Europe & EU June 2024-

Europe & EU January-June 2024

10 December
Ranking the most influential people in Europe: Class of 2025
POLITICO 28: The doers, disrupters and dreamers shaping European politics and policy in the year ahead.
The most powerful person in Europe Giorgia Meloni
The most influential person in Europe
POLITICO Europe’s annual ranking of the most influential people in Europe is out today and the list is marked by a conspicuous absence. The familiar faces who typically dominate the power corridors — like the French president or German chancellor — didn’t make the cut.
The list of those poised to shape European politics and policy in the year ahead is divided into three categories: Doers (those most adept at imposing their will), Disrupters (those shaking up the status quo), and Dreamers (whose bold ideas are driving the conversation). Together, the 28 power players in those categories are revealing.
They show the eastward tilt of Europe’s center of gravity. Four Poles made this list, underscoring Warsaw’s growing relevance. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, last year’s top-ranked figure, has helped shepherd Poland back into the political mainstream. The country’s rise has been further buoyed by a healthy domestic economy and a new European focus on defense and security that seems especially prescient following the reelection of Trump.
The list captures another continental trend: the ascent of right-wing populists and ultranationalist figures. These leaders, who have undermined civic rights and targeted minorities and asylum-seekers, have gained traction as centrist leaders flounder.

3 December
Poland takes EU baton as Tusk braces for pivotal presidential election
May’s vote on Poland’s next head of state looms large over the country’s six-month EU presidency, which starts Jan. 1.
(Politico Eu) Donald Trump’s return as president of the United States in January — and in particular his position on Ukraine — could prove a counterweight to domestic political pressures and force Tusk to pay more attention to events in Brussels.
Together with the Baltics, Poland has led the charge for the EU to provide more military and financial support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Warsaw now fears that Trump’s much-touted peace deal could force Ukraine to concede land to Russia, thereby emboldening Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions.
This will be Tusk’s focus during Poland’s Council presidency, said Andrzej Bobinski, managing director at Polish think tank Polityka Insight, and will require that he “navigat[e] these difficult waters around Trump, Ukraine, and his leadership in Europe.”

31 December
Europe, on the brink, faces a pileup of threats for 2025
(WaPo) Europe faces the new year amid a grim pileup of threats, its voters angry, its traditional political parties fragmented, its major economies stagnant or sluggish, its birth rates plummeting, and its eastern flank engulfed by a calamitous war.
The continent’s liberal democracies are under severe strain, not least from populist right-wing movements.
Seven of the European Union’s 27 member states are now governed fully or in part by extreme parties. More might follow as frustration mounts, especially among 20-something voters, at governments’ failure to limit immigration and promote jobs, housing and better living standards.
“There’s a disenchantment and a crisis of trust in this young generation who believe it’s not such an important thing to live in a democratic system” so long as “the government delivers public services, a nice economy and low energy prices,” Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, acting president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a think tank, recently told reporters.

30 December
Elon Musk trying to influence upcoming German election, Berlin says
Tesla CEO causes political uproar in Germany for repeatedly endorsing the country’s far-right party.
The warning comes a day after the Tesla CEO doubled down on his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in an opinion piece in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
He argued that the AfD was the “last spark of hope” for the country. While the conservative Christian Democratic Union is leading the polls with 30 percent, the far-right AfD is in second place with 19 percent, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.
Musk’s comments caused major political backlash.

27 December
Germany’s president dissolves parliament, sets national election for Feb. 23
(AP) German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday ordered parliament dissolved and set new elections for Feb. 23 in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, saying it was the only way to give the country a stable government capable of tackling its problems. Scholz lost a confidence vote on Dec. 16 and leads a minority government after his unpopular and notoriously rancorous three-party coalition collapsed on Nov. 6 when he fired his finance minister in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany’s stagnant economy. Steinmeier said he decided because it was clear after consultation with party leaders that there was no agreement among Germany’s political parties on a majority for a new government in the current parliament

22 December
How Putin won the Romanian election
(Politico Eu) Voters on NATO’s eastern flank were already ripe for Moscow’s manipulation, after decades of misrule.
Georgescu’s victory sent the country’s establishment into a crisis of confidence. The anti-Brussels, NATO-skeptic ultranationalist sprang seemingly out of nowhere last month to seize pole position in the election’s first round.
After the incumbent President Klaus Iohannis released secret files alleging the vote had been compromised by a likely Russia-backed “hybrid” attack — and a vast TikTok influence operation — Romania’s Constitutional Court canceled the entire election.
Romania is still reeling from Georgescu’s rapid rise and fall.
The country’s political parties are squabbling among themselves as they try to stitch together a coalition government following a separate, parliamentary election. Only once that exercise is done will Romanians know when they will be able to vote again for a president.

16 December
Germany’s Scholz loses a confidence vote, setting up an early election in February
Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in the German parliament on Monday, putting the European Union’s most populous member and biggest economy on course to hold an early election in February.
EU slaps sanctions on dozens more Russian officials and targets its shadow oil and gas fleet
(AP) — The European Union on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on dozens of officials linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine, including two top North Korean defense officials, a military unit blamed for an attack on a Kyiv children’s hospital and the heads of companies in the energy sector.
Russia’s vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, was also targeted. Fifty-two vessels were added to a growing list of ships banned from European ports and deprived of services.
German Government Collapses at a Perilous Time for Europe
Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote, deepening the political turbulence in one of the continent’s most powerful economies.
(NYT) The war in Ukraine has escalated, with Russia issuing increasingly dire threats against Kyiv and its supporters. President-elect Donald J. Trump is set to take office in the United States, raising new questions over Europeans’ trade relations and military defense. The government of France — Germany’s partner in leading Europe — fell earlier this month.
And now, Europe’s largest economy will be in the hands of a caretaker government, ahead of elections early next year.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz loses confidence vote
(BBC news) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a vote of confidence in parliament, paving the way for early elections on 23 February.
Scholz called Monday’s vote and had expected to lose it, but calculated that triggering an early election was his best chance of reviving his party’s political fortunes.
It comes around two months after the collapse of Scholz’s three-party coalition government, which left the embattled chancellor leading a minority administration.
Losing Monday’s no-confidence vote was the outcome Scholz had wanted.

11 December
Romanian pro-European parties agree to form coalition government
Parties may field single candidate in rerun of annulled presidential election next year
(The Guardian) The annulment followed the release of declassified intelligence documents detailing allegations against Georgescu and Moscow including cyberattacks and a “massive” campaign of thousands of social media accounts backing the far-right candidate.
The evidence suggested Georgescu was promoted on TikTok through coordinated accounts, recommendation algorithms and paid promotion. EU governments were quick to point the finger, with Germany’s foreign ministry posting on X that it showed Moscow “wants to divide us and to undermine the unity within the EU and Nato”.

7 December
Macron’s got a shiny new Notre Dame and it’s sure to dazzle Trump
(Politico Eu) … Dozens of global leaders including current U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have confirmed their presence Saturday in Paris.
The visit will also test Europe’s ability to present a united front ahead. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was initially expected but the Commission announced Friday that she wouldn’t make it just after announcing the signature of a South American trade accord which France had vigorously [opposed].
The EU — struggling with internal divisions and other collapsed governments — has largely adopted a wait-and-see approach to Trump 2.0.
That provides an opening to build bilateral bonds.
Initialing the trade and cooperation agreement with Mercosur marks the end of political negotiations. The text will be published early next week, lifting the veil of secrecy around the negotiations and giving national capitals the chance to express their considered view.
The agreement would still need to undergo legal checks and translation, which could take several months.

4-6 December
EU snubs France to seal huge Latin American trade deal
Ursula von der Leyen announces South American trade accord, delighting her fellow Germans but infuriating France which calls the deal unacceptable.
(Politico Eu) The agreement, which took 25 years to complete and would create a free-trade zone spanning more than 700 million people, is furiously opposed by France, which fears that a glut of cheap poultry and beef imports would undercut its farmers.
The accord, which eluded von der Leyen in her first term, marks a massive geopolitical win as she embarks on her second. It seeks to deepen ties between the EU and Mercosur — which comprises Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and newcomer Bolivia — just as Donald Trump threatens to launch a global trade war when he returns as U.S. president next month.
“We are sending a clear and powerful message,” von der Leyen told a joint press conference. “In an increasingly confrontational world, we demonstrate that democracies can rely on each other. This agreement is not just an economic opportunity. It is a political necessity.”
Von der Leyen and EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič flew in to Uruguay on Thursday to seal the deal, causing uproar in France, where the government had fallen just hours earlier.

The Shifting Political Tide in Romania and Hungary
(Bloomberg)… After a turbulent couple of weeks marked by court action and allegations of foreign meddling, a TikTok-loving ultranationalist earlier known for expertise in soil science could win the runoff in Romania’s presidential election. … Triumph on Sunday for a man who has previously shown admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin would be another blow to pro-EU forces in a country on NATO’s eastern flank.
Romanian court cancels presidential election amid Russian influence fears
Ultranationalist candidate Călin Georgescu slams constitutional court ruling and urges supporters to show they are “brave.”
(Politico Eu) The court decision plunged the strategically important EU and NATO member state into political chaos, inflaming divisions that opened up after a far-right outsider came from nowhere to win the first round in the presidential contest two weeks ago.
Ultranationalist Călin Georgescu benefited from a TikTok campaign that was similar to influence operations run by the Kremlin in Ukraine and Moldova, according to declassified Romanian intelligence documents. The files said Moscow was targeting Romania as an enemy state, using “aggressive hybrid action,” a view backed by the United States.
Romania’s presidential front-runner Georgescu benefited from Russia-style booster campaign, declassified docs say
The files, released by the outgoing liberal president, don’t specify the Kremlin tried to swing the election in Călin Georgescu’s favor but strongly suggest it.
Romanian pro-EU parties unite to crowd out far-right candidate Georgescu
Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu threw his support behind reformist Elena Lasconi for president.
Four major Romanian political parties formed a coalition on Wednesday night, vowing to keep Romania on a pro-EU and pro-NATO path.
The extraordinary agreement comes as ultranationalist, pro-Russian Călin Georgescu leads polls ahead of the country’s presidential election on Sunday.
The Social Democrats, the Liberals, the reformist Save Romania Union (USR), the Hungarian minority party UDMR and representatives of other ethnic minorities said in a joint statement they wanted to prevent international isolation for Romania and maintain economic development and combat the rising cost of living.
Far-right NATO critic seen winning Romanian presidential runoff vote
Romanians vote in presidential runoff on Dec. 8
Third consecutive ballot in as many Sundays
Romania’s key backing for Ukraine at risk if far-right Georgescu wins
Centrist presidential candidate Lasconi urges voters to choose to protect democracy
Presidential winner to nominate next prime minister
(Reuters) – Romanians vote in a presidential election runoff on Sunday that could see Calin Georgescu, a far-right critic of NATO, defeat pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi, an outcome that might isolate Romania in the West and erode its support for Ukraine.
The vote is the last of three consecutive ballots for both a new parliament and president in the European Union and NATO member state in which the far right has surged amid deepening distrust in state institutions after multiple economic crises and Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

1 December
Romanian leftists ahead of resurgent far-right in election: exit poll
Far-right groupings appear winning a third of seats
Negotiations over a governing majority to follow
Top court orders recount of presidential first round
Court will decide on Monday whether to annul the first round
(Reuters) – Romania’s ruling leftist Social Democrats (PSD) looked set to win the most votes in a parliamentary election on Sunday, fending off a resurgent far-right movement that challenges the country’s pro-Western orientation, partial results showed.
The vote is the second of three consecutive ballots for both a new parliament and a new president, after the first round of the presidential election on Nov. 24 saw an independent far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, emerge from relative obscurity to become the frontrunner.
… If final results confirm the early count, a pro-Western coalition led by the PSD would likely have enough seats in parliament to form a government, although the far right would be a substantial force in the legislature.

24 November
Romania election stunner: Unexpected hard-right candidate surges in presidential vote
(Politico Eu) Georgescu, extremely religious and nationalistic, campaigned on reducing Romania’s reliance on imports, supporting farmers and increasing the domestic production of food and energy.
He has also argued that the EU and NATO do not properly represent Romanian interests and claimed Russia’s war in Ukraine, a Romanian neighbor, is manipulated by American military companies.
In 2022, he claimed that the U.S. anti-missile shield located in the southern Romanian village of Deveselu is part of a confrontation policy and not a peaceful measure. Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued the same.
He said at the time that he had no support from Russia but felt close to its culture. He described Putin as “a man who loves his country.”
Georgescu also said he admired Hungary because it knows how to negotiate internationally.
Shock in Romania as hard-right Nato critic Calin Georgescu takes lead in presidential election
Georgescu, who has called Nato’s ballistic missile defence shield a ‘shame of diplomacy’, will likely head into a run-off with leftist prime minister Marcel Ciolacu
A little-known, far-right populist took the lead in Romania’s presidential election on Sunday, electoral data showed, and will probably face leftist prime minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks, an outcome that has rocked the country’s political landscape.
The president serves a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments in the European Union and Nato member country.

7 November
European Political Community Summit
Meeting in shadow of Trump win, Europeans vow stronger defence
European leaders discuss U.S. president-elect’s likely impact on support for Ukraine and NATO
Leaders agree Europe must do more for own defence
Hungary’s Orban, close Trump ally, opposes continuing military support for Kyiv
(Reuters) – European leaders gathered on Thursday in the shadow of Donald Trump’s election victory and said they agreed on the need to take more responsibility for their security and rely less on the United States.
Hungary’s Orban gears up to be Europe’s ‘Trump whisperer’
(Reuters) – As much of Europe frets over the return of Donald Trump, Hungary’s Viktor Orban is in a jubilant mood. … Orban hopes his close personal ties with Trump will elevate his standing in a politically fractious Europe and bolster support for his far-right allies, at a time when he faces serious headwinds at home.
50 world leaders meet to strategize on how to deal with Trump
In Budapest, leaders spoke about the need for unity and autonomy. But there was also agitation about Trump’s return and Germany’s political paralysis.
(WaPo) Donald Trump’s election win prompted renewed proclamations about the need for unity and autonomy at a gathering of European leaders in the Hungarian capital on Thursday, but beyond the glare of the cameras, there was agitation.
Although they had been preparing for months for a possible Trump comeback, European policymakers were facing the reality that the continent is nowhere near Trump-proof — a realization made more stark by this week’s collapse of the coalition government in Germany, Europe’s largest economy and political heavyweight.
While German politics are effectively paralyzed, and while European economies are struggling, policymakers acknowledged there is only so much leaders on the continent can do to deter Trump from launching a trade war, to reduce their dependence on the U.S. security umbrella or to maintain American backing for Ukraine.
What the Collapse of Germany’s Ruling Coalition Means
After decades of relative stability, the country has entered a new era of political fragmentation and will hold new elections at a precarious time.
After Germany’s government coalition collapsed dramatically when Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats, Scholz said he would lead the country with a minority government despite calls from opposition leaders on Thursday for early elections. The chancellor said the minority government would be made up of his Social Democrats and the Greens until early next year — even as the leader of the biggest opposition bloc in parliament, Friedrich Merz from the center-right Christian Democrats, called for an immediate no-confidence vote and new elections. Scholz stressed again on Thursday, that he does not want to call a vote of confidence before Jan. 15.

6 November
Orbán, Zelenskyy, Macron and European leaders respond to Trump’s win
Public congratulations but private foreboding as heads of state, ministers and diplomats express hopes for cooperation and peace
Western leaders raced to respond to the return of Donald Trump to the White House with a powerful mandate to put his policy of “America first” into action once again. But many of the public congratulations could do little to disguise the private foreboding of what the next four years will augur for European security, populism and the world economy.
Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and the European leader closest to Trump, was one of the first to hail his ally’s victory.

31 October
America’s European allies face challenging times, whoever wins the presidential election
(AP) — The United States’ European allies are bracing for an America that’s less interested in them no matter who wins the presidential election — and for old traumas and new problems if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The election comes more than 2 1/2 years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which Washington has made the single biggest contribution to Kyiv’s defense. There are question marks over whether that would continue under Trump, and how committed he would be to NATO allies in general.
A win by Vice President Kamala Harris could be expected to bring a continuation of current policy, though with Republican opposition and growing war fatigue among the U.S. public there are concerns in Europe that support would wane.
Trump’s appetite for imposing tariffs on U.S. partners also is causing worry in a Europe already struggling with sluggish economic growth. But it’s not just the possibility of a second Trump presidency that has the continent anxious about tougher times ahead.

30 October
Spain’s ‘monster’ floods expose Europe’s unpreparedness for climate change
National government blamed local authorities after at least 92 people died as heavy rainfall swept through homes, shops and roadways.
(Politico Eu) …the intensity of the rainfall that hit areas around Spain’s third-largest city, Valencia — in some places, roughly a year’s worth of rain in a single day — exposed the country’s unreadiness and led the Socialist-led national government to slam the center-right regional authorities for failing to pass on early warnings to people in danger.
Valencia’s regional government, which is responsible for coordinating emergency services in the affected areas, admitted that it had only sent out a text message warning residents of the impending catastrophe at 8:12 PM, eight hours after the first floods were reported, and 10 hours after Spain’s National State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued an alert highlighting “extreme danger” across the Valencia region.
… The regional government’s brief message, which warned of heavy rainfall and advised locals to stay indoors, came too late for many who found themselves trapped in low-lying homes, shops and roadways that were quickly overwhelmed by rapidly moving floodwaters.

23 October
With or without the far right in power, Austria’s links with Russia cause concern among allies
The country’s political parties have maintained an openness to Russia for decades — part of a traditional foreign policy of neutrality — but none more so than the far-right Freedom Party, which secured the largest share of the vote in last month’s national election.
For now, the center-right People’s Party has a mandate to form a governing coalition. Negotiations will be held in the weeks and months ahead without the Freedom Party since the conservatives and all other parties have ruled out governing with the far right. But if those negotiations fail, the Freedom Party will be waiting in the wings.

29 September
Austrian parties unite against far-right leader after election
By Francois Murphy
(Reuters) – Leaders of Austrian political parties united to reject the idea of forming a coalition with the head of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) Herbert Kickl after his FPO came first in a parliamentary election on Sunday.
Far right wins Austria election, boosting European rightwing surge
Freedom Party (FPO) seen beating conservatives
Far-right figure could become chancellor if FPO win is confirmed
Other parties have ruled out working with FPO leader Kickl
(Reuters) – Austrian voters handed a first ever general election victory to the far-right Freedom Party on Sunday, vote projections showed, underlining rising support for hard-right parties in Europe fueled by concern over immigration levels.
The Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO held a slim lead in opinion polls for months over Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP) in a campaign dominated by immigration and worries about the economy.

26 September
Will the EU Heed Draghi’s Call for Integration?
Lucrezia Reichlin, a former director of research at the European Central Bank, Professor of Economics at London Business School.
In a much-anticipated report, Mario Draghi has called for the European Union to build something like a war economy and run it hot, using common firepower. But while there is a growing sense of urgency in Europe that could lead to a consensus on the need for deeper EU integration, it could also push the bloc in the opposite direction.
(Project Syndicate) … Europe also lags behind countries like the US and China on technological innovation and commercialization. In fact, the EU’s presence in the tech industry is marginal, with no EU company ranking among the world’s top ten tech firms by capitalization. The EU is losing its edge even in industries it once dominated, such as automobiles. The problem is not a lack of ideas; rather, Europe has struggled to translate its ideas into commercial successes.
Economists agree that competitiveness is rooted not in trade surpluses, but in productivity, and here the EU is floundering. Europeans tout their superior social model and high quality of life. But if demographic trends and stagnant productivity persist, these advantages will soon be unaffordable.
…with the Ukraine war raging on the EU’s doorstep, and the US-China rivalry threatening the basis of its economic model, there is a growing sense of urgency that could drive Europeans toward a consensus on the need for deeper political and economic integration. But it could also push Europe in the opposite direction, with countries retreating deeper into economic nationalism. Low levels of trust and divergent interests among EU member states, together with the lack of an EU-level democratic process capable of facilitating integration, create plenty of reason to doubt that European leaders will heed Draghi’s warning.

23 September
Draghi’s Report Confirms Europe’s Irreversible Decline
Yanis Varoufakis
Mario Draghi’s much-anticipated report for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls for Europe to invest 5% of its income in green energy and sustainable technologies. The same plan was proposed nearly a decade ago – back when it could actually have been be implemented.
(Project Syndicate) When the euro crisis was young, some of us became convinced that a massive public green investment program was necessary to save Europe from economic stagnation and from the ultra-right that would emerge as stagnation’s sole beneficiary. In 2017, I put a figure on what was needed: up to 5% of Europe’s total income for investment in green energy and sustainable technologies. Since we knew then, as we know now, that neither the European Union’s member states nor the EU’s budget could afford this sum, I proposed a novel way to finance it through European Investment Bank (EIB) bonds guaranteed by the European Central Bank (ECB).
When I presented this idea to the committee of European finance ministers and central bankers in 2015, it was never rejected because it was never debated. …

19 September
Von der Leyen has tightened her grip on the EU’s steering wheel – and is moving it subtly to the right
Paul Taylor
The European Commission president’s new team reflects her ruthlessness in crushing critics, rewarding loyalty and showing who is the boss
(The Guardian) The new 27-member commission unveiled on Tuesday illustrates her commitment to making the European economy greener, more competitive and more secure, and her ruthlessness in wielding power to crush critics, reward loyalty and punish those who do not cooperate with her. Her eviction of the powerful French industry commissioner Thierry Breton, who had criticised her personal governance style, and the demotion of Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi to the health and animal welfare job in a snub to the nationalist Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, illustrate her determination to show who is the boss.
Assuming that the European parliament broadly endorses her appointments, the former German defence minister has created a structure with an array of overlapping portfolios, ensuring that she will be the ultimate arbiter on all key issues – the budget, defence, climate legislation and economic regulation.

18 September
Europe grapples with its decline
A report on the “future of European competitiveness” has been received as a declaration of continental intent. Whether it can be implemented is another matter.
By Ishaan Tharoor
(WaPo) … The hard realities of European slump and stagnation underpinned a mammoth report released last week by Mario Draghi, a former technocratic Italian prime minister and former European Central Bank chief for much of the past decade. The 400-page document on the “future of European competitiveness” was published on the invitation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and therefore is being received as a kind of declaration of continental intent. Whether its vision can be implemented is another matter.
Draghi called for a “new industrial strategy for Europe” to boost productivity, encourage innovation and close the growing gap not just with the United States but also with China, which is surging ahead in pioneering vast sectors of the new green and digital economies. That strategy would require significant economic restructuring and the summoning of hundreds of billions of euros worth of new public and private sector investment every year.

17 September
Central European floods leave trail of devastation; new areas to evacuate
At least 21 killed in central Europe floods since weekend
Historic Wroclaw prepares for high waters
At least 15,000 evacuated in Czech Republic
Hungarian, Slovak capitals deal with high Danube waters
(Reuters) – Volunteers and emergency workers raced to secure river banks in Poland’s historic city of Wroclaw on Tuesday, as nearby municipalities advised residents to evacuate and authorities across central Europe tallied the cost of floods that have wreaked havoc and killed at least 22 people.
The deluge has left a trail of destruction from Romania to Poland. While waters were receding in many areas, others were nervously waiting for rivers to burst their banks.

9-17 September
Europe Gets a ‘Severe’ Diagnosis From Doctor Draghi
(Bloomberg) Mario Draghi didn’t really need an Exhibit A to make his point this week that the foundations of Europe’s economy are crumbling. He got one anyway.
Less than 24 hours after the former Italian prime minister highlighted the stakes of not going big on investing in Europe’s future, parts of a bridge collapsed in Dresden, Germany. Its repair was scheduled for next year and no one was hurt, but it illustrates two of Draghi’s major points.
First, Europe’s economy isn’t so much facing a do-or-die moment but rather “a slow agony,” the product of years of neglect. And second, if those people possessing the powers to act—politicians, but also the continent’s business elites—wait too long, there might not be anything left to fix.
Main elements of Draghi competitiveness report
(Reuters) – The European Union needs far more coordinated industrial policy, more rapid decisions and massive investment if it wants to keep pace with economic rivals the United States and China, Mario Draghi said on Monday in a long-awaited report.
Here are the main recommendations by the former European Central Bank president, who had been commissioned to look at ways that the European Union could boost the competitiveness of its economy.
Draghi’s report on EU competitiveness: Five key takeaways
(Euronews) Common debt, China threat, innovation and cars: Euronews summarises 400-plus pages to give you five takeaways from Mario Draghi’s landmark report.
Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s long-awaited report on Europe’s competitiveness has finally seen the light of day – and its first lesson for Europe’s slowing growth since the turn of the century is to stop procrastinating.
“We have reached the point where, without action, we will have to either compromise our welfare, our environment or our freedom,” Draghi warned at the report’s launch on Monday.
Draghi calls for EU common borrowing, end to national vetoes to compete with China, US
The former Italian prime minister proposes “radical change” as the bloc faces aggressive competition from China and the US. Draghi touts use of controversial eurobonds; proposed plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness could entail defensive trade measures, he says.
Ex-Italian Premier Mario Draghi has called for common EU borrowing and an end to national vetoes in a landmark report on economic competitiveness presented to the EU executive on Monday.
The long-awaited report, originally due in June, proposes a “new industrial strategy for Europe”, saying that the era of open, rules-based trade is on its way out.
His findings, drafted with the aid of European Commission officials, come just days before its President Ursula von der Leyen is due to set out the duties of top lieutenants for her next five-year mandate.
“The EU should move towards regular issuance of common safe assets to enable joint investment projects among member states and to help integrate capital markets,” the report said – a step towards the controversial idea of eurobonds, in which member states issue collective debt.

2 September
AfD leaders demand inclusion in state coalition talks after election success
(The Guardian) Voters want AfD taking part in government, German far-right party insists after results in Thuringia and Saxony
5 takeaways from Germany’s eastern elections
The far-right Alternative for Germany just keeps rising despite efforts to stop it.
(Politico Eu) The Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday scored a stunning win in an eastern German state election, amid rising voter discontent at Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left national government.
The AfD’s victory in Thuringia and strong second place in Saxony has prompted a new round of soul searching in Berlin, a year out from national elections which could see EU powerhouse Germany tilt to the right.
In Thuringia, the AfD — which has been classified as extremist in some German states — gained a clear victory with nearly 33 percent of the vote. In the more populous state of Saxony, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) eked out a victory with around 32 percent of the vote, with the AfD trailing close behind.
Here are the five things you need to know about the election outcome, as Germany’s far right claimed its biggest electoral success since World War II. …
4. The AfD has turned into a ‘people’s party’ in Germany’s East
Far-right parties across Europe often benefit from protest voters who simply want to broadcast their dissatisfaction with mainstream parties. But in Germany’s East, it seems, voters are increasingly embracing the AfD not out of protest, but out of earnest political conviction.

Franz Baumann
Ignoring problems does not solve them. It makes them worse. Like Climate Change, Putin or the Palestinians‘ situation in Gaza or the West Bank.
If governments ignore problems, or do not have plausible strategies to deal with them, and if they fail to communicate clearly the challenges and responses, many voters will switch to radicals, populists and lunatics.
This will be on display tomorrow when the citizens of Thuringia and Saxony go to the polls to elect their state (Bundesländer) parliaments. The extremist right-wing AfD and the nationalist left-wing BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht), peculiarly named after its founder and leader, will do very well. Although they are at opposite poles of the political spectrum, many of their positions are identical. Both are pro-Putin, anti-immigrant, anti-diversity and consider climate change a hoax.

Overtourism and the climate crisis
31 August
Influencers hyped the Amalfi Coast for years. Now it’s a ‘theme park.’
In southern Italy, TikTok vs. reality pits a cliffside paradise against endless climbs, bus lines and traffic jams.
(WaPo) The causes of overtourism are complex, but affected destinations can point to at least one overriding factor. Santorini, Greece, has a crush of cruise ships; Dubrovnik, Croatia, attracts rabid “Game of Throne” fans. The Amalfi Coast suffers from overexposure on social media. Search “Amalfi Coast” on TikTok, and you will be bombarded with serene videos of pastel-colored villages wedged into the cliffside like Jenga pieces. …
“Salerno, which is very popular among Italians, is not popular abroad,” said Margherita Chiaramonte, the commercial director of aviation at the Naples and Salerno airports for GESAC, the airports management company. “But it really deserves to be, because it has stunning, unspoiled villages and well-preserved traditional places.”
[Jonathon Day, a sustainable tourism expert and associate professor in Purdue’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management] doesn’t blame influencers for the chaos that overtourism has wrought. He faults government officials for being blindsided by the surge in visitors. He said legislators should have proactively created a tourism management plan. Instead, they are scrambling to fix the problems with regulations that locals say aren’t working.
20 October 2023
Far off the tourist track, Molise offers the best parts of Italy
The forgotten region feels like finding the buried heart of why travelers fell for Italy in the first place

13 August
Drunk visitors, rocketing rents and homogenised cafes: living in Europe’s tourist hotspots
Locals say swelling visitor numbers are distorting housing markets and have changed their area’s character
(The Guardian) In July, protesters took to the streets of Palma, the Mallorcan capital, carrying placards with slogans such as “no to mass tourism” and “tourism, but not like this”.
… The swelling numbers of visitors are intensifying the pressure on climate-stretched resources: in some areas of the island, restrictions on water use were announced in July.
The roads are clogged with rental cars, and public transport is unable to support the ever-rising number of tourists, he said; Mallorca, which has a population of just under a million, expects to host about 20 million visitors this year.
Mallorca is not alone in hosting protests against overtourism: thousands of people from across southern Spain took to the streets of Málaga on 29 July, while UNESCO recently warned this wave of opposition could spread across Europe.
9 August
Protests over mass tourism could spread beyond Spain, says UNESCO official
Situation ‘out of balance’ as local people are priced out of housing and frustrated by hordes of selfie-seekers
(The Guardian) … What was needed was a paradigm shift, he [Peter DeBrine, UNESCO’s senior project officer for sustainable tourism] said, whereby decision-makers started to ask how things could be made better for residents. “It’s a bit of a cliché, but I always say better places to live are better places to visit.”
It was a shift already visible in many places, he said, pointing to Denmark’s push to encourage climate-friendly, sustainable behaviour and Venice’s entry fee. In Barcelona, the mayor recently vowed to curb apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, while Mallorca and Dubrovnik have taken action to limit cruise ship arrivals.

22 July
Top EU diplomat calls rival meeting in response to Hungary’s rogue diplomacy
Meeting of bloc’s foreign ministers organised by Josep Borrell is in effect a boycott of a gathering in Budapest
Borrell announced that he had decided to convene informal meetings of EU foreign affairs and defence ministers in Brussels after the summer break, meaning the same participants will not gather in Budapest as originally planned.
At Monday’s foreign ministers’ meeting “EU member states overwhelmingly criticised Hungary’s lack of sincere and loyal cooperation”, Borrell wrote on X, as he announced the decision.
Hungary, which took over the EU’s rotating presidency on 1 July, has infuriated other EU leaders, with prime minister Viktor Orbán’s self-styled “peace missions” to Moscow and Beijing and talks with the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

15 July
Copenhagen offers tourist rewards as other EU nations clamp down
The Danish capital hopes to lure climate-friendly and well-behaved travellers with perks such as free drinks and skiing
(The Guardian) The Danish capital appears to be bucking the trend of other travel hotspots struggling under the burden of too many tourists, by attempting to lure only the well-behaved, socially and environmentally conscious traveller.
The national tourist board has introduced a programme to encourage climate-friendly, sustainable behaviour. From Monday, it will reward those who choose to ride a bike, take public transport or undergo a bit of work like gardening or rubbish collection at the harbour or in the city’s parks.
People who turn up with their own reusable coffee cups can expect to receive a free brew at selected venues, while other perks for good behaviour include a complimentary cocktail on a rooftop bar, or extra time spent on the city’s artificial ski slope complex.
14 July
Venice nets $2.2 million in day-tripper tax pilot. Opponents say it failed to deter visitors
(AP) — Venice on Sunday wrapped up a pilot program charging day-trippers an entrance fee, more than 2 million euros ($2.2 million) richer and determined to extend the levy, but opponents in the fragile lagoon city called the experiment a failure.
Over the first 11 days of the trial period, an average of 75,000 visitors were recorded in the city. Martini said that is 10,000 more each day than on three indicative holidays in 2023, citing figures provided by the city based on cell phone data that tracks arrivals in the city.

24 July
Good vibes only: Can Starmer make the European Political Community work?
Elizabeth Ames
Europe’s newest strategic forum has the chance to rally regional leaders around common defence and security challenges
(Lowy Institute) After a cold and wet start to the summer, the United Kingdom basked in glorious sunshine last week as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed European leaders to Blenheim Palace for the fourth Summit of the European Political Community (EPC). Following almost immediately on from the NATO summit in Washington, where the newly elected Starmer was mobbed by centre-left leaders wanting to know the secret to a landslide victory, the British PM would be forgiven for being in a sunny mood, despite England’s loss in the Euros final.
He would have been further cheered by the feedback from the UK media and civil service. One senior foreign policy official described the EPC meeting to me as “the most successful UK-hosted foreign policy summit since Blair”. And, aided by a free ice cream truck for attending journalists, the coverage of the summit outcomes was broadly positive.

19 July
Next European Political Community summit to be held in Hungary
Next EPC meeting to take place four months from now in Budapest, Keir Starmer says.
(Politico Eu) The next meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) will take place Nov. 7 in Budapest, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Thursday.
The British head of government hosted this week’s EPC summit, where 47 leaders of European Union countries and other nations on the periphery of the bloc gathered.
Starmer used the summit to meet and greet dozens of European leaders in an effort to improve relations with them. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could also use that opportunity, particularly since Hungary’s helming of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU has taken a rogue path with Orbán’s self-organized “peace mission.”

Can Ursula von der Leyen save Europe?
The European Commission chief is secretive, controlling, and faces an in-tray from hell over the next five years.
(Politico Eu) Centrist Europe has punched back.
After the far right rattled the political establishment in a Continent-wide election last month, those same, bruised mainstream party leaders dusted themselves down and delivered a resounding rebuke, reappointing their own veteran centrist to the most powerful position in the European Union.
Ursula von der Leyen, a 65-year-old former German defense minister, has been rewarded for steering the EU through a tumultuous period of pandemic and war with another five-year term at the head of the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.

18 July
Meeting of the European Political Community
The fourth meeting of the European Political Community brought together leaders from across the continent at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the United Kingdom.
43 heads of state and government took part in this fourth meeting of the European Political Community
The leaders reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine and discussed the topics of energy and connectivity, security and democracy, and migration.
The EU was represented by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
The Guardian view on the European Political Community summit: at last, Britain is back in the diplomatic room
Keir Starmer has seized the opportunity of the meeting at Blenheim Palace to announce a much-needed reset in relations
(Politico Eu) The European Political Community is not a decision-making body like the European Union or the NATO alliance. It issues no summit communiques, deploys no armies and enforces no treaties or laws. But it is a pan-European body all the same, and more than 40 European heads of government came to Blenheim Palace. This therefore provided Sir Keir with an ideal platform to highlight what he described as Labour’s “reset” on Britain’s relations with Europe.

4 July
Landmark political declaration reaffirms importance of European Social Charter
The high-level conference on the European Social Charter in Vilnius, Lithuania, has adopted a landmark political declaration, reinforcing the commitment of Council of Europe member states to social justice and the protection of social rights. The event, held under the auspices of the Presidency of Lithuania of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, brought together ministers and high-level officials from the fields of social rights and social policy, Council of Europe leaders, representatives of the European Union, the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, civil society, social partners, academia, and national human rights and equality bodies.
Addressing the participants, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge underlined that “The European Social Charter guarantees our rights to health and education, to work, housing and social security among so many other things. These rights are designed to ensure that we can all live decent and dignified lives and participate fully in our democratic societies.”

27 June
EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief
Portuguese ex-PM and Estonian leader also tapped for top posts
Italy’s Meloni withholds backing from trio
EU also signs security pact with Ukraine at summit
(Reuters) – European Union leaders agreed on Friday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body.
At a summit in Brussels, the bloc’s 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the future chair of their European Council meetings and selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
The trio won broad backing from leaders but diplomats said right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained from the vote on von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Kallas.
Von der Leyen’s nomination still needs approval from the European Parliament in a secret ballot – widely seen as a trickier proposition than her endorsement by EU leaders.
At the summit, the EU also signed a security agreement with Ukraine, debated how to bolster EU defences against Russia and agreed bloc’s strategic priorities for the next five years.
The security deal underlines EU support for Kyiv fighting off Moscow’s invasion for a third year, despite gains by the far-right in European elections, uncertainty created by French snap elections and the U.S. presidential vote in November.

26 June
Carl Bildt: How Ukraine’s EU membership would change Europe
(GZERO media) Will the start of the talks about the accession of Ukraine to the European Union impact upon the conduct of the war?
CB I don’t think it will immediately, but we should not underestimate the historic nature of this particular decision. A couple of years ago, the entire thought about Ukraine ever being a member of the European Union was absolutely unthinkable in Brussels among the member states. Now it’s become a strategically imperative. And negotiations started this Tuesday with Moldova as well. They will take their time, but it’s a sign that the 27 member states of the European Union see the future of Ukraine as an essential part of the future of a democratic Europe. And that is going to have its long term impact.
8 September 2023
Carl Bildt EU support for Ukraine holding up better than anyone expected

21 June
Ukraine and Moldova to start EU membership talks on Tuesday
(Politico Eu) The EU will launch accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday, prompting gratitude in Kyiv and Chișinău.
… The accession talks are set to start in Luxembourg on Tuesday afternoon via two intergovernmental conferences that the EU will hold separately with Ukraine and Moldova.
The opening of negotiations is the next step in what is likely to be a tough, years-long journey toward membership. Ukraine and neighboring Moldova both applied to join the EU in 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

20 June
Jeremy Kinsman: Incumbents on the run in Europe….in the US? Canada?
Elections in Europe… Down with the Status Quo! (Open Canada Red Passport podcast)
The Year of the Election is turning into The Year of Living Dangerously for incumbent governments around the world. What is going on? Louise, Jeremy and Peter look at the votes in Europe – the recent EU Parliamentary elections and the upcoming general election in the UK, and France’s snap parliamentary elections. Are there common threads? And what do they mean for Canada?