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In today’s news from the capitals:

PARIS | SOFIAParis is ready to include Bulgarian demands in North Macedonia’s EU negotiations roadmap to lift Sofia’s veto on the start of talks, diplomats told local media on Thursday, but it is not yet clear whether this decision will be enough to allay doubts about Bulgarian lawmakers. Read more.

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BERLIN

A German agency plans to save gas by cooling homes. The President of the Federal Network Agency is in favor of lowering the minimum temperature to which homeowners must heat homes in winter, a proposal made by the national housing association after Russian energy giant Gazprom decided to cut gas flows to Germany. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Belgium quadruples the number of women on boards of directors. A 2011 law requiring Belgian companies to have at least a third of women or men on boards appears to be paying off as the proportion of women in such positions quadrupled between 2008 and 2020, according to a recent study. . Read more.

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PARIS

French elections: what a relative majority means for Macron. The French are preparing to vote on Sunday June 19 in the second round of legislative elections and could offer recently re-elected President Emmanuel Macron a victory, but no parliamentary majority and strong opposition from the left. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

LONDON

The bank is raising interest rates in a bid to curb soaring inflation. The Bank of England raised its interest rates to 1.25% on Thursday to avoid the spiral of inflation, which has reached 9% and is expected to rise further in the coming months. Read more.

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DUBLIN

Irish businesses will receive help to move away from fossil fuels. Dublin will help Irish businesses move away from fossil fuels and towards more sustainable alternatives with a fund worth €55 million. Read more.

NORDIC AND BALTIC

HELSINKI

Finland recommends a fifth COVID booster for vulnerable patients. Following the example of Stockholm, The Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) called ppeople with severely weakened immune systems to take a fifth COVID-19 vaccine. Read more.

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VILNIUS

Ukrainians illegally deported to Russia are exiles, says Lithuania. Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday recognized Ukrainians expelled from their homes and forcibly deported to Russia by Moscow as exiles. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

LISBON

Portugal offers military training but no more weapons for Ukraine. Portugal is ready to train Ukrainian soldiers but sending more military hardware is not on the table, Defense Minister Helena Carreiras told a NATO meeting in Brussels. Read more.

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ROME

Draghi rejects Russia’s reasons for gas supply cuts. Russia’s claims that gas supply cuts are due to maintenance are lies, and instead the reasons for the shortage are political, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Thursday in Kyiv after Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced a further reduction in daily supplies from Rome. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain will approve the fourth booster injection for the fall. The government will approve a fourth dose of COVID-19 in the fall, prioritizing the most vulnerable groups, Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias confirmed on Thursday. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

Slovak ministry sows confusion over compliance with Russian sanctions in EU projects. A warning about non-compliance with sanctions after checks on several EU-funded projects involving Austrian construction giant Strabag by the Ministry of Regional Development has caused confusion in Slovakian municipalities. Read more.

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WARSAW

The Polish president dismisses a minister amid the postal scandal. President Andrzej Duda sacked Michał Cieślak, a minister without portfolio implicated in a postal scandal, at the request of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Heads of the European Parliament in Prague ahead of the Council Presidency. Prague and the European Parliament are partners in difficult times caused by war, key EU lawmakers and Czech leaders agreed during a meeting in the country’s capital ahead of Czechia’s six-month term in office. head of the Council of the EU. Read more.

BALKAN NEWS

BELGRADE

Turkey supports Serbia’s European path. Turkey supports Serbia’s European integration process, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday in Belgrade, adding that Serbia is an important player in preserving stability in the region. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania will buy fighter jets from Norway. The Romanian government has passed a bill on the purchase of 32 used F-16 fighter jets from Norway. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Eurozone ministers give a nod to Croatia’s adoption of the euro in 2023. Eurogroup euro zone finance ministers on Thursday gave the green light to Croatia joining the euro, saying they agreed with the positive assessment by the European Commission and the European Central Bank on Zagreb’s compliance with the convergence criteria. Read more.

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PRISTINE

Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo despite calls from the EU. Serbia has no desire to recognize Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed to Serbian media this week following repeated EU calls for mutual recognition. Read more.

Agenda

• ​​EU: The European Commission gives its opinion on Ukraine’s candidacy to join the bloc.
• Meeting of the College of Commissioners, the President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen participates.
• European Parliament Annual International Conference on Human Rights.
• Romania: King Philippe of Belgium visits troops at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.
• Russia: President Vladimir Putin takes part in the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
• United States: 50 years since the Watergate scandal broke.

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