You’re reading Rapporteur on Tuesday 23 June. This is Eddy Wax in Brussels, with Nicoletta Ionta.
TALIBAN IN TOWN: A delegation of five Taliban negotiators is heading to Brussels for a meeting today with the EU on deporting criminals. Their visas come with some unusual conditions. Read Nicoletta’s story.
Need-to-knows:
🟢 Kallas frozen out as Commission touts Israel ‘dialogue’
🟢 Brexit means Brexit. But what does it mean?
🟢 Macron’s nightmare: Could the EU fund return hubs?
On the Schuman Roundabout: The Ironman commissioner who jumped out of a helicopter
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From the capital
When the European Commission stripped Middle East policy from the EU’s diplomatic service and created DG MENA two years ago, it was presumably with moments like this in mind.
Amid a diplomatic row triggered by European External Action Service chief Kaja Kallas’ use of the word “apartheid” to describe Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar effectively sidelined the bloc’s top diplomat on Friday.
On Monday, DG MENA chief Dubravka Šuica was sitting opposite him on a two-day trip to Israel. She wasn’t there to defend her colleague Kallas, who has neither confirmed nor denied the remarks attributed to her. “We discussed ongoing challenges and how we can address them together,” was as close as Šuica came to addressing the dispute publicly.
Šuica’s visit had been planned long before the Kallas spat, and the Croatian’s team has stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue with Israel ahead of a donor meeting for the Palestinian Authority next month.
During the trip, the commissioner reiterated support for a two-state solution, called for the release of Palestinian tax revenues, described conditions in Gaza as “very problematic” and expressed “deep concerns” over Israeli settlements.
“The only way to solve a conflict is to talk to each other. Our channels of communication must remain open if we want to have a voice and influence in the region,” one high-ranking EU diplomat told Rapporteur.
Yet, as with her heavily criticised appearance at Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” event in Washington, the timing and political context of the trip have raised eyebrows in Brussels.
Some officials say the meeting was as much about keeping channels open as it was about consolidating the Commission’s grip on the region amid its institutional tussle with the EEAS. It also gave Sa’ar a prime opportunity – not that he needed one – to blast the EU for “dictating political positions” on issues he described as existential for Israel.
The gulf between the German-led, EPP-controlled Berlaymont and the Estonian-led, Renew-controlled EEAS has become increasingly apparent in recent weeks, particularly over legal options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements in occupied territories – a step the Commission remains reluctant to endorse.
A paper outlining possible legal routes is expected to feature at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on 13 July, the same day Šuica will convene the second gathering of the “Palestine Donor Group,” an EU-led platform she has dubbed the bloc’s own Board of Peace.
A Commission document seen by Nicoletta asks participating countries to indicate what “tentative funding amounts” they could contribute towards Gaza’s reconstruction. Representatives of the US government and the Board of Peace are expected to attend, a significant shift from the first meeting.
Alongside Šuica in Israel was Michael Mann, the EU ambassador and one of the bloc’s last prominent British faces in an outward-facing diplomatic role. And talking of Brexit …
What Brexit means (according to Bruno)
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the EU. Bruno Waterfield, our political editor, has taken on a hitherto impossible question: what, exactly, Brexit means. Read his story.
Geoff Meade – such a veteran Brussels hack that there’s a plaque bearing his name in the Berlaymont – asks: “Is Brexit still a thing?” Read his op-ed.
And I have some good news for the Rejoin crowd back in Blighty. Don’t worry, the Europeans are almost as divided as the Brits over what any return would look like. Read my analysis.
Could the EU fund return hubs?
Brussels is keeping the door open to using EU funds for controversial migrant return hubs.
Asked whether such facilities could receive support under the bloc’s next long-term budget, the Commission declined to rule it out. “We now have the legal framework in place. The next steps are in the hands of the member states,” a spokesperson said.
The comments came days after EU capitals partially agreed a negotiating position on the bloc’s external financing instrument that includes references to “innovative solutions” on migration – language diplomats say could pave the way for funding return hubs.
France is against return hubs. The wording survived despite French efforts to remove it. Several diplomats told Rapporteur that Paris lobbied heavily against the provision as negotiations became entangled with wider disputes over the next budget, including rule-of-law conditionality.
Qatargate comes for Avramopoulos
Belgian authorities have launched a procedure that could ultimately lead to an arrest warrant for former Migration Commissioner and current Greek MP Dimitris Avramopoulos over his alleged links to the Qatargate scandal.
Avramopoulos, who served on the board of Antonio Panzeri’s NGO Fight Impunity, is protected by parliamentary immunity. Belgian prosecutors have reportedly asked Athens to lift that protection, a move that would require approval from the Greek parliament before the investigation can proceed.
Avramopoulos rejects the allegations as “entirely unfounded.” Read the story by Sarantis Michalopoulos.
€ vs $
The euro will not challenge the dominance of the US dollar unless Europe bolsters its military capabilities, Christine Lagarde said on Monday.
“If you look at history, no currency has been an international reserve currency … unless and until it had the capacity to defend itself,” the European Central Bank chief said at an event in Brussels, my colleague Thomas Moller-Nielsen tells me.
Her comments came ahead of a committee vote in Parliament today on the ‘digital euro’ – a proposed European payment system designed to reduce reliance on US providers such as Visa and Mastercard.
Speaking to MEPs at a separate event on Monday, Lagarde urged support for the project. “I’m not putting any pressure on you, but this outcome tomorrow is really important,” she said.
Inc on the brink
Plans for an “EU Inc” – a pan-European corporate entity – face an early obstacle after Council legal experts concluded that the proposal should rest on a different legal basis, my colleague Maximilian Henning reported.
A change could delay the initiative by months despite repeated calls from EU leaders to accelerate efforts to deepen the single market. Governments must now decide whether to follow the lawyers’ advice. Read the full story.
Here are three new stories from Euractiv:
Schuman roundabout
BANG, BANG: Italian MEP Pietro Fiocchi will today try to shoot down a European Commission proposal to ban lead used in hunting and fishing.
Fiocchi, a member of Giorgia Meloni’s ECR group, previously held an executive role at his family’s firm, Fiocchi Munizioni, one of the world’s leading ammunition manufacturers. The Commission estimates that hunting and fishing release around 44,000 tonnes of lead into the environment each year. Read my colleague Florent Servia’s full story.
THE IRON COMMISSIONER: Finland’s European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, the bloc’s tech chief, featured in a profile by the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat last week – not for her efforts to wean Europe off its US tech addiction, but for her running career, my colleague Anupriya Datta tells me.
The article noted that Virkkunen runs a half marathon every Sunday, whether in Brussels or in her hometown of Jyväskylä. She runs a double marathon every Easter, and to mark her 54th birthday this year she ran 54 kilometres. She has also completed three Ironman races and suffered a serious injury after jumping from a helicopter into water while filming the Finnish TV show Special Forces five years ago.
The capitals
MADRID 🇪🇸
Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison on corruption charges on Monday, deepening pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Judges found Ábalos guilty of bribery, influence peddling, embezzlement and membership of a criminal organisation linked to pandemic-era procurement contracts. The ruling follows a years-long investigation and comes amid wider corruption probes involving figures linked to Sánchez’s orbit. Read the full story.
– Inés Fernández-Pontes
WARSAW 🇵🇱
President Karol Nawrocki rejected Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that their escalating dispute is driven by Polish domestic politics, insisting it concerns historical memory and Poland’s opposition to the legacy of Ukrainian nationalist groups. The row intensified after Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state honour over Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after the “Heroes of the UPA.” Zelenskyy had accused Nawrocki of exploiting the controversy to bolster his position against PM Donald Tusk.
– Charles Szumski
BUCHAREST 🇷🇴
Romania was thrown back into political uncertainty after parliament rejected President Nicușor Dan’s nominee for prime minister, Adrian Veștea. The centre-right politician fell well short of the votes needed to form a government after the far-right AUR withheld support. The failed bid also exposed deep divisions within the ruling PNL. Dan could call a general election if a second nominee is rejected. Read the full story.
– Matei Rosca
BUDAPEST 🇭🇺
Péter Magyar on Monday launched what he called “Operation Cleansing Fire,” a campaign aimed at dismantling the alleged political and economic networks built under previous governments. His ruling Tisza Party said it would seek a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamás Sulyok. The announcement comes ahead of a parliamentary vote on EU-backed anti-corruption reforms tied to €10.4 billion in frozen recovery funds.
– Mátyás Varga
CHIȘINĂU 🇲🇩
President Maia Sandu urged EU countries on Monday to open all remaining accession negotiating clusters “immediately,” arguing that Chișinău had completed the necessary reforms. Speaking at an EU-Moldova summit in Brussels, Sandu said both the European Commission and the Council considered Moldova ready to move ahead. Her appeal follows a decision by EU leaders to soften language on the pace of the country’s accession process. Read the full story.
– Magnus Lund Nielsen
TIRANA 🇦🇱
PM Edi Rama accused protesters from Kosovo and North Macedonia on Monday of fuelling demonstrations against tourism developments in Zvërnec and Sazan linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Rama singled out supporters of Kosovo’s ruling Vetëvendosje party for creating “chaos,” while absolving acting PM Albin Kurti of responsibility. The protests have entered their third week and broadened into a wider challenge to Rama’s government.
– Bronwyn Jones
PRAGUE 🇨🇿
The Czech government has decided that Andrej Babiš, rather than President Petr Pavel, will represent the country at next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, ending a long-standing practice under which Czech presidents attended alliance leaders’ meetings. Pavel said he would challenge the decision before the Constitutional Court, arguing it infringes on the president’s role in foreign affairs.
– Aneta Zachová
Contributors: Maximilian Henning, Florent Servia, Anupriya Datta, Magnus Lund Nielsen, Thomas Moller-Nielsen, Elisa Braun, Sarantis Michalopoulos, Bruno Waterfield
Editors: Christina Zhao, Sofia Mandilara, Charles Szumski
