The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

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The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.

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The world’s largest floating offshore wind farm has opened! Hywind Tampen – 11 turbines with a 88MW capacity – is also the world’s first offshore wind power for offshore oil and gas and an important step forward in industrialising solutions and reducing costs for future floating wind projects.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

BERLIN | PARIS | PRISTINA

French President Emmanuel Macron made headlines last week when he suggested that Kosovo’s visa-free regime, set to come into force from 1 January 2024, could be reviewed by Paris and Berlin if Pristina does not fall in line over ongoing tensions with Serbia. But EURACTIV understands that Germany will stick to the initial timeline, suggesting a divergence in stance between the Franco-German duo. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austrian government to outsource asylum procedures to Africa. The Austrian government aims to outsource applications for asylum procedures to African countries such as Rwanda in a move that would reduce migration significantly, Chancellor Karl Nehammer told die Welt on Monday. Read more.

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BERLIN

German coalition pledges focus on strengthening economy despite austerity. Germany’s coalition parties vowed to prioritise economic growth in challenging times and despite fiscal prudence, as the pro-market FDP also demanded more support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reduce Germany’s bureaucratic burden. Read more.

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PARIS

French aviation industry ‘firmly opposed’ to minimum fare for European flights. The French aviation industry firmly opposes any tax increase aimed at ensuring a minimum price for plane flights within Europe, Pascal de Izaguirre, CEO of Corsican air company Corsair and chairman of the aviation industry federation Fnam, told TV broadcaster BFM Business on Monday. Read more.

French schools to experiment with dress code for students. A trial of a ‘single school outfit’ – more similar to a dress code rather than a uniform – will be launched in the coming months, Education Minister Gabriel Attal announced a week after announcing the controversial abaya ban on Monday. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Belgian defence says F-16s no longer fit for Ukraine. Belgian army leadership believes that F-16 planes are in poor condition and cannot be sent to Ukraine, Lieutenant Frédéric Goetynck told De Standaard on Monday. Read more. 

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UK & IRELAND

LONDON 

House of Lords EU Affairs chairman: Brexit means UK risks being sidelined in global affairs. The UK faces a “real risk of being sidelined” on global affairs due to Brexit, Lord Peter Ricketts, who chairs the House of Lords European Affairs Committee, told EURACTIV in an interview while praising a thaw in the EU-UK relationship. Read more.

UK announces new projects to fight climate change in Africa. New UK-backed projects worth £49 million will be announced by Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell at the first Africa Climate Summit, which will be hosted by Kenya from 4 to 6 September. Read more.

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NORDICS AND BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Swedish EU official held hostage in Iran for over 500 days. Swedish EU official Johan Floderus has been imprisoned in Iran for over 500 days after travelling there to visit a friend who was employed at the Swedish Embassy in Tehran, the New York Times reported on Monday. Read more.

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EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Italian FM travels to China to strengthen trade ties. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is in China to ‘strengthen trade ties’ or, instead, to maintain as optimal relations as possible with China even in the event that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not renewed. Read more.

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MADRID

Catalonia chief sets terms for Spanish left–wing coalition. Together for Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont (JxCAT) met with Sumar candidate Yolanda Díaz at the EU Parliament on Monday to fine-tune positions between Puigdemont’s separatist party and a future left-wing government, in which Díaz would likely be deputy prime minister to Socialist leader and acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Read more.

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EASTERN EUROPE

BRATISLAVA

EPP backs Slovak party despite leader’s anti‐LGBT remarks. The centre-right group in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party (EPP), has given its blessing to its Slovak member KDH ahead of snap elections in the country, despite its leader Milan Majersk calling LGBTI ‘ideology’ a ´scourge´ and as harmful to Slovakia as corruption. Read more.

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WARSAW

OSCE deploys election observation mission ahead of Polish election. With a little over a month to go before the national elections, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (ODIHR) has deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to Poland, with a particular focus on recent legislative changes, the financing of political campaigns and the role of the media. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech NATO ambassador: Sweden to likely join alliance this autumn.  Sweden will likely join the NATO alliance this autumn, Jakub Landovský, the Czech ambassador to NATO, has recently said. Read more.

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NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

TIRANA

Albania assumes UN Security Council presidency, wants reform amid ‘desperate’ times. Albania is set to take over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for a second time since becoming a non-permanent member in 2022, but Permanent Representative Ferit Hoxha said the institution is facing a number of challenges and needs reforming. Read more.

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SOFIA

Radev supporters counter Bulgarian government’s national day pick. Led by MEP Petar Vitanov (S&D), supporters of Bulgaria’s pro-Russian President Rumen Radev have launched a referendum to keep 3 March as the country’s national holiday in response to the ruling coalition’s plans to change the national holiday to Slavic Script Day on 24 May. Read more.

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BELGRADE 

Serbia sees huge increase in foreign workers. Serbia is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of foreign workers, with numbers for the first six months of 2023 reaching almost the entire total of 2022, official data from Serbia’s National Employment Service finds. Read more.

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AGENDA:

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the Africa Climate Summit, in Nairobi, Kenya;
• Vice President Vĕra Jourová hosts President of ILR and Chief Legal Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Harold Kim;
• Vice President Dubravka Šuica hosts President of EESC Diversity Europe Group Séamus Boland;
• Vice President Maroš Šefčovič hosts Serbian Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, joined online by Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Đedović;
• Germany: Lawmakers debate 2024 state budget in parliament;
• Austria: Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on official visit;
• Turkey: Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis on official visit;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]

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