‘We’re not all thieves,’ frustrated farmers declare at Athens rally
Hundreds of farmers descended on the Greek capital on Tuesday to demand more support from the government as a devastating combination of disease, scandal and climate change rocks the country’s agricultural sector.
EU Commission selects Greece as eligible for ‘Solidarity Pool’ support due to migration pressure
The European Commission on Tuesday presented the First European Annual Asylum and Migration Report, in the context of the Pact on MIgration and Asylum. Based on the Report, the Commission selected Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and Italy as eligible to access the Solidarity Pool when the Pact enters into application in mid-2026.
PM Mitsotakis: Maximum amount of fuel for which farmers can get Special Consumption Tax rebate increased by 50 pct
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a 50% increase in the maximum amount of agricultural diesel eligible for a refund of the Special Consumption Tax, during a discussion with citizens in Maronia, Rodopi on Tuesday. At the same time, he took the opportunity to refer to the benefits that the major tax reform – passed last week – will bring to the real income of all workers and pensioners.
Voice of Reason party under investigation for allegedly forging signatures
A criminal investigation has been launched against the far-right Voice of Reason party for allegedly forging signatures in its founding declaration, according to Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis.
ATHEX: Bourse takes step forward, albeit small
The Athens bourse closed with slim gains on Tuesday after a session where there was an intention for the extension of Monday’s gains, but without that much steam in the buyers’ engine. Banks did not contribute in the day’s growth, but other blue chips recorded notable gains which eventually offered the benchmark a second successive northbound session. This cherry-picking by traders is expected to continue until the end of the year at least.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1286463/athex-bourse-takes-step-forward-albeit-small
KATHIMERINI: Ankara under pressure due to the Russian gas
TA NEA: Athens sends letter to Ankara
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Farmers’ block against PM Mitsotakis
RIZOSPASTIS: NATO Conference in Athens: They are preparing the peoples for imperialistic slaughterhouses through a “war culture”
KONTRA NEWS: Former PM Tsipras’ dynamic is troubling the PM’s office
DIMOKRATIA: The PM “escaped” Alexandroupolis as if he was on the run
NAFTEMPORIKI: Deposits from households worth 46 billion are missing
DRIVING THE DAY: MIGRATION
MIGRATION AT THE MINI-PLENARY: The European Parliament’s two-day mini-plenary session kicks off this afternoon in Brussels and migration is top of the agenda, with Commissioner Magnus Brunner in the hot seat.
Never waste a good holiday: Negotiations in the Parliament on the EU proposal for a returns regulation are dragging on, despite the fact the entire Migration Pact is due to kick in on July 1, 2026. The focus today will be on how to roll out the pact, agreed back in December 2023, after the Commission dropped a new mini-package, complete with some key milestones — on bank holiday Tuesday (we’ve got more on that just below). But first …
TAKE OUT THE TRASH DAY CATCH-UP: Among the documents the Commission dropped, which MEPs will debate today, were:
1) Its first annual report showing border crossings are down by 35 percent. But issues remain, including the ongoing challenge of accommodating refugees who have fled the war in Ukraine.
2) A proposal to the EU Council — which has the final say — on the creation of the so-called Solidarity Pool, which is designed to ensure a fairer distribution of responsibilities for dealing with the pressures migration can create. Under the mechanism, countries can choose to accept relocated migrants, pay a fee per person they refuse, or offer other forms of assistance.
3) Decisions on which EU countries will be eligible for help and which will have to provide it. Countries are classified in several categories: those under acute migratory pressure now; those dealing with “significant migratory situations”; and those at risk of pressure in the year ahead. While the Parliament doesn’t get a say in the final decision on these classifications, lawmakers will debate the designations today, providing a temperature check of how capitals are reacting to them.
The size of the proposed solidarity pool — and how much a country will need to pay to opt out of relocations — remain a mystery. The figures are confidential under the migration pact rules, but expect leaks once capitals get the numbers. More in my story here.
ROME GETS DINGED: Italy is refusing to accept asylum-seekers under the Dublin Regulation, which stipulates which country should handle asylum applications (typically a person’s first point of entry to the EU). Some countries — notably Belgium and the Netherlands — want Rome to resume fulfilling its obligations. Brunner, speaking at a press point on Tuesday, said “Italy will have access to the solidarity pool, but it also has to respect the obligations on the other side of the pact.”
DRONE PATROL: The Commission also revealed plans to deploy drones to help countries facing migratory pressure. A €250 million call for drone and counter-drone projects at external borders is on the way.
TABOO OVER: There was a time when referring to migration as “illegal” was frowned upon — the European Parliament in 2009 even urged EU institutions and member countries to say “irregular” or “undocumented” instead. Those days are over. “All member states are feeling the pressure from illegal migration,” said Brunner on Tuesday, using the term repeatedly.
BACK TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH DAY: MEPs could well take aim at the Commission’s decision to drop the highly sensitive migration mini-package on a day when everyone was away. Brunner faced the press on the afternoon of Armistice Day, a Belgian bank holiday, having given them barely 30 minutes’ notice to get there. Fewer than 10 reporters — your Playbook author among them — turned up in person, with some others joining remotely.
Oops, they did it again: It’s not the first time migration files have quietly landed when no one’s looking. The list of “safe” countries for returns appeared on April 17 — the Thursday before Easter — with an even smaller turnout.
We’re not sneaky, we’re just busy! Asked about the timing, a Commission official cited a “very heavy agenda” ahead of today’s College meeting. “There was no intention to sneak here,” the official said, stressing the need for accountability before Parliament’s debate.
Playbook aside: Today’s College agenda includes only two items, compared to four scheduled for next Wednesday.
Better late than never: This package was meant to be presented by Oct. 15. “We allowed ourselves a little flexibility to make sure we got this right,” the same official said, noting it’s the Commission’s first attempt at such an exercise.
DEMOCRACY AND CULTURE
SHIELDS UP! The European Commission will today deliver on a key promise made by President Ursula von der Leyen back in July 2024, when she sought Parliament’s backing for a second term: launching a European DemocracyShield to counter election interference and disinformation by Russia and other adversaries.
What to watch for: My colleague on Morning Tech Pieter Haeck got his hands on a copy of the draft (for Pros here). The core of the initiative is a new European Center for Democratic Resilience designed to coordinate and share information on manipulation and disinformation campaigns among EU institutions. The draft also points to ongoing efforts to improve detection of AI-generated content under the EU’s AI Act, gives guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in elections and recommends improving safety in politics.
But but but … the draft also shows that many of the key measures are not binding. We did the CTRL-F test on our leak and the word “voluntary” came up 11 times. The European Center for Democratic Resilience itself? Voluntary — based on EU countries’ “input and needs for support and cooperation.” A new network of influencers to raise awareness about EU rules on online political campaigns? Voluntary. The AI guidance for elections? Feeding into “voluntary” party commitments. Pieter has more here.
MEPs and their aides are already muttering that the so-called shield looks more like tinfoil — too soft, too slow, too optional to counter algorithmic manipulation.
“Time is running out”: That was the message from liberal MEPs — including the chair of the Parliament’s committee on the European Democracy Shield, Nathalie Loiseau — in a letter to von der Leyen this week seen by Playbook. “Our democracies are no longer just occasionally under threat; they are under daily attack,” the lawmakers warned.
But the shield is just the start, the Commission insists. In a comment to Playbook, Democracy Commissioner Michael McGrath said the shield is a beginning, not an endpoint, meant to bring together all parts of society to protect democracy for future generations — the “local judges who stand firm when threats become personal … the journalists who tell the truth, even when it could cost them their careers … [and] the parents and teachers who, every day, compete for their children’s hearts and minds against the most addictive technology of our time.”
CULTURE COMPASS: Also landing today is the Commission’s Culture Compass, a roadmap to bring a more holistic approach to Europe’s fragmented cultural policy. Among the 20 deliverables expected in the document are an annual report monitoring the state of Europe’s cultural ecosystem … a new artists’ charter focused on socio-economic rights … and a focus on the role of culture in protecting mental health.
And yes, AI again: The Commission has previously promised — under its Apply AI strategy — to present an AI roadmap for the cultural and creative industries in the first quarter of 2027. Expect the communication to wade into thorny questions around artificial intelligence and its impact on artists’ rights and livelihoods.
ECB SUCCESSION
MUSICAL CHAIRS AT THE ECB: Eurozone finance ministers are meeting today in Brussels to talk about digital finance and other issues. But the hottest topic on the menu doesn’t even appear on their agenda: They will kick off discussions on who will succeed European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos.
A refresher: The position will become vacant on June 1, 2026, for a new eight-year term. This marks the start of one of the biggest reshuffles in the ECB’s top leadership in years, with two-thirds of the executive board leaving Frankfurt in the next two years.
The candidates: Lining up at the starting blocks are Finland’s Olli Rehn, Croatia’s Boris Vujčić, Portugal’s Mário Centeno, Latvia’s Mārtiņš Kazāks, and Greece’s Christina Papaconstantinou.
Frankfurt’s darling: Multiple sources says that Rehn is the favorite among the Frankfurt crowd. A three-time EU commissioner, Rehn knows Brussels inside out — an advantage in any top-job race. What could work against him, however, is that Finland already holds seats on four of the six EU financial watchdogs’ boards.
Mostly important: Several hopefuls may be using this race to raise their profile ahead of other top ECB positions opening in 2027, an EU diplomat said. Indeed, the field is unusually crowded compared with eight years ago, when there were only two contenders, with several candidates from countries that joined the euro after 2000. Everyone thinks that their turn has come, said the diplomat.
Expect intense political jockeying and backroom deal-making to continue well into next year.
CULINARY CORNER
THE EU’S FOOD SUPERPOWER? UNESCO appears poised to serve up another slice of cultural prestige — this time to Italy. The U.N. agency is reportedly considering adding Italian cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, with a final decision expected in December.
The EU angle: Beyond culinary pride, Brussels might smell a policy win. Italy tops the EU leaderboard for products registered under the bloc’s geographical indication schemes — designed to protect traditional foods and link them to their regions of origin. From Parmigiano Reggiano to Parma ham, Italy boasts the highest number of protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) products in Europe. So, would this be a quiet victory for the EU’s quality schemes as well?
I guess that’s a … yes? Playbook put the question to EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, fresh from wrapping up a successful budget negotiation with the European Parliament and securing the first legislative omnibus package. “Linking territories, traditions and quality is at the core of the GI system, so this recognition validates our approach,” he told us.
Food proud (and insufferable?): The last culinary entry to make UNESCO’s list was the French baguette — recognized as the “artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread” — and the French couldn’t stop talking about it for months. Imagine how unbearable the Italians could be if this one goes through.
IN OTHER NEWS
GREEK PATRIOT FACES FORGERY PROBE: A criminal investigation has been launched against Greek far-right MEP and Voice of Reason party leader Afroditi Latinopoulou over allegations that the party’s founding declaration contains forged signatures. Nektaria Stamouli has more.
COP CLASH: Activist groups and security guards clashed in chaotic scenes at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil late Tuesday after protesters appeared to force their way into the conference venue. Zia Weise had this dispatch from Belém … and you can read more of our coverage from the summit here.
THE RESET CAN WAIT: EU27 ambassadors were hoping to hash out joint negotiating position on how to handle Brexit Britain at a high-level meeting in Brussels on Tuesday — after falling short during an earlier attempt on Friday. But they remained deadlocked after a second day of talks and will come back for more today. Jon Stone brings you the story.
SOLDIER SHORTAGE: Ukraine is facing a worsening shortage of troops as record numbers of men flee to Europe, Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko told POLITICO in an interview.
POWER SHIFT: Germany’s ambition to become Europe’s predominant military power is upending Europe’s power balance. My colleagues examine how that shift is playing in other capitals such as Paris and Warsaw.