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In today’s news from the capitals:

Hello from BRATISLAVA

More than half of Slovaks would welcome a Russian military victory over Ukraine, according to a new survey released on Wednesday. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Von der Leyen: A treaty change is needed to show that the EU is “serious” about reform. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed a constitutional convention to reform EU treaties in her State of the Union address on Wednesday, insisting leaders must be ‘serious’ about EU reform. Read more.

Von der Leyen’s Ukraine-tinged speech lacks political vision. Europe‘s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine dominated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s annual speech on Wednesday, but provided little substance on several important issues and issues. urgent issues facing the bloc. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

EU PMs urge Belgium not to release convicted Iranian diplomat. Belgium must send a former diplomat convicted of a botched bomb attack back to Iran, as it would flout the EU’s rule of law when relations between the West and Tehran are strained, according to a letter sent by the European prime ministers. Read more.

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BERLIN

The German government increases unemployment benefits to increase with inflation. The cabinet decided on Wednesday to increase unemployment benefits to better align with inflation, implementing a key election promise from Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Read more.

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PARIS

French ministers say energy bills will be kept low in 2023 and call for EU solidarity. Senior ministers set out their priorities for controlling energy prices in 2023, with Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire saying “government intervention has paid off better than anywhere else in the EU”. Read more.

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VIENNA

Recently deceased Austrians receive a €500 climate bonus. Austria’s cash bonus, designed to offset the uneven impacts of the country’s newly implemented carbon price on gasoline, heat, oil and gas, has been questioned for being given to recently deceased people. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Air France-KLM, compete to hold at least 50% of TAP. The Franco-Dutch group is in competition to hold at least 50% of the capital of the Portuguese national airline TAP, following the Portuguese government’s plans to sell the shares of the airline. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

DUBLIN

Irish and Ukrainian foreign ministers discuss grain exports and Odessa nuclear power plant. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kubela met in Odessa on Wednesday to discuss grain exports and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ahead of a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. UN next week. Read more.

NORDIC AND BALTIC

STOCKHOLM

EU lawmakers are slamming the EPP for siding with the far right amid Swedish election results. The rise of nationalist parties across Europe has been fostered by the centre-right, in particular the European People’s Party (EPP), European lawmakers said on Wednesday following the results of the parliamentary elections. Read more.

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HELSINKI

The Patient Safety Act is testing the unity of the Finnish government. The patient safety law, which aims to guarantee treatment in intensive care units in the event of nurses’ strikes, is creating new difficulties for Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

ROME

Italian elections: the head of the European Parliament declares that “we cannot work with extremists”. Pro-European political forces cannot work with extremists who want to ruin Europe, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, told EURACTIV Italy in an interview on Wednesday, sending a clear message ahead of the upcoming Italian elections on September 25. . Read more.

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ATHENS

Greece wants to cap the prices of firewood and pellets. As the prices of firewood and pellets rise by around 30% compared to last year, a minister has said that the Greek Development Ministry is considering stepping in and imposing a cap. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal embraces the idea of ​​the Commission’s EU hydrogen bank. An EU bank to support hydrogen projects is a great idea for energy autonomy, Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said following the announcement by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in his State of the Union address. Read more.

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MADRID

A major union is urging the government to raise the minimum wage in 2023. The government must dramatically increase the national minimum wage in 2023 to protect vulnerable families from the economic crisis, Unai Sordo, general secretary of Comisiones Obreras, one of Spain’s two largest unions, said on Wednesday. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

A journalistic investigation puts the Polish deputies on their guard. Politicians and authorities withheld critical information about the Smolensk plane crash that killed 96 people, according to a journalistic investigation that has key figures worried. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech government to support heavy industry despite rising prices. The government has approved financial aid amounting to 1.2 billion euros to help around 8,000 large companies in the context of rising energy prices. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

The Commission is preparing to suspend Hungary’s recovery funds. The European Commission is preparing to propose the suspension of a large part of the €5.8 billion in funding allocated to Hungary from the bloc’s recovery fund, Reuters reports citing officials familiar with the process. Read more.

BALKAN NEWS

TIRANA

Albanian Prime Minister calls for understanding on Russian position of Serbia. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed concern about Russian influence in the country while showing understanding for Belgrade’s position towards Moscow. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgaria to significantly increase the national debt. Bulgaria intends to take on at least 3 billion euros in public debt by the end of the year, of which 2 billion euros will come from international markets, according to the credit schedule published by the Ministry of Finances and the financial weekly Capital. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania wants to cap the prices of all sources of natural gas. Romania wants a European Union-wide cap for all natural gas prices, to avoid another market imbalance, said Energy Minister Virgil Popescu. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatia asks energy company INA to increase gas production and only sell at home. The Croatian government will ask the oil and gas company INA, co-owned by Hungarian MOL, to increase gas production by 10% and sell the entire production at home, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. Economy Davor Filipovic. Read more.

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BELGRADE

The American ambassador hopes that EuroPride will take place. US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said on Wednesday that he hopes Serbia will hold the EuroPride Parade on Saturday and overcome its problems, because citizens of all democracies have the right to assemble freely. Read more.

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SKOPJE

The President of the Assembly of North Macedonia rejects the referendum on the cancellation of the agreement with Bulgaria. North Macedonian Assembly Speaker Talat Xhaferi has rejected a call by the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party to hold a referendum on withdrawing from the agreement with Bulgaria which proposes that North Macedonia change its Constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albanian political parties are squabbling over allegations of Russian funding. Former Democratic Party (PD) chairman Lulzim Basha has denied reports that the party received $500,000 from Russia ahead of the 2017 general election, following media accusations international. Read more.

Agenda

• EU: Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans meets the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol;
• Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in the Czech Republic; participates in an informal meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council;
• The European Parliament will hold a Conference of Presidents in Strasbourg;
• Germany: G7 trade ministers meet in Neuhardenberg;
• Bundestag President Barbel Bas welcomes his G7 counterparts to Berlin, including US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi;
• M100 Media Conference with Ukrainian journalists, presentation of the M100 Media Award, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will speak;
• Norway: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store meets with the country’s three largest oil and gas groups to discuss Europe’s energy crisis;
• Swiss: UN Special Rapporteur Fortune Gaetan Zongo presents the first report on the human rights situation in Burundi;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Maksimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Eleonora Vasques]