Dendias presents transition map and planned reforms in armed forces
Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias presented on Tuesday the transition map of the armed forces in the new era at the Hellenic Armed Forces Officers’ Club.
Greece and Egypt sign MoU to advance GREGY electricity link
A trilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday by the electricity transmission operators of Greece and Egypt (ADMIE and EETC), as well as the agency promoting the power linking of both countries, ELICA.
Former OPEKEPE chief testifies in parliamentary inquiry
The parliamentary inquiry into the operations of Greece’s disgraced farm subsidy agency, OPEKEPE, continued with the testimony of Evangelos Simandrakos, who served as the organization’s president from July 2022 until January 2024. Explaining his resignation from OPEKEPE, Simandrakos cited a lack of communication with the then-agriculture minister Lefteris Avgenakis, claiming that Avgenakis had asked him three times to step down. In response to a question from PASOK MP Milena Apostolaki about payments to thousands of farmers with blocked tax identification numbers, he said that after his departure from the organization, his successor, Kyriakos Babasidis, said during a board of directors meeting that he had received instructions from above to proceed.
KEPE: Greek economy on stable growth trajectory, GDP average rate at 2.1% for 2025
The Greek economy steadily remains on a trajectory of growth, with the average rate of GDP change for 2025 overall forecast at 2.1%, according to updated forecasts of the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) on Tuesday.
ATHEX: Bourse index ends September with minor gains
September became the 11th consecutive month of growth for the benchmark of the Greek stock market (a sequence not seen in 38 years), albeit with a rather small rate of 0.62%. Tuesday’s session, the final for the month, offered little change to the main index, as the local bourse proved to be a two-tier market whereby the banks and the blue chip indexes rose marginally while losing stocks outnumbered the gainers by a two-to-one ratio. Trading grew considerably, mainly thanks to prearranged transactions.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1282475/athex-bourse-index-ends-september-with-minor-gains
KATHIMERINI: Nine-month military service for those who enlist immediately after finishing high-school
TA NEA: The three Greek files of European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi
NAFTEMPORIKI: High score for the profits of listed companies
DRIVING THE DAY: COPENHAGEN GET-TOGETHER
EU LEADERS TALK DRONES, FROZEN ASSETS, ENLARGEMENT: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hosts EU leaders in Copenhagen today against a backdrop of growing angst over Russian airspace violations and increasingly urgent calls for Europe to bolster its defenses.
Mood music: As the leaders meet, a German frigate will be floating in the port off the coast of Copenhagen in a show of European muscle. Special air defenses have also been deployed around the meeting site courtesy of the French, Swedish, British and German militaries following a spate of suspicious drone sightings over airports. A senior German official said Moscow will “watch the summit very closely.”
Gulp: In case anyone hadn’t got the message, Frederiksen herself prefaced today’s gathering with a warning last week that Europe already finds itself in a “hybrid war” against Russia. In an interview with the FT published this morning, the PM says the Kremlin’s latest drone provocations are “only the beginning.”
ON THE AGENDA: Here’s a handy primer on the five things to watch in Copenhagen, courtesy of Seb Starcevic. Tl;dr: defense, frozen assets, enlargement, Russia sanctions and deregulation.
Let’s talk turkey: Talk of threats ramps up the urgency level on the main agenda item: deciding who should be in charge of flagship defense projects such as the “drone wall” — the European Commission or national capitals.
Batting for the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen is pushing to centralize management of major defense initiatives in Brussels, and has outlined four key defense projects to bolster European readiness, including the drone wall, in a nine-pager distributed to member countries this week.
Batting for the capitals: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, backed by heavyweights France and Italy, wants to leave EU countries firmly in charge of these big projects, arguing that the European Defense Agency is best placed to manage intra-EU cooperation, Hans von der Burchard writes in to report.
WEBER WEIGHS IN: In comments to Playbook, the president of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) group, Manfred Weber, said “the provocations from the Kremlin will continue. We must now position ourselves for the future and move away from ad-hoc European solutions.”
“We need a permanent European air defense with a clear command structure, state-of-the-art equipment and clear funding,” Weber added.
Borgen’s view: These big questions (more below) are unlikely to get settled in Copenhagen today, per an EU diplomat familiar with the Danish leadership’s thinking. But Frederiksen, one of the EU’s most outspoken leaders on defense, is determined to get her counterparts engaged in a “political discussion” ahead of a formal European Council later this month, the same diplomat said.
Hence the hygge format: Leaders will meet in a room directly below Frederiksen’s office and minimal staff will be present, to encourage frank discussion. There might be a press conference at the end, or there might not. Frederiksen, who co-chairs the meeting along with European Council President António Costa, will use her platform as holder of the EU’s rotating presidency to “set the scene.”
The Frederiksen method: The social democratic leader is “not only pushing for things you can obtain,” added Playbook’s Denmark whisperer. “She sees it much more in terms of influencing the conversation — as she did on migration.”
EUCO CONT’D
DIGGING DEEP ON FROZEN ASSETS, ENLARGEMENT, DEREGULATION: In addition to defense, European leaders will be grappling over how to use Russia’s frozen assets, a proposal to unlock the EU’s enlargement process and a push for accelerated deregulation from the German chancellor.
On frozen assets … there’s been a dramatic increase in political momentum in recent weeks to use some of the €140 billion to support Ukraine’s defense, my colleagues Bjarke Smith-Meyer and Gregorio Sorgi write in this must-read piece. This has a lot to do with Merz throwing his weight behind a Commission initiative to repurpose the assets as loans to Ukraine — but also with the need to find cash to help Ukraine now that Washington has yanked its funding.
While talks about the legal fine print of using the loans are ongoing, leaders are already looking ahead to the next question: how to spend the money from the frozen assets. The top priority? Allowing Kyiv to buy weapons. Specifically, European weapons, write Bjarke and Gregorio.
Meanwhile, in Russia: Support for continuing the war has dropped to an all-time low, and the Kremlin is trying to push a “Russia vs. the West” narrative to boost public morale, Eva Hartog reports.
NEXT UP, ENLARGEMENT: Leaders may also dig into Costa’s proposal to unblock the EU’s enlargement process, which is currently gummed up in large part due to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s opposition to Kyiv joining the bloc. Playbook scooped the contents of Costa’s proposal on Monday. Today we dig into how the idea is going down with EU leaders.
Spoiler alert: It’s a mixed bag, with some including Finnish President Alexander Stubb welcoming Costa’s initiative while diplomats from other countries say leaders will oppose anything that waters down their veto rights. Read the whole piece here by your Playbook author, with Gerardo Fortuna, Jacopo Barigazzi and Giorgio Leali.
Last, not least: The leaders will discuss the Commission’s proposal for a 19th package of sanctions against Russia, expected to run into Hungarian opposition, and they’ll grapple with a push by Merz to ramp up deregulation (there’s a side event in Copenhagen focused on competitiveness, details just below).
COMPETITIVENESS DRIVE
COMPETITIVENESS SUMMIT, COPENHAGEN EDITION: Before the summit kicks off in Copenhagen, leaders from several European companies are due to present a competitiveness declaration promising to increase investments in the EU in exchange for deep reforms, according to a document scooped by POLITICO’s Mathieu Pollet.
POLITICO’S COMPETITIVE EUROPE SUMMIT: Meanwhile back in Brussels, POLITICO’s massive two-day Competitive Europe summit kicks off today. Livestream from 9:10 a.m. … live blog … program.
Day 1 highlights: Discussing European unity with Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka, MEP David McAllister and Paris School of International Affairs Dean Arancha González Laya … ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos on simplification and competitiveness (9:55 a.m.) … former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on trade and geopolitics (12:25 p.m.) … Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen on the Commission’s effort to lower energy prices, ban Russian gas and secure energy infrastructures (3:15 p.m.) … Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on threats to EU security (6 p.m.).
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW
TALKING GOLF AND VETOS WITH FINLAND’S PRESIDENT: Europe’s most powerful political golfer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb (who befriended Donald Trump over a round or two) spoke to Playbook’s Tim Ross and a handful of other hacks in Helsinki about why he’s optimistic that Trump is about to hit Putin with penalties. After being disappointed by Putin stalling on peace, Trump is moving from the “carrot” to the “stick,” Stubb said.
What kind of stick will it be? A “driver,” Stubb joked, referring to the biggest, heaviest club golfers use to whack the ball miles. “He has 14 clubs in his bag.” The options range from tighter sanctions, including secondary ones, to higher tariffs and even making greater use of the U.S. military’s arsenal of weapons that can penetrate deep into Russian territory.
In praise of creativity: Stubb hailed the Commission’s idea for repurposing Russia’s frozen assets to enable the bloc to send loans of more than €100 billion to Ukraine,” calling it “ingenious.” He added: “I’m quite confident that it will work and this will help Ukraine to fund itself.”
Vanquishing Viktor’s veto: Stubb was also enthusiastic about Brussels’ plan to deal once and for all with Hungary’s repeated veto on supporting Ukraine and on its accession to the EU. “Any decision-making mechanism which gives more flexibility and less possibility to block I personally welcome, and never more so than with Ukraine,” the Finnish president said. Read more from Stubb here.
COMMISSION UNDER FIRE
EP LEADERSHIP HUDDLES OVER NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE: The EU Parliament’s political group leaders meet today to hash out an agreement on the plenary agenda for next week — including votes of no confidence in von der Leyen, Max Griera writes in to report.
Leaders are expected to schedule a joint debate on Monday for the two motions of no confidence filed by The Left and the Patriots of Europe, followed by two separate votes on Thursday.
Bringing in the cavalry: Von der Leyen is expected — once again — to bring her whole 26-strong College of Commissioners to the hemicycle when she defends herself and her team during the debate, according to two Commission officials.
BERLAYMONT’S PRESS RELATIONS UNDER MICROSCOPE: Reporters complaining about spokespeople is a feature of any major media scene, but the Commission is coming under an unusual level of scrutiny over how its spokesperson’s service (SPP) interacts with the media, my colleague Marianne Gros reports in this piece out today.
“Confusing, contradictory”: Since the start of von der Leyen’s second term as Commission president in December, the institution has been repeatedly criticized for not being fully open with the public or for handing out confusing or even contradictory information to the press. Her critics blame von der Leyen’s presidential leadership style for recent communication missteps, Marianne reports, with journalists complaining they can’t do their jobs properly without clear and accurate information.
Walk a mile in these shoes: The Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pinho insisted that the SPP remains committed to its mission of communicating about the work of the institution with the public via the press and “takes the comments and the criticism very seriously.” But it’s “only natural that in an institution like the Commission … there are things that cannot be immediately shared,” she added.
PARLIAMENT CORNER
EP NUKES VDL’S FIRST SIMPLIFICATION PACKAGE: The parties that back Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament failed to reach a common position Tuesday on her so-called Omnibus simplification package, exposing the fault lines in her centrist coalition, Marianne also writes in to report. The EPP, Socialists and Democrats and Renew were gearing up for an all-nighter, but abandoned talks after just four hours.
What they disagreed on: The EPP’s lead negotiator, Jörgen Warborn, insisted on exempting more companies from having to comply with green rules than the Commission had suggested. Renew and S&D weren’t having it.
What’s at stake: The Omnibus was one of the first concrete legislative proposals in von der Leyen’s second term. It’s also a major test of whether the majority that confirmed her for a second term still holds. Given Tuesday’s failed debate, there’s a question mark over the coalition’s viability.
RIGHT-WING MEP RALLIES SUPPORT FOR HIJAB BAN IN PARLIAMENT: Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers, vice chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), is rallying support to ban hijabs and other “Islamic headscarves” on EU premises, citing neutrality and security concerns. The petition, targeting civil servants and contractors, will be sent to Parliament President Roberta Metsola by Friday, Max Griera reports. Read more here.
NO DOUBLE PAY FOR THE EPP’S SEC-GEN: Newly minted EPP Secretary-General Dolors Montserrat, a Spanish lawmaker in the Parliament, has quietly turned down a second salary for her job with the conservative party, two insiders directly aware of her decision tell Max. Montserrat did not respond to requests for comment.
Nice work if you can get it: Nothing in EPP or Parliament statutes says MEPs can’t draw a second salary from their party, but the optics around it are sensitive, to say the least. Montserrat’s decision to forgo a salary from the EPP contrasts with its president, Manfred Weber, who pockets €14,000 per month from the party on top of his pay from Parliament for being a lawmaker.
EX-KRAH AIDE CONVICTED: A German court on Tuesday sentenced Jian Guo, an aide to a far-right former European lawmaker Maximilian Krah, to almost five years in prison for spying for China. Details here.
IN OTHER NEWS
SCOOP — BRUSSELS EYES DATE FOR SEALING MERCOSUR DEAL: The European Commission is eying a possible signature of its long-awaited partnership agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries on Dec. 5 in Brazil, four EU diplomats told POLITICO.
Getting there: This would bring the mammoth trade accord, which has been under negotiation for over 25 years, a big step closer to reality. The bloc’s ambassadors would weigh in on the agreement on Dec. 3, according to a tentative timeline the EU executive shared with capitals on Friday. Read the full story here by Camille Gijs, Antonia Zimmerman and Koen Verhelst.
MY VOICE, MY CHOICE TO MEET WITH THE COMMISSION: Organizers from the “My Voice, My Choice” European Citizens’ Initiative are meeting with the European Commission today as part of their campaign to expand access to abortion care in Europe, Claudia Chiappa writes in to report. (Those backing the initiative want the Commission to establish a fund to help women who can’t access abortion care in their own country travel to another.)
SUMUD FLOTILLA LATEST: Israel didn’t intercept the Sumud Flotilla carrying aid to Gaza overnight. Live tracker is here.
What Netanyahu does next: Jamie Dettmer has this analysis of Israel’s plan for after the war.
NO DEAL IN WASHINGTON: The U.S. federal government officially shut down in the last hour after congressional leaders failed to reach a last-minute deal to resolve a funding stalemate. It could result in around 750,000 federal employees being furloughed and mass disruption to public services. “We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things,” Trump told reporters before the deadline expired. My U.S. colleagues have more.