⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Germany and France want to mediate in Ukraine conflict: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels to find ways to restart negotiations in the „Normandy format“ that also includes Russia, Macron’s office said. Ukraine is currently the main flashpoint between Russia and the West. The United States says Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, possibly in preparation for an invasion. The three leaders met on the sidelines of a meeting between European leaders and its Eastern Partnership members – Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Some countries engaged in the Eastern Partnership aspire to belong to the EU.
reuters.com, euronews.com, dw.com
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the European Union is ready to scale up its sanctions and take „unprecedented measures“ against Russia if it shows further aggression towards Ukraine reuters.com
- Russia and China show united front nytimes.com
- Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to visit Winter Olympics in Beijing faz.net
Germany expels two Russian diplomats after Tiergarten murder conviction: A Berlin court has sentenced a Russian national, Vadim Krasikov, to life in prison for the 2019 murder of an ethnic Chechen in a park in the German capital. Prosecutors said Krasikov was acting on the orders of Russia’s state security agency, the FSB. Following the verdict, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said her ministry had summoned Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev and told him that two members of the embassy staff would be declared persona non grata. Nechayev rejected the verdict as a „politically-motivated decision.“
dw.com, bbc.com
Nord Stream 2: US opponents of the German-Russian gas pipeline fail with push for tougher sanctions laws. tagesspiegel.de
Sakharov Prize: At a European Parliament ceremony in Strasbourg, the daughter of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny accepted the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on his behalf. dw.com
EU to stop funding oil and gas pipelines: Negotiators from the EU member states and the EU Parliament agreed on Wednesday morning on a reform of the TEN-E regulation which governs the expansion of cross-border energy networks. The revised regulation sets new priorities in energy production in order to achieve the EU’s climate goals, with the aim of promoting electricity grids, lines to off-shore wind farms and for climate-friendly gases such as hydrogen.
dpa-international.com
- To fight rising gas prices, the EU Commission wants to reform the European gas market ec.europa.eu
- EU countries could be required to renovate their least energy efficient buildings by the end of the decade to cut emissions and save fuel reuters.com
- EU floats tougher penalties for environmental crimes news.bloomberglaw.com
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EU Parliament adopts rules targeting Big Tech: European lawmakers adopted their version of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in a plenary vote on Wednesday, formalising their mandate to enter interinstitutional negotiations on this key piece of digital legislation with the European Council and Commission. The DMA aims to introduce ex-ante obligations for tech companies that have acquired such a significant market power in key areas of the digital economy to play a ‘gatekeeper’ role between other businesses and users.
euractiv.com
Omicron set to be Europe’s dominant variant: There is a „very high“ risk the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will become dominant in Europe by early next year and lead to a growing number of hospital admissions and deaths, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday. The ECDC said that, without further measures to reduce social contact or increased booster vaccinations, the levels of transmission could overwhelm healthcare systems.
reuters.com
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said EU is well prepared to fight Omicron with 66.6% of its population fully vaccinated time.com
- EU summit to discuss steps to counter vaccine scepticism tagesspiegel.de
- Over-65s in France without Covid booster shot to lose health pass benefits france24.com
- President Emmanuel Macron considers compulsory vaccination in France tagesschau.de
- General compulsory testing for travellers in Greece zeit.de
Deficit calculation: Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis calls for new EU debt targets handelsblatt.com
EU Parliament: Socialists will support Roberta Metsola from rival European People’s Party (EPP) as president if Klaus Welle is kicked out politico.eu
EU’s international procurement law one step closer to completion euractiv.com
UN nuclear watchdog: Iran agrees to reinstall cameras at nuclear facility dw.com
IRC Emergency Watchlist 2022: Afghanistan tops list of countries most at risk in year ahead rescue.org
⊂ QUOTE OF THE DAY ⊃
„Like many of you, I’m sad that once again this Christmas will be overshadowed by the pandemic.“
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged people to get vaccinated.
time.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Germany’s Scholz delivers inaugural address to parliament: In his first major speech as German chancellor, Olaf Scholz outlined the new government’s policy agenda. He talked about a variety of issues including the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and foreign policy. Scholz said Germany was open to “constructive dialogue” with Russia but warned Moscow that any aggression against Ukraine would have a price. “Any violation of territorial integrity will come at a price, a high price, and we will speak with one voice here with our European partners and transatlantic allies,” he said, without specifying what those costs would entail.
dw.com, politico.eu
German police raids Covid extremists over murder plot: Police raided several locations in the eastern German city of Dresden on Wednesday after online threats were made against state Premier Michael Kretschmer and other members of the Saxony state government. Police said statements had been made on plans to kill the state premier. Prosecutors said five men and a woman, aged between 32 and 64, were targeted in the investigation. All of them are German nationals. Police have reason to believe the suspects were preparing to carry out violent acts.
dw.com, bbc.com
- Anonymous threats against Austrian politicians trigger investigation derstandard.at
- Auschwitz-style banner at Polish Covid vaccine protest condemned reuters.com
Paris taxi firm suspends use of Tesla vehicles after fatal accident: A leading Paris taxi company has suspended its use of Tesla Model 3 cars following a deadly accident involving one of the vehicles over the weekend. The company said the taxi driver was not on duty at the time of the accident and had been travelling privately with his family. In a statement, the Paris prosecutor’s office said at least one person was killed, with 20 others injured, including several people with serious injuries.
nbcnews.com
Netherlands to build new nuclear plants: The Netherlands will build two nuclear power stations in a bid to hit more ambitious climate goals, according to the new government’s coalition agreement, published Wednesday. The country will increase the ambition of its existing climate goals for 2030 from a 49% cut below 1990 levels to „at least“ a 55% cut, according to the deal. Like the new German government, the Dutch coalition will introduce a floor price for carbon for allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System.
politico.eu
France is one step closer to withdrawal from Mali: In Mali, French troops handed control of an army base on Tuesday to Malian officers near the city of Timbuktu. The handover follows President Macron’s June announcement of a major withdrawal of French troops from the region.
africanews.com
Romania: Minister Florin Roman resigns over claims he faked education credentials theguardian.com
Lithuania: Diplomats leave China as relations sour over Taiwan reuters.com
Austria: Former Foreign Minister Michael Linhart to become ambassador to Berlin derstandard.at
Denmark to rent 300 prison cells in Kosovo to ease overcrowding theguardian.com
⊂ POLITJOBS ⊃
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⊂ LAST BUT NOT LEAST ⊃
Dutch MP found guilty of creating a breeding ground for anti-Semitism: Dutch far-right politician Thierry Baudet was found guilty Wednesday of “creating a breeding ground for anti-Semitism,” a court ruled, over several social media posts in which he compared the government’s coronavirus measures to the Holocaust. “The comparison is flawed and you have spoken unnecessarily offensively and unlawfully of survivors of the Holocaust,” the court ruled.
politico.eu