Why Merz’s plan to get Germany ‘back on track’ is already derailing

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

BERLIN

Germany’s presumptive next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, presented his centre-right bloc’s coalition deal with the Social Democrats on Wednesday with a display of Teutonic understatement. Read more.

How Germany could derail a global pandemic deal. Germany struck a deal on a centrist coalition government on Wednesday, but the country is in another standoff over the World Health Organization’s global pandemic agreement in Geneva. Read more.

WESTERN EUROPE

PARIS

Macron welcomes Vučić to the Élysée amid unrest in Serbia. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić for a working lunch at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday, as the Serbian president continues to face widespread protests back home.

On Sunday, the Serbian president announced his visit with a provocative remark, saying he was coming to France to “further irritate those who don’t like Serbia”.

Vučić has been under increasing pressure for months, facing ongoing demonstrations in the wake of a tragic incident on 30 November last year, when the roof of the newly renovated Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 16 people.

Massive protests. On 15 March, hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Belgrade, demanding full transparency over the disaster and denouncing widespread government corruption.

Despite the scale of the public outcry, neither the European Commission – which has remained conspicuously silent – nor the French authorities appear to have changed their position. According to the Élysée, Macron was expected to reiterate during the meeting his belief that “Serbia’s destiny lies within the European Union”.

Last August, Paris signed a €3 billion deal to sell 12 Rafale fighter jets to Belgrade – a deal hailed at the time by President Macron as a way to “anchor” Serbia firmly in the Western camp.

(Laurent Geslin | Euractiv.fr)

French small businesses face sink or swim reckoning with Trump’s tariffs. French small and medium-sized businesses reliant on the US market are bracing for impact as a 20% tariff on EU goods came into effect on Wednesday. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Netherlands proposes anti-spy checks at universities. The Netherlands could screen around 8,000 incoming university researchers a year, as national intelligence services across the EU fear an uptick in academic espionage. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

COPENHAGEN

Denmark pushes for EU strategic investment in life sciences. New investment funds for SMEs, adopting new technologies, and public-private partnerships are the ingredients of Denmark’s recipe for boosting the EU’s life sciences, according to the Danish Life Science Council. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

MADRID

Spain to deepen ties with Vietnam after tariff shock. During a visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Hanoi, he and counterpart Pham Minh Chinh signed a joint declaration aiming to elevate ties to the level of ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ as the two countries attempt to manage the fallout from enormous tariffs imposed by Washington.

Sanchez said Spain was committed to an international order based on rules, “free trade and economic freedom”, AFP reported.

Chinh said Vietnam had proposed Spain be “a bridge to promote our relationship with the EU and Latin American countries (and), for its part, Vietnam agrees to be a bridge to strengthen the relationship between Spain and ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian nations)”.

Sanchez and Chinh signed five memoranda of understanding including on financial cooperation, culture cooperation and agricultural safety.

On his way to Beijing. Sanchez’s visit to Vietnam is a stop on the way to his third visit to China in just over two years, where he will meet President Xi Jinping and Chinese investors on Friday.

Sanchez broke with the rest of the EU on his last trip to China in September 2024, urging the bloc to reconsider plans to impose high tariffs on Chinese electric cars and calling for a “fair trade order”.

China and Vietnam currently sell much more to Spain than they buy.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)

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ROME

Italian laws against illegal football streaming likely inapplicable. The Italian government failed to notify the Commission about amendments to its national anti-piracy and copyright laws, the European executive has acknowledged, according to a source close to the matter speaking to Euractiv on condition of anonymity. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal: minister supports boost to NATO’s European defence pillar. Portugal’s minister for defence, Nuno Melo, said on Wednesday that the new geopolitical situation should lead to the strengthening of NATO’s European defence pillar.

“If there’s one lesson we should learn from the new geopolitical situation, it’s that we have to strengthen NATO’s European defence pillar,” said Nuno Melo, in his speech at the commemorations of the 107th anniversary of the Battle of La Lys and Combatant’s Day, in Batalha (Leiria), in central Portugal, presided over by the country’s president and supreme commander of the armed forces, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

More defence investment. For the minister, this “also means investing more in defence industries, it necessarily means producing more in Europe, it necessarily means buying more in Europe.” Earlier, the minister recognised that current times are “unstable and uncertain, marked by very worrying events” such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We are witnessing a worsening of the political and military situation in the Middle East and China is asserting itself as a rival power to the United States, a country that in turn is reducing its historic role in NATO while shifting its geostrategic attention to the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

(Silvia Reis, edited by Cristina Cardoso | Lusa.pt)

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Polish court orders far-right candidate to retract false claim in presidential race. In another heated clash ahead of the May presidential election, a court has ordered far-right candidate Sławomir Mentzen (Confederation, ESN/PfE) to issue a correction after falsely accusing parliamentary speaker and rival Szymon Hołownia (Poland 2050, Renew) of inviting illegal migrants to the Polish parliament.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday, found that Mentzen had spread false claims that Hołownia had invited undocumented migrants from the Belarusian border and posted selfies with them online.

The controversy dates back to December 2023, when Hołownia hosted a Christmas event in parliament for people in need – including the poor, people with disabilities, NGO beneficiaries, and refugees. A photo of him with migrants at the gathering later circulated online.

On Tuesday, Hołownia announced he had filed a lawsuit, calling Mentzen’s claims “a lie from beginning to end.” “Mentzen is a liar – that’s what the court has ruled. 3:0, another win and the hat trick. Game on,” Hołownia said following the verdict, referring to earlier rulings in his favour.

Mentzen, a rising star of the Polish far right, is vying with PiS-backed Karol Nawrocki (ECR) for a spot in the runoff. Hołownia, a former Catholic activist and TV host, is struggling to gain momentum.

A poll published Tuesday by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska shows Rafał Trzaskowski of prime minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO, EPP) leading comfortably with 38.3%. Nawrocki polled second at 20.1%, with support slipping, closely followed by Mentzen at 18.8%.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)

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PRAGUE

EU tariffs on China under discussion, says Czech minister. The Czech government is raising concerns about a potential flood of cheap Chinese goods into the EU if trade tensions with the US escalate.

“We must not allow, at the European level, that a customs war with the United States – if it doesn’t end well – leads to the European market becoming an alternative destination for cheap Chinese goods,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala warned today.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura confirmed that tariffs against China are one of the options being discussed in Brussels.

“We are analysing the situation at the European level – each country has a different trade balance with China, and each has sectors that are more or less tied to the Chinese economy,” he said.

Czech companies are not afraid of fair competition but “if someone has an unfair advantage, we must neutralise it so that our companies don’t enter the competitive fight at a disadvantage,” he added.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)

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BUDAPEST

Hungary keeps stalling Ukraine’s EU accession effort. Hungary is gearing up to add more obstacles to Ukraine’s accession process with a national referendum on the question, while Kyiv had hoped to take the next steps this year. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Grin and bear it: Fico’s plan to slaughter hundreds of Slovak bears faces backlash. Slovakia’s plan to slaughter a quarter of its bear population following a fatal attack on a local man has enraged environmentalists who say the government failed to seriously consider preventative measures. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian president calls for clear EU defence strategy. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has called for the European Union to set up its own army and simplify its decision-making process on military issues, arguing that stockpiling weapons alone does not necessarily translate into defence capabilities.

“We need to have a clear political vision and a common defence strategy,” the Bulgarian president said at the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece.

According to him, Europe’s task is to use the power of diplomacy to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine and pave the way for lasting peace.

“Europe can cope with the challenges and strengthen its positions if it recognises the significance of the problems, raises its level of ambition and takes concrete actions, stepping out of its comfort zone,” Radev said.

The Bulgarian president has been one of the most vocal opponents of providing military aid to Ukraine and a harsh critic of Kyiv’s decision to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces occupying its territory in the summer of 2023.

(Krasen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)

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BUCHAREST

USR party leaders withdraw support for candidate in Romanian presidential election ‘coup’. Several figures of Romania’s opposition USR (Renew) party announced on Wednesday that they are withdrawing their support for party leader Elena Lasconi in the upcoming 4 May presidential election, instead backing the independent mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan. Lasconi replied that she will not withdraw her candidacy. Read more.

Cattle farmers sue authorities over cattle disease measures. Cattle farmers in Romania have filed a lawsuit against the government and the National Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) for failing to take preventive measures against foot-and-mouth disease. Ionel Arion, president of the national association Pro Agro, said the organisation submitted proposals to ANSVSA for measures to prevent the virus from entering Romania. However, no concrete measures have been taken. If the virus were to enter Romania, the resulting losses for farmers could exceed one billion euros, said Ionuț Lupu, executive director of the Holstein.ro cattle breeders’ association.

(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)

AGENDA:

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen receives Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal;
• High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas meets with Former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Wise Men of the Council of the Baltic Sea States; Meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir;
• Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen meets with Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Daren Tang; Delivers keynote speech at 12th European Retail Innovation Summit 2025;
• Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen participates in “Getting offshore wind back on track” ministerial session at WindEurope Summit, in Copenhagen, Denmark; Participates in CEO roundtable of WIndEurope Board;
• Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos participates in EU-Ukraine Business Summit;
• Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen meets with Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Vitalii Koval;
• Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Commissioner Jessika Roswall meets with Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Grynchuk;
• Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius participates in Coalition of the Willing defence ministers meeting;
• Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath delivers opening remarks at EU Freeze and Seize Task Force meeting; Meets with Chief Global Affairs Officer of OpenAI Christopher Lehane; Delivers keynote speech at 12th European Retail Innovation Summit 2025;
• Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef participates in EU Sport Forum 2025, in Krakow, Poland; Meets with World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Bańka;
• Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi meets with European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Executive Director Bernhard Url;
• Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque holds meetings with Vice Minister for International Affairs of the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA) Shigeru Ariizumi, President of International at Bank of America Bernard Mensah;
• Parliament’s Committee on Budgets votes on European Defence Industry Programme.

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[Edited by Vas Panagiotopoulos, Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara]