Former OPEKEPE president says technical advisory firm caused agency decline
A former president of disgraced farm subsidies agency OPEKEPE has blamed the agency’s decline on a private company that enjoyed the backing of former agricultural minister Makis Voridis. Speaking before a parliamentary committee looking into the scandal, Grigoris Varras said he was removed from his position when he raised his concerns about Neuropublic, which he alleged was handed absolute control over the agency.
Panos Routsi ends hunger strike after approval of exhumation request
Panos Ruci ended his 23-day hunger strike on Tuesday afternoon, thanking those who had supported him throughout his protest. Ruci, the father of Denis Ruci, one of the 57 victims of the 2023 Tempe train disaster, began his hunger strike demanding the exhumation of his son’s body for new DNA and toxicology tests, with independent technical experts present.
Police investigate powerful explosion at Athens nightclub
Police are investigating a powerful explosion that struck a closed nightclub in the Ilisia district of Athens late Tuesday, authorities said on Wednesday. No injuries were reported in the blast, which caused property damage at the “Jacky O” nightclub on Michalakopoulou Street.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1283196/police-investigate-powerful-explosion-at-athens-nightclub
FTSE Russell upgrades Greek Capital Market to “Developed Market” status
The Athens Stock Exchange proudly welcomes the decision of global index provider FTSE Russell to upgrade the Greek capital market from “Advanced Emerging Market” to “Developed Market” status.
ATHEX: Traders share optimism at Athinon Avenue
Traders at Athinon Avenue on Tuesday placed their bets on the Greek stock market getting upgraded by FTSE Russell from an “emerging” to a “developed” market, which saw banks and most other blue chips rebound and the benchmark recover most of its Monday losses. The verdict of FTSE Russell was expected late on Tuesday night. The main index has started looking toward 2,100 points, but if France continues to be embroiled in political uncertainty, possibly with a snap election, the jitters will certainly reach the Greek market too.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1283151/athex-traders-share-optimism-at-athinon-avenue
KATHIMERINI: Greeks insist on placing their money on real estate assets
TA NEA: Public sector: new evaluation procedure
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Opposition parties: “Take back the 13-hour labor day!”
RIZOSPASTIS: Workers’ Unions decide to strike and call for uprising
KONTRA NEWS: The rage of farmers fell upon Agriculture Minister Tsiaras
DIMOKRATIA: Former OPEKEPE President “axes” former Agriculture Minister Voridis
NAFTEMPORIKI: Athens Stock Exchange joins the “club” of developed markets
DRIVING THE DAY: VDL’S FRIENDLY FIRE
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE … Once upon a plenary — not so long ago, let’s say earlier this week — a queen was busy fending off attacks from the far-left and far-right reaches of her empire. Little did she know, the fiercest blows were coming from inside the castle.
… who needs enemies? As we roll into Day 3 of October’s first Strasbourg plenary, Ursula von der Leyen’s biggest headache no longer comes from two censure motions, but from within her own political family — the European People’s Party. Or as EPP party leader Manfred Weber put it in a press briefing on Tuesday: “This week is for discussing issues among friends.”
Budget battle: Behind closed doors, the Parliament’s largest group has spent the week in open revolt over the Commission’s long-term budget plans — particularly the idea of merging agricultural and regional funds (which together account for more than half the EU budget) into a single pot managed by national governments.
Tl;dr version: They hate it. The EPP argues the proposal sidelines regional leaders, makes farmers poorer and weakens oversight of how EU money is spent.
How bad is it? POLITICO’s Gregorio Sorgi, Max Griera, Bartosz Brzeziński and I compared notes to gauge how deep the rift between von der Leyen and her own party really runs. What we learnt from four Parliament and two Commission sources: Monday’s meeting of group budget and agri heads and Commissioners Piotr Serafin and Christophe Hansen (both from the EPP) had a firm tone; Tuesday’s session turned heated; then a late dinner with Serafin, Hansen, the party brass and von der Leyen herself did little to cool tempers.
Farming breakdown: At the Tuesday afternoon meeting, several MEPs told the commissioners they’d reject the proposal outright. A visibly frustrated Hansen warned them “if you reject it, don’t expect more money for agriculture,” according to two Parliament people present.
But after all that … “There’s still a big debate, nothing is decided,” one EPP official told Max last night after the dinner. To underscore the point, the official said, even the EPP’s German parliamentary delegation is split.
What’s at stake: “There’s a problem with the architecture” of the Commission’s proposal, “it’s simply not good,” EPP agriculture coordinator Herbert Dorfmann told Playbook. “Every other coordinator in the agri committee, not just me, opposes it. We’re the lawmakers. If the Commission proposes something without a majority, it has to change.”
What’s next: Multiple EPP insiders told us they’re leaning toward rejecting the plan — potentially via resolution at the next Strasbourg session later this month. “We need something written that clearly rejects the proposal,” one said. Options range from asking the Commission to withdraw and rework its plan, to letting Parliament torpedo it through amendments.
Sensitive stuff: For von der Leyen, this one stings. She is the leader of a self-proclaimed “farmers’ party,” but the single-fund model is central to her long-term budget overhaul. Two Commission officials told us there’s some openness to rethinking this part of the plan. “When criticism comes from the EPP, it’s not just words — it has to be taken seriously,” one admitted.
Heat from ministers too: Adding to the pressure, 16 EU countries signed a joint statement last week demanding the Common Agricultural Policy stay in its current form — and more national cash earmarked for farmers.
EPP MEETS ON 2040 TARGETS: As if one internal fight wasn’t enough, the EPP top brass — including Manfred Weber — are also meeting today to decide the group’s line on the 2040 climate target. The party is divided on this too: Some want to scrap the 90 percent emissions-reduction goal altogether, others just want to water it down.
Lowering the ambition: EPP climate lead Peter Liese wrote this week that “there’s no majority for a 90 percent cut.” His “good compromise”? Something “slightly below 90 percent” — Brussels code for lower the bar and move on.
HAPPENING TODAY — BRUSSELS TO UNVEIL AGRI SAFEGUARDS: The European Commission is expected to today unveil tighter agricultural safeguards tied to its trade deal with the South American Mercosur countries, three EU diplomats told Camille Gijs.
OTHER PARLIAMENT TALES
WILL VIKTOR ORBÁN SUE? On Tuesday, MEPs voted to shield Italian leftist MEP Ilaria Salis from prosecution by Hungarian authorities, arguing she would not get a fair trial in Budapest. Now the lead EPP lawmaker dealing with Salis’ case is warning Hungary could take the Parliament to court.
Against the rules: The crime Salis was accused of (and which she denies) allegedly occurred before she took office, meaning she wouldn’t normally be covered by parliamentary immunity, said MEP Adrián Vázquez Lázara. “If the Hungarian government decides to take this decision to court, Parliament may suffer a major legal defeat in a few months.”
Just like Viktor: “I am saddened that all those groups that claim to defend the rule of law, that are fighting against Orbán today, have done the opposite,” Vázquez said. “They broke the rules for political reasons, which is more or less what Orbán does.” Budapest has yet to confirm whether they’ll sue.
GREENLAND CALLING: There’s another land, not quite fairytale but equally icy, standing up to big powers: Greenland. U.S. President Donald Trump may have moved on to other topics for now, but “he’ll be back,” Danish PM Mette Frederiksen warned Tuesday.
A cool guy from a cool land: Greenland’s 34-year-old Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen will make history today as the first Greenlandic leader to address the European Parliament. Known for saying the Arctic island “will never be a piece of property,” Nielsen’s also quite the character —he’s a former professional badminton player.
NO DEAL ON EDIP: Negotiations between the EU Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on the European Defence Industry Programme failed to reach an agreement at a trilogue on Tuesday. The next steps are unclear, three officials said.
Here for a good time not a long time: The three-way meeting was meant to be the final one for the EDIP file, but it was so short it barely felt like a trilogue. The Danish presidency of the Council wants to reach a deal in time for the next EUCO summit of EU leaders later this month — but key differences remain.
What’s the hold-up? Budget and eligibility. Both sides want to increase EDIP’s €1.5 billion budget, but there aren’t concrete ideas on how to do that. On eligibility, the biggest sticking point was whether weapons made under foreign license in the EU should get EDIP cash. Parliament insists the EU has to control intellectual property rights, while Council is pushing for missiles and ammunition to be excluded.
The mood in the Council: Parliament “does not seem to understand that this is not some regular legislative file that they can play politics with,” said an EU diplomat. “This goes to the core of the raison d’état. Member states will defend every millimeter of their interests.”
What happens next: EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the Commission proposal on Friday and the next trilogue is expected next week, possibly on Thursday. Read the full story by Jacopo Barigazzi and Laura Kayali.
BACK IN BRUSSELS
FAIRYTALE’S OVER: While Max Griera and I were wandering through Strasbourg’s Wonderland, POLITICO’s Brussels crew kept busy in a more grimy EU capital.
BRUSSELS, YOU’VE GOT MAIL — FROM TRUMP: Washington has sent the European Commission a new proposal on how to implement key commitments from the recent joint statement, several EU diplomats and officials told my colleague Camille Gijs. The content hasn’t yet been shared with EU capitals, with ambassadors set to discuss it when they meet for Coreper today.
The deets: The proposal is expected to touch on the EU’s regulatory issues, two officials said, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Brussels to scale back its green and digital regulations. The talks come amid wider tensions over steel and aluminum. The EU on Tuesday doubled its steel duties to 50 percent in a bid to draw Washington back to the negotiating table.
GERMANY AND ITALY LOBBY TO WEAKEN COMBUSTION ENGINE BAN: Rome and Berlin’s industry and economic ministers co-signed a letter to the European Commission calling for any reform of the 2035 law that acts as a de-facto combustion engine ban to be watered down. The legislation should allow “the recognition of low- and zero-emission vehicles other than battery-electric vehicles,” says the letter, first reported on by POLITICO. POLITICO obtained the letter and first reported on its existence earlier this week.
Catch up: In July, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni tried to get both Berlin and Paris to sign up to a joint letter after talks at the highest level across capitals. France ultimately balked, preoccupied with its own political turmoil and pushing for strict local content rules — requiring most vehicles to be made in the EU — as a condition for any flexibility on the 2035 engine ban. Berlin and Rome weren’t having it.
This is awkward: The letter to the Commission — aimed at shaping its upcoming reform of the 2035 engine ban — lands just before Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosts Germany’s top automakers and suppliers for a summit on Thursday.
Commission downplays the drama: POLITICO’s reporting that the letter blindsided Merz’s coalition partners caused a stir, a Commission official told our mobility reporter Jordyn Dahl. They said Berlin’s stance after Thursday’s summit will likely reaffirm “flexibility and technological neutrality” — just with a more nuanced approach on the 2035 target.
Coming up: Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra will address MEPs today in a debate on the 2035 legislation, called by the European Conservatives and Reformists to discuss “reversing the ban.” Starts at 1:30 p.m. — watch here.
VDL’S PLAYBOOK BIRTHDAY CARD
PLAYBOOK’S TOP REAL ESTATE: A recurring reaction I got when telling people I was starting as a Brussels Playbook author was a warning that bordered on a threat: “You’d better give me a birthday shoutout.” Apparently, that’s the real power slot in this newsletter.
If that’s what the job’s about … then I’d better start doing it properly. So here we go, the first truly Playbook-worthy birthday on my watch belongs to none other than Ursula von der Leyen.
Lo que tú sientes, se llama obsesión: Her flack reckons I’m “obsessed” with the Commission chief — fair enough. Partly it’s just fascination with how she manages to keep up the pace: she was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly late last month, then in Copenhagen for an informal EUCO, then Turin, then Strasbourg, then back to Brussels today.
How does she do it? It’s all very intentional — to use a word everyone seems to love these days. “Her schedule is built to maximize energy,” a Commission official told me recently. Business-class naps help, sure. But von der Leyen runs on what’s essentially a monk-like routine, people around her say: strict sleep hygiene, focused work blocks, daily exercise.
Move, eat (?), sleep, repeat: She walks, she runs (you may have seen the snaps of her jogging through Parc du Cinquantenaire), she even does yoga, according to another Commission official. There’s some confusion about von der Leyen’s diet. Some say she’s vegetarian; others that she “barely eats.”
Von der Leyen doesn’t attend social events outside work — “her social time is dedicated to family,” a Commission official said. Which sounds like she has no friends, but let’s not go there. “She’s just very focused on the job,” the official clarified.
FOUND SOME FRIENDS … SORT OF: In honor of von der Leyen’s 67th, Max and I put together a virtual birthday card — Strasbourg edition — getting political leaders and commissioners to submit their best wishes for the Commission chief on her big day.
Ever the diplomat: S&D boss Iratxe García sent “happiness, strength and health to work on challenges together.”
We all have that friend. Renew’s Valérie Hayer filled every inch of the virtual card (seriously, we had to cut her message) hoping for “lots of good things for the future of Europe” and “a strong pro-European majority.”
I know it was you, (Man)Fredo. EPP boss Manfred Weber wrote: “Dear Ursula, thank you for your friendship and excellent cooperation. Your smart leadership holds Europe together in these turbulent times. Happy birthday.”
It’s the thought that counts? On the other side of the hemicycle, Left Co-Chair Manon Aubry wished von der Leyen … early retirement. “She has a lot of children and grandchildren, so I wish her a lot, a lot of rest — and we’ll take over politically,” Aubry said.
This is predictable: ECR’s Patryk Jaki chimed in: “I have special wishes for her (and for all Europeans) to withdraw from the Green Deal and improve cooperation across the political spectrum.”
Commissioner Magnus Brunner kept it light and classic: “Happy birthday, Madam President! All the best — and great to work with you on Europe’s future.”
Trade boss Maroš Šefčovič wins the cringe sincerity Olympics: “We share a real passion for Europe and for sport. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead, full of happiness, health and success — both personally and for the strong, prosperous Europe we fight for.”
TODAY IN POLICY
HOW BRUSSELS WANTS TO BOOST AI ADOPTION: The European Commission today unveils its plan to boost AI adoption across Europe — along with its AI for Science strategy. “These strategies are another clear step toward our bold vision: making the EU a true AI Continent,” Commissioner Henna Virkkunen told Playbook ahead of the 10:30 a.m. launch.
Big hopes, small steps: The plan is more steady jog than moonshot — funding for AI-driven drug discovery, acceleration pipelines for robotics and manufacturing, and even a farmers’ AI platform to find tailored digital tools. Full details here.
ALSO TODAY: The Commission unveils a new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy at 10 a.m., focused on tackling violence — including cyberbullying and conversion practices — while backing rainbow families and inclusive workplaces. “When people feel unsafe and face discrimination, they look to the EU for support. We must be ready to respond,” Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told Playbook, warning of a growing global backlash against gender equality and LGBTIQ+ rights.
ENCRYPTION RUMBLE IN BRUSSELS: It’s crunch time for the EU’s child sexual abuse material (CSAM) regulation, with EU ambassadors meeting today to see if there’s enough support to move the proposal to the upcoming Justice and Home Affairs meeting next week. POLITICO’s Sam Clark has more.
IN OTHER NEWS
FRENCH MESS: President Emmanuel Macron is expected to reveal his next big move today. In the meantime, he’s still keeping everyone guessing on how he plans to pull France out of a deepening political and economic crisis, report Victor Goury-Laffont and Clea Caulcutt.
SORRY REALLY IS THE HARDEST WORD (FOR MERKEL): Angela Merkel continues to refuse to reckon with her fraught legacy on the war in Ukraine, James Angelos writes.
INTERESTING READ: How a banking deal fired up Catalan politics, by Max Griera.