lawmakers in total, that means to pass, a motion requires at least 361 yeses — and two-thirds of all votes cast. It’s a very high bar, rarely reached in practice. Meaning von der Leyen will be safe by day’s end (though it could just be the calm before a possible storm).
SO DOES ANYONE CARE? Because the vote is a test of von der Leyen’s leadership and balance of power. Here’s what to watch …
The number of votes against the motions, which will be von der Leyen’s clearest show of strength. She got 401 votes when she was confirmed as Commission chief in July 2024. There were 360 votes cast against the last censure motion in July, demonstrating a dip in support. Another fall would signal erosion.
The number of votes in favor of the motions: A total of 175 MEPs voted to oust von der Leyen last time round — “our objective is 200 this time,” a Left official told me.
Group dynamics: Zoom out to see how the Socialists vote (more on their changing tone below), whether the Greens still stand by von der Leyen despite getting little in return, and if the ECR splits again.
OMNIMESS
THEY CAVED. In what’s arguably the policy story of the week, the Socialists and Democrats folded under pressure from the European People’s Party after it threatened to team up with the far right to push through sweeping cuts to the EU’s green rules.
Close to collapse: After a whirlwind day of negotiations, the EPP, Renew and S&D finally struck a deal Wednesday evening on how far to roll back green rules for business. But the compromise came at a price.
Previously, on The Real Housewives of Strasbourg: Political groups have been wrangling for months over the Parliament’s position on von der Leyen’s flagship omnibus simplification package (don’t ask where that name came from, no one really knows), which is, in a nutshell, the Commission’s plan to slash red tape for companies. The talks, which are led by the EPP, haven’t gone well.
Signature move: True to form, the EPP used its favorite pressure tactic: threatening to form a majority with the far right to force its coalition partners into line, this time over how much to dilute the EU’s sustainability reporting and supply chain transparency rules.
Talks hit a wall when EPP negotiator Jörgen Warborn gave colleagues two options: 1) a deal backed by the European Conservatives & Reformists, Patriots and other sovereignists — slashing the rules dramatically; 2) a milder rollback, still cutting deep but with fewer wounds. Renew showed some interest in Option 2 (with caveats), but the S&D refused.
The grownups are talking: The leaders of the EPP, Renew and S&D, Manfred Weber, Valérie Hayer and Iratxe García, huddled on Wednesday to break the impasse, per four Parliament officials. Three of them later confirmed there was no deal.
Plot twist: Faced with no good options, the Socialists blinked. “The S&D has taken this decision with responsibility and unity. This compromise is not our preferred option, but the alternative was a worse EPP agreement with the far right,” said García’s spokesperson, Andrea Maceiras.
Wolters out: The move prompted Socialist MEP Lara Wolters, who had led the file for her group, to quit. “The last five years I have given all I could in a fight for responsible companies that respect people and planet. I will never stop fighting against injustice, and for the values that are close to my heart,” she said. But the current circumstances made her position as shadow rapporteur on the file untenable, she said.
Hot take: This was a clear win for the EPP, which only last week warned Socialists and liberals it would vote with the far right unless they gave ground. Read more from Marianne and Max here. But there’s more …
MERZ AND SÁNCHEZ GOT THE SOCIALISTS TO FOLD: The sudden agreement can be traced back to a powerful dynamic at work. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez teamed up to force the S&D’s hand on the omnibus bill, as Max and my Berlin Playbook colleagues Rasmus Buchsteiner and Hans von der Burchard report.
Do something, Pedro: Merz, who is pushing to speed up cutting red tape amid worsening economic data at home, went to Madrid three weeks ago and asked Sánchez to intervene with the S&D, where the Spanish Socialists are not only the biggest force but also hold the leadership, according to two people with knowledge of the discussion.
We should’ve seen it coming: Back then, Merz even predicted precisely what would happen, telling reporters that since the S&D is “led by a Spaniard” (García) and the EPP is “led by a German” (Weber), he and Sánchez would “work very closely together” to ensure cooperation between the groups on laws like “the first omnibus proposals.”
WEBER’S GRIP SLIPS
IT’S NOT EASY KEEPING EUROPE’S BIGGEST POLITICAL FAMILY IN LINE: This week, Manfred Weber faced a series of challenges to his authority that raise questions about his control of the EPP and ability to deliver on deals. Here’s the case for that, courtesy of Max Griera and me.
Exhibit A: 2040 target defiance. During a high-stakes meeting on Wednesday, the French, Poles, Spanish and Italians openly challenged the position of Weber and his German delegation on how far to go to water down the 2040 emission reduction target, according to two EPP officials. The Germans don’t like the 2040 goal — which is in line with von der Leyen’s program — but they’re facing mounting opposition.
Exhibit B: Stodgy veggie burgers. French EPP lawmakers scored a win this week by voting in favor of a ban on using meat-related terms like “burger,” “sausage,” or “steak” for plant-based and lab-grown products — sparking backlash from liberals, Greens and Socialists. The move came after Weber appeared to distance himself from the measure at a Tuesday press conference, saying: “That’s not a priority. We have more important things to do … People aren’t stupid when they go to the supermarket.”
Exhibit C: Corporate green rules. Before a meeting with the S&D’s García to hash out a deal on corporate sustainability reporting rules, EPP lead negotiator Warborn emailed all 719 of his fellow MEPs saying his group would ditch the Socialists and side with the far right to pile on pressure — without coordinating with Weber, as Warborn later admitted to POLITICO. Sure, the move blew up the talks and saw the Socialists cave to EPP demands. But Weber’s team freelancing on sensitive intergroup negotiations doesn’t exactly scream total control.
GLOBAL GATE-WHAT?
WHAT VDL’S DOING TODAY: The president of the European Commission won’t be in Strasbourg today when MEPs vote on censuring her College. Instead, Ursula von der Leyen spending the morning at the Global Gateway Forum, where she’s due to speak at 9 a.m. The two-day event gathers EU and third-country governments, banks and private-sector heavyweights — over 150 C-suite types in total — for what Brussels calls a “flagship investment forum.”
Seriously though, what is it? I burned half a day pestering organizers and Commission officials to get a straight answer. Here’s what you need to know …
Keep an ear on von der Leyen’s speech, as she’s expected to signal a shift in the EU’s development playbook — from old-school aid and grants to investment-driven partnerships designed to attract private money.
That heavy private-sector presence isn’t accidental. With development budgets tightening globally, Brussels wants to crowd in private investors to help plug the financing gap — and to make the EU a more strategic, value-driven player on the global stage (especially with Washington cutting back).
Brussels goes global-ish. Here’s a sneak peek of the flagship projects the EU will consider crucial today: the Lobito Corridor, a trade route linking southern Africa’s mineral riches to the Atlantic; MAV+, an initiative to boost vaccine and med-tech manufacturing in Africa; and the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) — Brussels’ answer to China’s Belt and Road?
ENLARGEMENT (SORT OF)
UKRAINE’S EU GAMBLE: In a dispatch from Kyiv, Bartosz Brzeziński reports on Ukrainians’ fears that Europe’s waning attention could cost them their EU dream. Oleksandr Korniyenko, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top man in the Ukrainian parliament, cast accession as existential. “For us, joining the EU is not just about the single market, it’s a security guarantee,” he said.
But those ambitions hinge in part on Kyiv proving it can deliver reforms — especially on corruption, one of the EU’s red-line conditions. Korniyenko conceded missteps. This summer’s law that gutted Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs — championed by his party and signed by Zelenskyy — triggered the first mass protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion, forcing the president into a rapid U-turn and new legislation to restore the agencies’ independence.
Oops, our bad: “We are not ideal … sometimes we promote bad decisions, sometimes we can fix them, sometimes not,” Korniyenko said. The episode, he added, proved civil society can still hold politicians to account, even under martial law.
Don’t raise hopes: Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a former deputy prime minister for European integration under then-President Petro Poroshenko, offered a sharper warning. She cautioned against “raising false hopes” with promises of a 2029, 2030 or 2031 EU entry, saying disappointment could erode public support and give an opening to pro-Russia voices.
Show me the money: She argued that if EU leaders are serious about 2030 as a target date, then the bloc’s next long-term budget should already reflect enlargement. “Right now, we don’t see it,” she said. If you’re a POLITICO Pro subscriber, read Bartosz’s full report from Kyiv here — or snag a copy in our print magazine today.
HIGH FASHION, LOW TEMPERATURES: Wednesday’s Playbook flagged Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s speech to the European Parliament (though we didn’t expect him to turn up in such style). Nielsen spoke about “a dramatic year for Greenland.” Write-up here.
No thank EU: Every Greenlander grows up learning how to right a capsized kayak — an essential Arctic survival skill known as the Greenland Roll. The EU, however, is no Greenland Roll for Greenland. Despite showing interest in a stronger trade partnership with the bloc on energy and critical minerals, Nielsen made clear after his speech that Greenland won’t be climbing aboard the EU ship anytime soon. “Let me say this clearly: We are not going to join another country … Right now, we have no plan to be a member of the EU.”
IN OTHER NEWS
PARIS WRAP: How can you not love French politics these days? Emmanuel Macron says he’ll name a new prime minister within 48 hours. Marine Le Pen vows her party will vote to topple whoever he picks. And Bruno Le Maire has somehow become France’s new scapegoat-in-chief. Marion Solletty and Tim Ross write that all of it means the EU’s worst nightmare has never looked so real.
BELGIUM’S RED LINES: Belgium has laid out its red lines for using Russian assets to fund a €140 billion reparations loan to Ukraine. Details here.
CALL TO ACTION: Europe must do more to counter rising aggression and collaborate on defense, argue several former bosses of European defense/transport firms in an op-ed published in the Times, among other papers.