PM Mitsotakis to renew call in Brussels for European Defence capabilities covering all member states
During the European Council Summit, which begins on Thursday in Brussels, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to highlight the “ 360-degree” approach so that any new European defence capability protects all member states, not only those on the EU’s eastern borders but also those on the Union’s external borders that face threats from the south.
Parliament approves amendment banning protests at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Parliament approved on Wednesday a controversial amendment banning demonstrations in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. During the debate, the government clashed with the opposition, which accused it of curtailing the right to assembly and called the amendment unconstitutional. Opposition parties also called on Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who did not participate in the debate but voted in favor, to take a clear stance. Dendias had released a statement on Tuesday, saying that the monument “will not be treated as an object of political exploitation or social division,” a remark that was widely interpreted as keeping a careful distance from the government.
PASOK leader links spyware attempt to party election in testimony over wiretapping scandal
Main opposition PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis testified on Wednesday in the ongoing trial over Greece’s wiretapping scandal, which broke out in the summer of 2022. Androulakis said the resignation of Grigoris Dimitriadis, then general secretary to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, amid the scandal – which also involved the targeting of journalists, business figures, ministers, military officials and other politicians – indicated domestic involvement.
Probe maps path of farm subsidy theft
A sweeping criminal investigation into Greece’s OPEKEPE farm subsidy scandal has revealed in detail how an organized network fraudulently secured millions of euros in European Union agricultural funds, police said Wednesday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1284606/probe-maps-path-of-farm-subsidy-theft
ATHEX: Recovery continues at Athinon Ave
A number of non-banking blue chips led Wednesday’s bourse rise at Athinon Avenue, with banks following too, for the third consecutive day of growth that gave the benchmark some breathing space from the 2,000-point level. This was in spite of the significant decline that the price of Coca-Cola Hellenic suffered and the relative shrinking of trading volume. Any significant move upward would certainly require an increase in turnover.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1284621/athex-recovery-continues-at-athinon-ave
KATHIMERINI: OPEKEPE scandal: Greek police seized the “Karla lake gang”
TA NEA: Greek drones
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Unknown adversary: Defence Minister directly challenges PM Mitsotakis
RIZOSPASTIS: Aegean-Eastern Mediterranean: The bargain of NATO-serving arrangements is being revived
KONTRA NEWS: Relatives of the Tempi rail-crash victims will be present at the October 28th parade
DIMOKRATIA: OPEKEPE scandal: “Frappe-man” has a Jaguar and bank deposits of 2.500.000 million euros
NAFTEMPORIKI: The hikes in real estate assets’ prices are unstoppable
DRIVING THE DAY: MAMMOTH EUCO
IT’S GONNA BE A BIG ONE: Today’s gathering of EU leaders has a ridiculously packed agenda. We’ll dive into the details in a sec. But first, check out my colleague Seb Starcevic’s killer cheat sheet — 11 things to know about this summit — it’s honestly way more useful than half the pre-EUCO briefings I’ve sat through in the past few days.
TIMING: Arrivals start at 8:30 a.m. … exchange with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola at 10 a.m. … first working session from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by lunch … Then it’s back at 3 p.m. for the second round, rolling into the Euro Summit working dinner with ECB chief Christine Lagarde. You can follow all the action today via POLITICO’s live blog.
CONCLUSIONS PREVIEW: The final draft of the Council conclusions, approved by EU ambassadors on Wednesday and seen by POLITICO, is 57 paragraphs long. Plus there are 18 more via the now-customary EU26 declaration on Ukraine. (Hungary won’t sign anything Ukraine-related again — Viktor Orbán isn’t even showing up until the evening.)
Few fights, one flashpoint: Despite the heavy agenda, all member countries appeared satisfied with the conclusions as of last night — apart from one paragraph.
The one sore point: Ukraine’s reparation loans. Some countries, like Belgium, carry most of the financial risk of tapping Russia’s frozen assets to fund Ukraine’s defense. (There’s more in this story by Gregorio Sorgi and Jacopo Barigazzi.) How the Ukraine talks go will set the pace for the whole day.
CLIMATE (OR SHOULD WE SAY COMPETITIVENESS): It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a leaders’ debate on climate action, but here we are. (Merci, Manu.) Leaders will discuss climate and competitiveness this afternoon. This deliberately vague subject line conceals a high-stakes debate on the bloc’s 2040 emissions-cutting target — but not only that.
The big picture: Today’s debate is chiefly a chance for each of the 27 leaders to vent their frustration about the bloc’s green legislation. The question is whether they can agree on useful guidance for ministers to approve the 2040 target in time for next month’s COP30 climate summit … and without trashing the Green Deal in the process. Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa sure hope so. Read the story from Zia Weise and Karl Mathiesen here.
Wild card: A diplomat warned that the debate on competitiveness could open a Pandora’s box of national grievances. It’s the kind of topic on which literally anything can pop up. So we’ll be watching it closely.
CUTTING RED TAPE: There’s broad support for simplification. My colleagues Francesca Micheletti and Hans von der Burchard reported earlier this week that 19 EU countries have written to European Council President António Costa ahead of today’s summit, calling for a “constant stream” of proposals to simplify EU rules (though I prefer the term “fleet of omnibuses,” h/t Ursula von der Leyen).
FINALLY HOUSING: For decades, the EU’s view on housing has been simple: not our problem. But its inclusion in the agenda for today’s summit of EU leaders means that, for the first time ever, the European Council, Commission and Parliament are accepting their role in tackling the housing crisis.
What’s worrying experts: A line added to the Council summit’s draft conclusions on Wednesday stresses that the EU’s response to the crisis should have “due regard” for subsidiarity — the legal principle that holds the EU should only meddle in an area if it’s certain to achieve better results than actors at the national, regional or local level.
The wording has housing experts worried national leaders are already seeking to undermine Brussels’ ability to tackle housing and are preparing to rein in the Commission if they determine its upcoming Affordable Housing Plan or short-term rental rules are excessively interventionist.
COMBUSTION ENGINE BAN — AGAIN: Yet another debate looms over the 2035 de-facto ban on combustion engines. Capitals are keen to sway von der Leyen before she tables a proposal to revise the law later this year. Germany remains split internally, while France and Spain put forward their own proposal at this week’s Environment Council.
EUROSUMMIT: In the evening, the Eurogroup will turn to the EU’s macroeconomic outlook, the digital euro, the international role of the euro, fiscal sustainability and defense — plus, of course, the Capital Markets Union.Russia’s frozen assets are expected to come back on the table at dinner.
The goal: To reassure Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever enough to green-light the Commission’s plan to use those assets as collateral for a loan to Ukraine. Belgium refused to back that section of the Council conclusions until it gets solid guarantees from its EU partners.
WITH A SINGLE CALENDAR TWEAK: Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that earn politicians the biggest credit. Take António Costa’s decision to trim EU summits from two days to one. It was universally hailed a success by leaders, journalists, and anyone living or working around Rond-point Schuman.
Dress rehearsal for December: The time has now come to test whether that innovation can withstand a ridiculously packed agenda. One EU diplomat said today’s summit is a test run before the December EUCO — when the EU long-term budget battle will formally begin, and the Danes unveil their “nego-box” (one of the cutest pieces of EU jargon out there). If Costa can keep everyone feeling heard and happy today, we might just get another one-day EUCO — and a free Friday in December as well.
CHINA IN THE ROOM
READING BETWEEN THE LINES: One topic that won’t appear explicitly in the EUCO conclusions — but will definitely hang over the room and on leaders’ minds — is China. As two diplomats and one EU official told Playbook, when you spot words like economic pressure or unfair trade practices, that’s code for Beijing.
And right on cue: Per the latest draft conclusions, EU leaders will urge the European Commission to “make full use of the EU’s economic security instruments” to “offset unfair trade practices.” That language is still relatively mild — but could harden before it’s adopted. Some capitals see economic coercion as a real and present danger (though others insist dialogue must continue). France, Poland and even Germany are planning to raise Beijing’s export controls on critical minerals — likely during the competitiveness debate.
Seizing the moment: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday she’s “ready to propose further measures to ensure Europe’s economic security” and will “accelerate what we have already put in motion.” Her warning: “A crisis in the supply of critical raw materials is no longer a distant risk.”
One diplomat told Playbook that the Commission’s sudden enthusiasm for economic security looks “a bit suspicious” — perhaps a way to score a policy win after setbacks on defense. (Remember the roadmap debacle and the much-mocked “drone wall” idea that left many leaders scratching their heads?)
Dust off the trade bazooka! Some expect leaders to quietly float the bloc’s so-called trade bazooka — the anti-coercion instrument meant to fend off foreign pressure. But only as a last resort, and only if diplomacy with Beijing fails.
MAKING RUSSIA PAY
FICO FLIP: Slovakia lifted its veto on the EU’s 19th sanctions package against Russia last night. That immediately triggered the written procedure for EU Council approval. Which is Brussels-speak for “it’s a done deal.” The package will be approved unless objections land before an 8 a.m. deadline today.
The headline: Natural gas. The sanctions target Russia’s key revenue streams through new energy, financial and trade measures. And for the first time, the EU will sanction Russia’s LNG.
Nobody would’ve believed it: The main element of this package is economic, an EU official commented to our Gabriel Gavin, but the possibility to restrict Russian diplomats’ movement is also particularly useful. “Nobody would’ve believed that would be possible to get an agreement on two months ago,” the official said.
Speed record: The most impressive part is that it only took a month. Despite pushback from countries like Slovakia and Austria, concerns were ironed out and the package was negotiated and wrapped up in record time. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel already has his sights set on preparations for “the next package to further increase the pressure.”
What Slovakia got: According to two diplomats, Bratislava’s change of heart came after the inclusion of references to emissions, ETS2 (the emissions trading system for buildings and transport) and high energy prices in the EUCO conclusions — all key Slovak concerns.
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC: Not to be outdone, the U.S. Treasury also announced a fresh round of sanctions in response to Moscow’s lack of serious engagement in peace efforts, targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies. “Today’s actions increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector and degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine and support its weakened economy,” the Treasury said on X.
Von der Leyen tipped off: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen got a heads-up from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called her ahead of the announcement. “With the imminent adoption of the EU’s 19th package, this is a clear signal from both sides of the Atlantic that we will keep up collective pressure on the aggressor,” von der Leyen said on X.
One thing more. This is the most significant step Donald Trump has taken as president to put pressure on Putin over the Ukraine war. There’s one other thing he could also do, Finnish PM Petteri Orpo told POLITICO’s Tim Ross: equip Ukraine with U.S. long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to match (if not exceed) Russia’s capabilities.
VDL’S COALITION CRUMBLES
METSOLA’S GLOOMY EUCO: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will have an awkward seat at the table today as she joins the 27 EU leaders at EUCO — forced to explain why the Parliament is holding up the bloc’s drive to simplify EU laws. Governments have been slamming MEPs for being too slow.
Down the drain: On Wednesday, a majority of MEPs rejected a hard-fought deal between the centrist groups — the European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and Renew — on a corporate green reporting simplification package, which now heads back to plenary on Nov. 12, with amendments open until then.
Unstable: The vote throws serious doubt on Ursula von der Leyen’s ability to hold her centrist coalition together on divisive files like green regulation and migration. “This is the most unstable Parliament ever,” one EU official told Playbook. “It’s very difficult for the Commission to predict their moves.”
Socialist rebellion: Despite a coalition deal, S&D leader Iratxe García failed to keep her group in line. Many of her MEPs defected, rejecting what they saw as a deal that leaned too far right. EPP officials said those Socialist votes were key to sinking the deal, although others pointed to absences among all three centrist groups, including Renew.
Let the blame game begin: In the Parliament’s hallways, a list is circulating of 31 Socialist MEPs who challenged the agreement and requested it be put to a vote. It includes three S&D vice-chairs — Dutch MEP Mohammed Chahim, Germany’s Gabriele Bischoff and France’s Christophe Clergeau — as well as the entire Austrian, French, Dutch and Polish delegations, plus parts of the Belgian, German and Luxembourgish ones.
From the horse’s mouth: Dutch MEP Lara Wolters, who quit as S&D’s lead negotiator after being forced to sign the EPP-backed deal, said on social media that the EPP tried to “bully” the Socialists instead of engaging in “good faith negotiations.” She said she hopes talks can now resume “with compromise on all sides.”
EPP hits back: EPP leader Manfred Weber called the Socialists “unreliable” for breaking their word. His negotiator, Jörgen Warborn, said after the vote that he “tried to compromise” but accused S&D of undermining the simplification agenda and “adding instability for businesses.” If the EPP and S&D can’t mend fences, the center-right will likely turn to a right-wing majority (the so-called Venezuela majority) to push the bill through.
EU BUDGET COUNTDOWN BEGINS: Political group leaders agreed Wednesday to add a debate on the architecture of the EU’s long-term budget (or Multiannual Financial Framework) to the Nov. 12 plenary, Gregorio Sorgi and Max Griera report.
Hard deadline: That date also marks the cutoff for Parliament and the Commission to agree on changes to controversial national plans that were proposed by the EU executive, said Siegfried Mureșan, an MEP from the EPP and lead negotiator on the MFF.
News coming soon: Mureșan said MEPs expect the Commission to table updates to its budget proposal as early as next week — a move that “will fundamentally affect our position.” If those revisions fall short, both the EPP and S&D plan to hit back with a plenary resolution.
Right-wing alliance: At the same meeting, the EPP teamed up with the far right to shake up the Parliament’s internal oversight of national plans — swapping out the Socialist-led employment committee for the ECR-led budget committee, alongside agriculture and cohesion. The right-wing majority also blocked an S&D bid to give the Socialist-run economy committee a lead role in shaping the European Competitiveness Fund.
IN OTHER NEWS
THIS IS FINE: Senior NATO and Spanish government officials are downplaying Donald Trump’s threats to penalize Spain for its low defense spending. A senior NATO officer said the threat “is not being taken seriously” and that Spain is “reacting calmly.” Read more POLITICO has more here.
TIGHTENING UP: The European Commission is beefing up its internal security, including plans for more secure meeting rooms, according to an internal note seen by POLITICO.
DEEPFAKE DISRUPTION: The Irish presidential campaign has been disrupted by an artificial intelligence-generated deepfake video — an imitation of an RTÉ news report — purportedly showing frontrunner Catherine Connolly announcing her “withdrawal” from the race. (Latest polls set her on course for commanding victory).