Albania’s Rama defends resort project, denounces violence against protesters
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday defended plans for a massive tourist resort in an environmentally important area, which has been linked to US President Donald Trump’s family and triggered angry weekend protests, but denounced violence used against people opposed to the project. Rama blamed private security guards for the violence in the coastal Zvërnec area in the Vlore region of southern Albania, in which one Greek national was injured. But he strongly defended plans for a €4 billion resort, which he said would attract high-spending visitors and provide local jobs. Rama’s comments followed a statement from the Greek Foreign Ministry that voiced “strong concern” over Saturday’s violence and linked the issue with Albania’s prospects of joining the European Union.
Poll: Tsipras jockeys into 2nd place in ratings, SYRIZA evaporates
Alexis Tsipras’ fledgling Greek Left Alliance, or ELAS, has displaced socialist PASOK as the country’s potential main opposition party, according to the first opinion poll conducted after the left-wing former prime minister launched his political comeback this week. The poll published Friday also places Maria Karystianou’s new Hope for Democracy party in fourth place, drawing heavily from right-wing voters, treading on PASOK’s heels and ahead of the Communist KKE party and the populist right-wing Greek Solution.
Report details MPs’ role in illegal subsidies
An internal audit submitted to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office by former OPEKEPE auditor Paraskevi Tycheropoulou has introduced new details in the investigation into allegedly illegal agricultural subsidies involving 13 lawmakers from Greece’s ruling New Democracy party. The May 18 report reviewed 23 cases involving producers on whose behalf lawmakers allegedly intervened. According to the report, six cases caused losses to European Union funds, six showed no financial damage, and 11 contained insufficient evidence from the Financial Police, whose findings formed the basis of the indictment.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1305272/report-details-mps-role-in-illegal-subsidies
Greece, South Korea ink deal on Elefsina shipyard investments
ONEX and Hanwha Ocean have signed a memorandum of cooperation in Athens for a new shipbuilding, industrial and defense ecosystem centered on Elefsina through a strategic partnership between Greece, the United States and South Korea. The agreement includes a €1.35 billion investment program to upgrade and expand Greece’s shipbuilding capabilities, develop new port and logistics infrastructure and industrial facilities capable of supporting international naval and military programs.
ATHEX: Turnover in tops €1 billion
May ended at the Greek stock market on Friday with monthly gains of 8.41%, as the final session of the month stood out for its moderate growth and the considerable jump in turnover owing to the index rebalancing. The main index climbed to a four-month high, on the optimism the conflict in the Middle East will not spiral out of control again and oil rates will slowly revert to normal with the Strait of Hormuz gradually reopening.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1305296/athex-turnover-in-tops-e1-billion
TA NEA: Center-Left: Truths and myths regarding Trojan horses
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Exclusive statement by Tal Dilian: “Bombs” regarding the use of spyware Predator
KONTRA NEWS: 100,000 migrants “invaded” Crete
DIMOKRATIA: Vile behavior by Albanian PM Rama against Greeks
NAFTEMPORIKI: Bundle of 4 measures for the regulation of private debt
DRIVING THE DAY
LESS TALK, MORE PRESSURE: As Russia ramps up threats against Europe, the bloc is racing to agree a 21st package of sanctions by the end of next week. On the menu? New measures targeting Russia’s oil revenues, banks and shadow fleet, three diplomats and EU officials told Playbook.
Back to Plan A: The proposed sanctions, expected to be presented to the European Commission next week, show that Brussels is doubling down on a strategy of pressuring Russia rather than seeking negotiations — despite calls from some leaders to name a “special envoy” for peace talks.
Look closer: The thinking is that Ukraine could be in a stronger position after the summer. Naming a special envoy at this stage could undercut efforts to pressure Russia just as Ukraine is turning the war in its favor, said one official, who like others cited here was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive sanctions preparations.
What’s in the box? A key proposal is to lock in a cap on the price of Russian oil. The current cap is due to expire this summer and would be adjusted upward according to an automatic mechanism if no action is taken.
How it works: Countries are pushing to lock in the current price, which would deprive Moscow of higher revenues due to increased oil prices. A full ban on Russian oil is unlikely to proceed, however, as is a proposed ban on maritime service, the diplomats said.
What else: The EU may push ahead with sanctions on Russian energy firms Lukoil and Rosneft while new sanctions on the Russian shadow fleet vessels and supporting services are expected, per notes from sanctions talks seen by Playbook’s Gabriel Gavin. (More on the shadow fleet lower down in the email.)
VIPs: Look out for a possible listing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who is close to Vladimir Putin. A previous move to sanction the patriarch was blocked by Hungary.
What Ukraine wants: “We expect the restrictive measures to be extended to additional vessels of the shadow fleet and its broader ecosystem,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov told Playbook. And, he added: “It’s time to address the issue of Rosatom” — Russia’s atomic energy agency, which Kyiv says is an extension of Putin’s war machine.
The bottom line: Between negotiations with Moscow and sanctions, the EU has chosen. Sanction first; talks later.
BIG AND BREAKING
FREDERIKSEN HANGS ON: Mette Frederiksen is set to return for a third term as Danish prime minister after forming a four-party coalition with her Social Democrats, the Moderates, Green Left and the Social Liberals.
OPENING THE DOOR: Ukrainian and Hungarian diplomats are holding talks today aimed at creating a breakthrough on Kyiv’s EU membership application, with officials hoping a deal could come as soon as this afternoon.
TECH INDEPENDENCE: Donald Trump may have finally done what years of warnings from Paris and Brussels could not: convince Europe’s free-market holdouts that relying on American technology is a vulnerability.
MIGRATION DEAL: Negotiators last night agreed to new rules to speed up deportations from the EU, including sending rejected asylum-seekers to “return hubs” in countries outside the bloc.
MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting in Lebanon, but the conflict prompted a heated call between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, according to Axios. The website reports that Trump called the Israeli PM “f*cking crazy,” adding: “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me … Everybody hates you now.”
EXPLOITING RIOTS: France’s far right is trying to surf the wave of outrage after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory celebrations descended into violence.
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FRESH HUNGARY WORRIES
AN EYE ON BUDAPEST: In its eagerness to turn the page on 16 years of Viktor Orbán, Brussels hopes that niggling concerns about his successor’s approach to the rule of law won’t become anything more worrisome, Gerardo Fortuna reports.
Constitutional clash: Prime Minister Péter Magyar wants to remove President Tamás Sulyok, an Orbánloyalist whom Magyar accuses of staying silent when Orbán attacked opponents and curbed LGBTQ+ rights. After Sulyok refused a Monday ultimatum to resign, Magyar announced plans to amend the constitution to force him out — a move Sulyok says would deepen social divisions and damage Hungary’s democratic reputation abroad.
Keeping tabs: Things step up a gear today when Rule of Law Commissioner Michael McGrath travels to Budapest to meet Hungarian MPs and ministers, including Justice Minister Márta Görög and former MEP Zoltán Tarr, now minister for social relations.
Brussels stays quiet for now: The Commission is aware of the brewing constitutional row and “following it actively,” spokesperson Markus Lammert said. McGrath is unlikely to raise the issue in his meetings, an EU official said.
Turning the page: Ahead of his visit, McGrath told Playbook that the Hungarian people had chosen a European path and that this was an opportunity to “turn the page, reset our relationship.” He said he would use today’s trip to continue the dialogue launched during last week’s meeting between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Magyar.
The (other) Council jumps in: Sulyok has sought an opinion from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, the body’s constitutional watchdog. A Council of Europe official confirmed to Playbook that discussions are ongoing with the commission and that officials are monitoring possible next steps in the dispute.
Money still in limbo: The political row comes ahead of Budapest submitting a revised spending plan needed to access EU funds that Magyar said he’d “unlocked” in last week’s meeting with von der Leyen. Despite previously signaling the document was essential, the Commission welcomed Magyar to Brussels without it.
Race against time: One Commission official told Playbook the executive “hopes” to receive the plan this week, while acknowledging there is no legal deadline for its submission. It’s required before the process can move forward, including Commission approval and sign-off from member countries, ahead of the expiry of the funds at the end of August.
20-SECOND PLAYBOOK PRIMER
The Russian drone that hit a residential block in Romania last week was a Geran-2, but what do we know about them? The Geran is Russia’s own version of the Iranian-made Shahed drone (known in military circles as an unmanned aerial vehicle). They are one-way attack drones with a range of about 2,000km, and they can carry 50kg to 90kg of explosives. Each drone costs between €25,000 and €68,000, a fraction of the cost of a ballistic missile.
TALK TO PLAYBOOK: On the Brussels Playbook Podcast, Zoya asked you to send in your name and birthday if you want a bday greeting. Whatsapp us on +32 491 050629 and listen from 7 a.m. to hear if we give you a shoutout.
GREENS LEADERSHIP SEARCH
POST-TRAUMATIC CONCLAVE: The 53 MEPs of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament will convene tomorrow to discuss the resignation of Co-Chair Bas Eickhout and how to appoint his successor, Max Griera reports.
The group’s leadership is considering a shake-up of top positions toward the end of September or early October, according to six people familiar with the matter. Both co-chair positions, the vice chairs and the treasurer post were going to be up for grabs anyway toward the end of the year as part of the Parliament’s midterm reshuffle.
Who’s running? Incumbent German Co-Chair Terry Reintke told POLITICO she intends to run again. “With the huge challenges right now, Europe needs strong Greens, and I want to be a leading part of that team,” she told Max.SomeMEPs and assistants say it is likely she will remain in the post to ensure continuity, especially with Eickhout’s turbulent departure, while others say it depends on the other candidates.
Among the names being floated to succeed Eickhout are Danish MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen — whose party on Monday joined the deal to form a government in Denmark — and former European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius of Lithuania. Both are currently vice chairs of the group and are seen as candidates representing the Nordic-Baltic members — and in the case of Sinkevičius, also eastern members. Both declined to comment.
Other candidates could include Austria’s Thomas Waitz, former chair of the European Green Party, and Romanian Nicolae Ștefănuță, a European Parliament vice president. They declined to comment.
DASHBOARD
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Russia’s shadow fleet stays afloat because of insurance underwritten through European financial markets, according to analysts tracking the opaque maritime networks Moscow uses to move oil and other sanctioned cargo around the world, Zoya Sheftalovich writes. The findings come as EU governments negotiate the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which focuses on measures targeting the infrastructure that facilitates the sprawling network of aging tankers and cargo vessels Moscow uses to bypass Western restrictions, including banks, insurers, oil traders, refineries and crypto companies.
6 MORE THINGS GETTING US TALKING
BUCKLE UP: After more than a decade of negotiations, the Council and Parliament will meet today for a final attempt to reform EU air passenger rights — but with both sides still divided over compensation for flights delayed by more than three hours, the entire file risks collapsing.
CONCRETE ROLE: The European Union has a key role to play in ensuring a lasting ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. that addresses concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told POLITICO.
EYES ON ARMENIA: The EU will announce a series of short-term and long-term measures designed to support Armenia in the face of Russian aggression, Playbook’s Gabriel Gavin reports, with Kallas and the Commission’s enlargement chief Marta Kos expected to make statements today.
MOSCOW SPLIT: Senior Russian officials have warned Vladimir Putin that Moscow can’t afford its spending on the Ukraine war — but hawks in the defense ministry and Kremlin are pushing back on cuts to military expenditures, Bloomberg reports.
TRANSPARENCY WARNING: Former European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly slammed the “elitist” lack of openness at the European Commission, arguing it was a threat to democracy.
WHAT NOW? Britain’s governing Labour Party is searching not only for a potential new leader but for a completely different vision on the economy.