Spain’s Ribera urges voters to stop possible von der Leyen-far-right deal

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

MADRID

Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera, the lead candidate of Spain’s left-wing PSOE in the upcoming EU elections, urged EU citizens on Tuesday to mobilise to prevent a possible alliance between the European People’s Party (EPP) candidate, current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and far-right forces in the European Parliament. Read more.

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BERLIN | PARIS

Eurozone emerges from recession but France, Germany stay weak. The eurozone beat analyst expectations to emerge comfortably from a recession in the first quarter of this year, new EU data published on Tuesday showed, while inflation figures boosted hopes of long-awaited rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB) in June. Read more.

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PARIS

French Greens’ top candidate not for ‘giving up hope’ in EU elections race. With the European elections just a month away and the Greens struggling to take off in the polls, Marie Toussaint, head of the Green party list, called on Tuesday in Paris for “a great leap forward” in the face of the “dangers” threatening Europe. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

COPENHAGEN

Denmark pushes ahead with agri-carbon tax plans despite nearing the 2030 climate target. The Danish government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a carbon tax on agriculture despite the Danish Climate Ministry’s annual report showing that the country is on track to meet its 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% compared to 1990 levels. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Kremlin nationalisation move aims to sway G7 sanctions, says Italian businesses in Russia boss. The Kremlin’s move to nationalise the Italian company’s Ariston subsidiary is an attempt to influence the G7’s decision to seize Russian assets in Europe, says Vittorio Torrembini, president of the association of Italian entrepreneurs in Russia, Gim-Unimpresa, calling on the Italian Foreign Ministry to intervene. Read more.

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MADRID

Sánchez ready to run in next elections after resignation scare. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is determined to fight to regain his post and defend his leadership, after several nerve-wracking days where he said he was seriously considering resigning. Read more.

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LISBON

Lack of access to justice for trafficking victims in Portugal worries Council of Europe. Delays in regularising the status of migrants in Portugal are hampering access to justice and criminal proceedings against traffickers, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) warned on Tuesday. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE 

WARSAW

Poland triples ‘return on investment’ on EU membership. Poland has invested €86 billion in the European Union project and gained €261 billion in the 20 years since it joined, according to data presented by Funds and Regional Policy Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęczit at a press conference on Tuesday. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgaria compensates farmers, caves into protest threats over Ukraine imports. Bulgaria’s caretaker government has disbursed much-anticipated funds worth €150 million to compensate farmers for the negative effects of the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romanian PM threatens gambling companies with licence loss to tackle addiction rates. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu warned gambling companies on Tuesday that their licences would be revoked if they failed to comply with a law banning slot machines in smaller towns, in a bid to tackle the country’s alarming gambling addiction rates. Read more.

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

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