Spain urges EU to recognise Palestinian statehood without delay

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

MADRID 

All EU members should recognise Palestinian statehood in a coordinated manner without delay, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Monday, suggesting this as the best way to put an end to the conflict and prevent the war from spreading throughout the entire region. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

EU seeks to avert ‘wider war’ in Middle East, zooms in on Lebanon. Following Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, EU leaders and diplomats are increasingly looking at how a major escalation in the Middle East conflict can be prevented, including by focusing on neighbouring countries. Read more.

Magyar scores three seats but fails to weaken Orbán: EU election projection. Hungary’s new political leader and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s main challenger, Peter Magyar, is projected to take three seats in the upcoming European elections but failing to weaken the unbothered Fidesz, according to Europe Elects’ latest projections for Euractiv. Read more.

Europe’s Trumpists warm up for EU elections with series of rallies. Leading Eurosceptics are ready to shake up June’s EU election campaign with three rallies, at which they will vow to protect national sovereignty against Brussels’ bureaucracy and wokism. Read more.

EU pledges over €900 million for Sudan, calls for war not to be ‘forgotten’. International donors committed on Monday to spend more than €2 billion in humanitarian support in Sudan – €900 million of which will come from the EU and its member states – and better coordinate efforts to secure a sustainable ceasefire. Read more.

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BERLIN

Greens eye EU Parliament’s ruling majority, written commitments, safe Green Deal. The Greens want to team up with other pro-European forces after the June elections to join the ruling majority in the European Parliament, not excluding a coalition agreement, to prevent the Green Deal from being watered down, as it faces strong criticism from businesses. Read more.

China’s Xi tells Germany’s Scholz to seek ‘common ground’. Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday (16 April) two-way ties with Germany would continue to develop steadily as long as both respected each other and sought “common ground” while reserving differences. Read more.

EU justice chief Reynders defends EU supply chain law against German liberals’ rebuke. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders joined German Social Democrat ministers Hubertus Heil and Svenja Schulze to defend the EU supply chain legislation against ongoing criticism from Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP). Read more.

German transport minister stirs climate debate with threat of driving bans. A debate on abandoning sector-specific climate targets is heating up in Germany after Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the liberal FDP party warned that he might have to impose car bans on weekends unless the country’s climate law is reformed. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

COPENHAGEN 

Danish health system in crisis after revelations of delays in cancer treatment. Denmark’s healthcare system is facing a major crisis after a damning report by the National Audit Office revealed widespread delays in cancer treatment as the Health Ministry and regional authorities failed to meet the maximum legal waiting times for cancer patients, potentially affecting several thousands of people in recent years. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Lega founder Umberto Bossi makes clear Salvini must step down. Faced with declining popularity among voters and within his party, the leadership of Matteo Salvini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and current Lega leader – at least for now – is being challenged by none other than Umberto Bossi, the founder of the party’s previous iteration, Lega Nord. Read more.

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MADRID

EU’s Jourová will replace Reynders in mediation to renew Spain’s top judicial body. European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourová will replace Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders as mediator in the tough negotiations between Spain’s ruling Socialist Party PSOE (S&D) and Partido Popular (EPP) to agree on a reform of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), Spain’s top judicial body, EC sources told Euractiv’s partner EFE on Monday. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese government forecasts 1.5% economic growth for 2024. The Portuguese economy will grow by 1.5% this year, in line with what was projected in the 2024 State Budget and a tenth lower than the macroeconomic forecasts set out in the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) election manifesto, the government maintained on Monday. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

EU recovery money reaches Poland as Tusk delivers on key promise. Warsaw received the first tranche from the Next Generation EU fund after the European Commission gave a positive assessment of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government’s efforts to restore the rule of law in Poland. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

Romanian far-right to administer lie detector tests to prove loyalty before election. Local leaders and potential candidates from the far-right AUR party will be required to take a lie detector test to verify their loyalty to the party before the 9 June elections.  Read more.

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SOFIA

Blinken says Putin was wrong about allies in the Black Sea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hit back at Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Second Black Sea Security Conference in Sofia on Monday, challenging his prediction that Ukraine’s neighbours would be disunited while asserting strong US support for the region. Read more. 

AGENDA:

• EU: Informal video conference of foreign affairs ministers expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East;
• Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers speech at high level conference on the European Pillar of Social Rights, at La Hulpe, organised by the Belgian Presidency; Visits the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU;
• Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič holds roundtable with International Association of Oil & Gas Producers;
• Vice President Vĕra Jourová receives Czech Governmental Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine Tomas Kopecny;
• Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič participates in Fourth Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Ukraine; Hosts Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk;
• Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson delivers online keynote speech at the 9th Just Transition Platform Conference;
• Budget and Administration Commissioner Johannes Hahn hosts Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić;
• International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen gives speech at World Circular Economy Forum; Holds call with UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown;
• Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in spring meetings of World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF), in Washington, USA;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Olivia Gyapong, Sofia Mandilara]

Read more with Euractiv

Greens eye EU Parliament's ruling majority, written commitments, safe Green Deal

The Greens are aiming to team up with other pro-European forces after the elections in June to join the ruling majority in the European Parliament to prevent the Green Deal from being watered down, as it faces strong criticism.