Calm waters despite disagreements
The much-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday highlighted a consensus on the need to maintain calm waters in the Aegean, but also to keep open the channels of communication despite known disagreements in key policy areas.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/foreign-policy/1238635/calm-waters-despite-disagreements
Greece-Turkiye High-Level Cooperation Council to meet in Ankara at year’s end
Greece-Turkiye High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) will take place in Ankara around the end of the year. Yesterday it was agreed that Greek-Turkish meetings be repeated, as agreed at Vilnius, on the basis of three axes: political dialog, positive agenda, and Confidence Building Measures.
Stern message sent to Skopje
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned newly sworn-in North Macedonia President Gordana Siljanovska that further violations of the name agreement signed between the two countries would threaten Skopje’s European Union membership ambitions.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/foreign-policy/1238617/stern-message-sent-to-skopje
What’s worrying Stournaras
Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras is understood to be concerned about the course of the country’s economy regarding its long-term sustainability and about the convergence of the incomes of Greeks with that of their European peers, wondering, “Why do we consume so much and why don’t we save?”
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1238536/whats-worrying-stournaras
ATHEX: Moderate profit-taking at bourse
The moderate cashing-in of profits that followed last week’s notable rise saw the main index of the Greek stock market come off its 13-year highs of last Friday and settle for contained losses upon closing on Monday. Banks reined in the decline, as did some non-banking blue chips, while turnover returned to its usual level after last week’s jump.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1238640/athex-moderate-profit-taking-at-bourse
KATHIMERINI: Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting: Calm waters and disagreements remain
TA NEA: Meeting in Ankara: We didn’t post gains nor losses
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Double tax for freelance businessmen
AVGI: The government does not act against the provocations of North Macedonia
RIZOSPASTIS: The whole world expresses support for Palestine until it is set free
KONTRA NEWS: The way is now open for painful solutions regarding the Aegean and Cyprus
DIMOKRATIA: Mitsotakis was submissive in Ankara
NAFTEMPORIKI: Flexibility regarding the entry in the Development Law
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken touched down in Kyiv in the early hours of this morning, seeking to reassure Ukraine of America’s support as it faces down a reinvigorated Russian offensive.
On the agenda: The State Department said Blinken would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials “to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine’s economic recovery.”
TODAY: GEORGIA’S MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT
CRUNCH TIME FOR CONTROVERSIAL LAW: Georgian lawmakers are today expected to push through the Russian-style “foreign agents” law that prompted the biggest wave of protests in the country since its independence from the Soviet Union. EU governments are scrambling to prepare a collective response, but Hungary was obstructing agreement on a joint statement condemning the law, according to Playbook’s sources.
What’s at stake: The law is seen as an attempt by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which was founded by a pro-Russian billionaire, to sabotage the country’s path to joining the EU. About 80 percent of Georgians are in favor of EU accession, and huge numbers of them have taken to the streets of Tbilisi in recent weeks to voice their opposition to the legislation.
The government “has lost the confidence of the people,” said Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s independent president, in support of the peaceful protests. “It’s very funny when politicians pretend to be able to count with high IQs and they can’t count how many people there were” out on the streets.
Rubber-stamped: Despite the widespread public opposition, lawmakers in Georgia’s parliament rushed through a procedural step on Monday. It took just 67 seconds for the bill to be reviewed and approved by the parliament’s legal committee, allowing it to move on today to the full assembly, which is controlled by Georgian Dream.
What about the presidential veto? Zourabichvili has said she will veto the law — but parliament can override that with a simple majority.
Brussels rushes to react: EU governments were coordinating a joint response last night, diplomats told Playbook. But Hungary, aided by Slovakia, opposed a joint EU statement condemning the law, according to people involved in the discussions.
Orbán strikes again: Diplomats were clambering for an agreement, hoping that weakening the phrasing of the statement might persuade Hungary to back it. But the sources said it was more likely that a statement would come from foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell (which does not require unanimity) than from the EU27.
Better late than never: According to a letter obtained by Playbook, a dozen EU foreign affairs ministers urged Borrell on Friday to “send an unequivocal message to Tbilisi that this legislation is incompatible with Georgia’s progress on its EU path” via an “oral update” on Georgia’s EU accession.
“We kindly ask you to undertake this as a matter of priority and to make sure that this public assessment appears before the final vote at the Georgian parliament,” said the letter, which was signed by the foreign affairs ministers of Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
“It’s clearly too late for that now,” said one diplomat of the request, “but at least we should be prepared to react quickly after the vote.”
Call for sanctions: In the European Parliament, MEPs representing the EPP, S&D, Greens and Renew have written to Borrell urging him to prepare “targeted” sanctions against Georgian Dream politicians who pushed the foreign agents law — including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze — and the MPs who vote for it.
What’s next: Young Georgians have vowed to keep defying their increasingly violent government with mass protests and strikes.
ROAD TO EU ELECTION
VDL ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL — CHAOS IN ROME: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her capacity as the European People’s Party’s lead candidate, is campaigning in Copenhagen today, in what her team is hoping will be a better organized trip than one to Rome on Monday.
Italian shambles: Usually, von der Leyen is invited on these trips by the national political parties that belong to her EPP grouping, and they organize and plan campaign events. But in Italy? First there was no plan, and when there was one it kept changing, our colleague Barbara Moens reports from Rome.
Blame Italy’s febrile politics: The conservative Forza Italia party, led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (who is also the EPP vice president), seemed unsure up until the last minute whether standing alongside von der Leyen was an asset or liability in the current Italian political climate.
Forza Italia — along with far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — has been accused by the Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini of being too close to the Commission president. And there have been tensions within the party about how closely to align with von der Leyen before the European election, with Senator Licia Ronzulli describing her as a “lame horse.”
Hiding in Rome: Von der Leyen was not at Forza Italia’s European election launch event on Monday evening. She canceled a planned discussion with students at Luiss University at the last minute because Tajani had set up closed-door meetings to discuss the EU’s agricultural policy. And as a parting gift to his guest, Tajani lashed out at von der Leyen’s Green Deal policies during an event with Forza Italia’s youth movement.
All roads may lead to Rome, but the EPP’s top brass might want to avoid the city in the foreseeable future.
NEXT STOP, COPENHAGEN: Today, von der Leyen will join around 700 participants from 90 countries at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which kicks off in the Danish capital. She will deliver a speech on “a strong Europe in the world,” as my colleague Suzanne Lynch reports in this morning’s Global Playbook, and do some campaigning while she’s in town.
Forced smiles all round: Von der Leyen’s late addition to the speaking schedule was no doubt welcomed particularly enthusiastically by European Council President Charles Michel, who is also among the summit’s headliners but now risks being upstaged by his ubiquitous rival.
UKRAINE IN FOCUS AT COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
DEMOCRACIES MEET: A central theme of this year’s Copenhagen summit will be the war in Ukraine, with Andriy Yermak, head of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, due to attend, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov addressing the forum remotely. Others who will be at the forum are Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Commissioner Věra Jourová and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will also deliver virtual addresses.
New blueprint for Ukraine: As Suzanne reports from Copenhagen this morning, Yermak and former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, founder of the Alliance of Democracies, will today unveil the latest report from the International Taskforce on Ukraine’s Security and Euro-Atlantic Integration. It will recommend that NATO allies extend an invitation to Ukraine to start accession talks at their summit in July.
If not now, when? In an interview with Global Playbook, Rasmussen dismissed the idea that NATO can’t start membership negotiations with a country at war. “If you argue that you cannot extend an invitation to Ukraine as long as a war is going on, then you give Putin an incentive to continue the war, to prevent Ukraine joining NATO,” he said. “We have to break that vicious circle.”
Call to Berlin: Rasmussen urged Germany to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine as soon as possible. “I don’t see one single argument against that delivery,” he said. “All the more because recently it was revealed that the Americans have delivered the ATACM missiles … The Taurus missiles are equally potent weapons, particularly if they are combined with the F-16 fighter jets that will soon be delivered to Ukraine.”
NOW READ THIS: Vladimir Putin’s surprise reshuffle on Sunday put the vital defense portfolio in the hands of a Keynesian economist who hasn’t served a day in the military. My colleague Eva Hartog examines how Andrei Belousov rose to become one of the Kremlin’s top officials and what his background tells us about how Putin intends to win the war in Ukraine.
ICYMI — HUNGARY FOR PUTIN’S GAS: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could kill the EU’s effort to squeeze Moscow’s gas revenue, report my colleagues Gabriel Gavin, Victor Jack and Camille Gijs.
MOLDOVA’S MOSCOW SNUB: Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova is stepping up defense cooperation with the EU, in a move that is likely to antagonize Russia, the Financial Times reports. The paper says it has seen an EU proposal set to be agreed next week under which Moldova would increase intelligence sharing, carry out joint military exercises and be included in the bloc’s joint weapons procurement.
ISRAEL-GAZA
GAZA LATEST — DOUBTS ABOUT ISRAEL’S END GAME: A top U.S. official said the Biden administration doesn’t believe Israel’s current strategy against Hamas will lead to “total victory” against the militant group, my POLITICO colleagues in Washington report.
CNN reports U.S. officials have concluded that Israel has amassed enough troops on the edge of Rafah to move forward with a “full-scale incursion” into Gaza’s southernmost city in the coming days, although the unnamed officials were less sure of whether it intends to proceed in defiance of its closest ally.
While they wait for Israel’s next move: Misery deepens in Gaza. Around 360,000 refugees have fled Rafah in the past week, the U.N. said, and food hasn’t been able to enter the two main border crossings in the south, putting more than 1 million people at risk of catastrophic hunger.
Meanwhile, in Europe the conflict continues to reverberate explosively: On Monday, administrators at the University of Amsterdam announced they were canceling classes and closing buildings for two days after a series of clashes between riot police and pro-Palestine demonstrators.
IN OTHER NEWS
OUT OF THE CLOSET … BUT STILL FIGHTING PREJUDICE AND VIOLENCE: Half of LGBTIQ+ people living in Europe are open about it — more than ever before — but most still avoid holding hands in public out of fear of hate and violent attacks, according to a new report by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.
Harassment, bullying and mental health concerns: The report, which drew on more than 100,000 respondents in 30 European countries — making it one of the biggest surveys globally on hate crimes and discrimination against LGBTIQ people — found that more than half of gay, lesbian, trans* or non-binary people were victims of hate-motivated harassment, up from one in three in 2019. More than two-thirds said they were bullied at school. And around a third said they have considered suicide.
UPDATE — EUROVISION EU FLAG BAN: After telling Playbook on Monday that he would demand an explanation for the European Broadcasting Union’s decision to bar EU flags from the Eurovision final, Commission VP Margaritis Schinas has written to the EBU’s President Delphine Ernotte Cunci and Eurovision supervisor Martin Österdahl.
Strong words: “The incoherence in the EBU’s stance has left myself and many millions of your viewers wondering for what and for whom the Eurovision Song Contest stands,” Schinas said in the letter, obtained by Playbook.
Heads could roll: “I would request that you explain the rationale behind this decision and attribute responsibility where it is due,” Schinas said. “I for one would expect to see the values of peace, tolerance and inclusiveness afforded greater deference in the future.”
And that’s not all: The EBU is facing another controversy after excluding the far right from a debate in the European Parliament next week due to disagreement over how the EU should nominate the Commission president, reports Eddy Wax.
NOW READ THIS: Jan Jambon, the minister-president of the government of Flanders, has an opinion piece out on POLITICO this morning. He writes: “In the last three decades, we’ve enjoyed the luxury of not having to ask ourselves what it is we stand for. But those times have passed.”
MIGRATION AND ASYLUM PACT TO PASS LAST HURDLE: At today’s meeting of finance ministers, a qualified majority of the 27 governments is set to give the final nod to the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum. The laws would represent an overhaul of the EU’s rules for migrants and refugees, with more burden-sharing between EU countries and stricter rules to register and process migrants at the border. MEPs already backed the package in a set of plenary votes.