António Costa’s plans + Romanian elections: Suspicion of Russian influence

Dear reader,

Is the rise of Italy’s head of government Giorgia Meloni over? In Europe, she has just gained a lot of power with the election of Raffaele Fitto as Vice-President of the EU Commission. But at home, the mood is tense, to say the least. There is a general strike this Friday. Once again. Schools, flights, buses and health services will not be available. The highway companies are also planning to strike. Public life will be almost completely paralyzed. The Italians are annoyed.

Strikes are nothing unusual here, but their frequency in recent weeks has been remarkable. The reason for the anger is the draft budget of the right-wing governing coalition of Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia, and Lega, which envisages drastic cuts and austerity measures in several areas. This is why there is a lot of rumbling within the three governing parties. In the Senate Budget Committee this week, Forza Italia voted with the opposition and against the Lega – which in revenge caused a motion by the former Berlusconi party to fail.

One thing is clear: Two years after Meloni took office, the initial euphoria over her election victory has faded. Citizens are increasingly realizing that they are no better off under the Fratelli leader than under her predecessors. 80 percent of the right-wing parties’ election promises have not yet been fulfilled. Lost regional elections followed a “No Meloni Day” by left-wing students two weeks ago in Umbria and Emilia-Romagna. And in the polls, the Fratelli, after breaking the 30 percent mark at the beginning of October, is now back at 29 percent. That is still stable – but the way down can go quickly. Especially with troublemakers on their own government bench.

The opposition is already rejoicing. Elly Schlein, the leader of the social democratic Partito Democratico, announced that the right-wing coalition had collapsed and, according to the Five Star Movement, there is no longer a government. It hasn’t come to that yet, but a government crisis can happen more suddenly than expected in a country where it feels like there have been a thousand changes of government.

Your
Almut Siefert

António Costa: More cooperation and ‘no-nonsense’

His predecessor Charles Michel will be remembered above all for his private feuds with Ursula von der Leyen. António Costa, on the other hand, wants to work closely with the President of the Commission as President of the EU Council.

By

Stephan Israel

The handover of office from Charles Michel to António Costa will be marked with a small ceremony in the Europa building on Friday. Portugal’s former head of government will formally take over the post of EU Council President in December. A first exchange with Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola is planned for Monday. Costa wants to make a “jour fix” with the President of the Commission and Parliament every two weeks a tradition. A first speech will follow on Tuesday before the European Economic and Social Committee.

Costa stands for a new style and, above all, a better climate between the three institutions in Brussels’ European quarter. Good cooperation with the Commission President and the new Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas should be a priority, also in order to improve Europe’s clout. Things can only get better after the Charles Michel era. Hardly anyone mourns the Belgian, he will be remembered above all for his private feuds with von der Leyen.

EU summits to last just one day

In recent weeks, Costa has visited all capital cities, with the exception of Sofia and Bucharest due to election dates and the formation of new governments. Among other things, the feedback is that the heads of state and government want more strategic discussions at the EU summits.

With a view to a focused exchange, Costa plans to limit EU summits to one day. There are also plans for regular meetings outside Brussels, which should be truly informal again, with small delegations, free discussion, and no conclusions. At a first “retreat” in February, the EU Council President wants to talk about Ukraine, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attending.

Next week, Costa wants to present his working methods and plans directly to the AstV, a body that he reportedly wants to visit regularly and strengthen with a view to its role in the summit preparations. The Portuguese politician also wants to improve cooperation with Parliament, where he intends to meet regularly with the heads of the political groups.

Heads of state and government hope for more leadership

Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Costa in Berlin in October. The two Social Democrats get on well together, according to reports in Berlin. Costa already knows many of the heads of the European Council: As Prime Minister of Portugal, he sat on the most important EU body for eight years until he resigned from office in November 2023 due to corruption investigations in his circle. There has been much criticism of the investigations.

The 63-year-old is respected by his colleagues and is regarded as pragmatic and humorous. Costa stands for “no-nonsense” and has no urge for self-promotion, says one diplomat. That sets him apart from his predecessor.

Scholz and others are hoping for more leadership from Costa: his task is to “bring the positions together in a targeted manner with a clear vision instead of just leading a list of speeches”, says a diplomat. Costa is likely to be rather cautious in his communication at first; he first wants to gain the trust of the others.

Costa must try to close the ranks

His task will be anything but easy. On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will be sworn in as POTUS and Costa must try to close the ranks of the member states in both the looming trade conflict and in Ukraine policy. “It will be very, very, very difficult,” he recently told the Financial Times. But his interlocutors are aware of the scale of the problems. And: “Europe usually works best in moments of crisis.”

Costa will have to moderate the shifts in the balance of power in the Council. The traditional leadership duo of Germany and France has been weakened by the domestic political turmoil. Nationalist politicians such as Viktor Orbán and Giorgia Meloni are demanding a greater say. He has always perceived Meloni as constructive, says Costa. Even with Hungary, solutions have been found at critical moments.

What is piquant is that Costa is the first socialist to take over the top job, while the influence of his party family in the capitals is lower than ever before. Only four heads of state and government in the Council are currently Socialists. In contrast, the Christian Democratic party family has been able to increase its influence. At EU summits, 14 out of 27 heads of state and government come from the Christian Democrat EPP party family. The EPP now also forms the government in Poland, Luxembourg, Sweden and Portugal.

And the Social Democrats could soon lose further influence in the Council. It is very likely that Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be replaced by Friedrich Merz (CDU) after the elections in Germany at the end of February. Pedro Sánchez leads a minority government in Spain. Should his government collapse, the Christian Democratic PP, which won more votes than the Socialists in the last election, could take over.

Should Germany and Spain lose to the Socialists, only two member states, Denmark and Malta, would still be governed by Socialists. At the same time, it is clear that the EPP will lose Romania after the end of President Klaus Iohannis’ term of office. In the run-off election, either the right-wing populist Călin Georgescu or the center-right politician Elena Lasconi (USR, Renew) will be elected. (Please also read the following Analysis).

Only four of the 27 heads of state and government in the European Council are currently social democrats:

Olaf Scholz (Germany)
Mette Frederiksen (Denmark)
Pedro Sánchez (Spain)
Robert Abela (Malta)

14 member states have EPP heads of state and government:

Nikos Christodoulides (Cyprus)
Luc Frieden (Luxembourg)
Simon Harris (Ireland)
Klaus Iohannis (Romania)
Ulf Kristersson (Sweden)
Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greece)
Luís Montenegro (Portugal)
Karl Nehammer (Austria)
Petteri Orpo (Finland)
Andrej Plenković (Croatia)
Evika Siliņa (Latvia)
Ingrida Šimonytė (Lithuania)
Donald Tusk (Poland)
Dimitar Glawchev (Bulgaria), Interim Prime Minister

Three member states have liberal heads of state and government:

Kristen Michal (Estonia)
Emmanuel Macron (France)
Alexander De Croo (Belgium)

Two member states have heads of state and government from the conservative EKR party family:

Giorgia Meloni (Italy)
Petr Fiala (Czech Republic)

One member state has a prime minister from the far-right party family:

Viktor Orbán (Hungary)

Three member states have heads of state and government who cannot be assigned to a European party family:

Robert Golob (Slovenia), green-liberal
Robert Fico (Slovakia), formerly Social Democrat
Dick Schoof (Netherlands), expert government

Presidential election in Romania: Suspicion of Russian influence

By

Frank Stier

Romania is in turmoil after the first round of the presidential elections. On Thursday, the country’s Constitutional Court ordered the recount of all ballots cast in the first round of voting on Sunday. The pro-Russian right-wing radical Călin Georgescu received the most votes with 22.94 percent. The conservative-liberal politician Elena Lasconi came in second with 19.17%.

The court also rejected one of two applications to annul this ballot. The application had been submitted later than the permitted deadline. The next court hearing was scheduled for Friday. Two candidates who were defeated in the first round had applied for the election to be annulled on the grounds that Georgescu had not disclosed the sources of funding for his election campaign and had also received money from abroad. Both facts would violate Romanian law.

The staid-looking civil servant is a successful influencer

The fact that Georgescu, who has no party affiliation, won the first round of the elections is causing irritation in many parts of Romania. The 62-year-old agricultural engineer and sustainability expert is no stranger to Bucharest’s political scene and has occasionally been in the running for the office of Prime Minister in recent years. However, neither politicians, the media nor opinion pollsters had him on their radar for the election. His competitors for the office of head of state, including the social democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, had to take note of the fact that the bland-looking civil servant Georgescu is an influencer with a large social media base.

Georgescu makes no secret of his admiration for Romania’s historical fascist leaders. In terms of domestic policy, he agitates against the alleged corruption and mismanagement of the political elite, which has led to growing inflation and precarious living conditions for citizens. In terms of foreign policy, he propagates a sovereigntist strategy with autonomy vis-à-vis the EU and NATO. Georgescu has taken a critical stance on military support for Ukraine, earning him accusations of cronyism with Russia.

The suspicion: Russia could have supported Georgescu

It is suspected that Putin’s long arm may have helped Georgescu to win the election financially and logistically. Georgescu had told the central election authority that he had run his campaign with “zero” financial resources. He had mainly campaigned on the TikTok platform. Numerous experts pointed out that such an online campaign is not possible without considerable financial resources. Several Romanian influencers stated that they had been paid to advertise for Georgescu.

TikTok itself has also been criticized in connection with the election campaign. There is a debate in Romania about the extent to which the platform enabled the radical right-wing populist to circumvent his official ban on political advertising. “Călin Georgescu campaigned on several platforms, so it is inaccurate and misleading to attribute the activity only to TikTok,” a Romanian TikTok representative responded.

Parliamentary elections are due before the run-off

Before the run-off election on Dec. 8 will show whether Georgescu can prevail against second-placed Lasconi from the Union Save Romania (USR), the country is facing another landmark election. The parliamentary elections on Sunday will show whether the ruling Social Democratic (PSD) and National Liberal (PNL) parties can hold their own against right-wing populist political forces such as the Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR).

The results of the latest opinion polls point to the Social Democrats as the likely winners of the election and predict a close race between the PNL and AUR for second place. However, the polls date back to the weeks before the first round of the presidential election. At the moment, it is impossible to estimate what influence Georgescu’s triumph will have on the vote for the Chamber of Deputies. Romania’s pro-European and pro-Atlantic political spectrum fears that a further shift to the right in the parliamentary elections could lead the country into troubled waters. With sas

Georgia does not want to negotiate EU accession until 2028

The rift between the EU and accession candidate Georgia is deepening. Georgia will not negotiate accession until the end of 2028, said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the national-conservative ruling party Georgian Dream. “In addition, we will not accept any budget support from the European Union until the end of 2028,” he said according to media reports in Tbilisi.

Kobakhidze called Brussels’ demands for EU accession talks blackmail, to which Georgia did not want to expose itself. He said that integration was a two-way street, not a soft gift from Brussels. He also criticized a resolution of the European Parliament on Georgia. It called for the result of the parliamentary elections at the end of October, with the officially declared victory of the Georgian Dream party, not to be recognized.

Pro-European protest

The government’s rejection of EU accession negotiations immediately brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi. In the evening, they blocked the main street Rustaveli Prospekt near the parliament. The pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili accused the government of a “constitutional coup”. “Today is the end of a path that began in Europe and led to Russia,” she said. Georgia will lose its independence to Russia, she warned.

In December 2023, the former Soviet republic of Georgia was granted EU accession candidate status together with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. However, the relationship has deteriorated rapidly because the ruling party is increasingly critical of Europe and wants to limit alleged foreign influence in the country. The desired control over civil society is similar to the methods used in Russia. Brussels has therefore also put the rapprochement on ice. The opposition wants to stick to the European course. It accuses the government of only achieving its election victory through manipulation. dpa

Hungary: Extradition agreement with China takes shape

Hungary’s Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson has submitted a proposal for an extradition agreement with the People’s Republic of China. The draft follows a corresponding declaration of intent that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed in Beijing in July 2024. This was reported by local media citing an official publication. Further details are not yet known.

The potential consequences of such an agreement are not yet foreseeable. On October 6, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that extraditions to the People’s Republic of China must not take place. In its ruling, the ECtHR cited several passages from the UN Committee against Torture, which stated that torture and other ill-treatment were common practices in the Chinese penal system.

Illegal police stations in Europe

According to recent surveys, over 18,000 Chinese live in Hungary. The Chinese state also tries to keep its foreign diaspora under close political control. Among other things, it has set up illegal police stations throughout Europe, which are disguised as service offices and also carry out Chinese state security tasks.

A report by the German news channel ntv suggests that these police stations are still operating. Renata Alt, Chairwoman of the Human Rights Committee in the German Bundestag, criticizes this as a “serious failure on the part of the German security authorities. Among other things, these stations are being used to spy on and pressure Chinese students and exiled opposition activists – a clear human rights violation,” says Alt.

An extradition agreement with an EU member state would offer the Chinese security apparatus new opportunities to extradite opposition Chinese citizens in the EU to China. grz

Competitiveness Council: Dispute over nuclear energy blocks joint declaration

Yesterday, Thursday, the Hungarian Council Presidency wanted to adopt a joint declaration on European competitiveness in the Competitiveness Council. However, a difference of opinion, mainly between Germany and France, over the financing of nuclear technologies proved to be too great an obstacle.

This involved a formulation that calls for better coordinated and prioritized financing of energy technologies. The Council Presidency had proposed designating the technologies as “clean”, which generally also includes nuclear energy.

Austria also resisted the declaration

Hungarian Economics Minister Márton Nagy wanted to increase the pressure by making the discussion on the joint declaration public, which was unusual. However, BMWK State Secretary Bernhard Kluttig stuck to his position that Germany “unfortunately cannot yet agree to the current version”. “For Germany, it is of the utmost importance that EU funds are only made available for technologies that are supported by all member states,” said Kluttig during his first appearance in the Council.

A German compromise proposal envisaged deleting the term “clean” and adding additional wording. This would have ensured that the declaration could not have been interpreted as a preliminary decision for the allocation of EU funds. However, the compromise proposal was not accepted by France. “Above all – and I insist on this – we must support all technologies that promote decarbonization, whether they are nuclear or renewable,” said French Deputy Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci.

Alongside Germany, only Austria opposed the text of the declaration. Instead of being published as a Council declaration, it will now only be published as a Council Presidency declaration. jaa

Broad coalition in the Council to support the battery industry

Sweden, France and Germany sounded the alarm about the situation in the European battery industry at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council on Thursday. “We cannot afford to be naive again and in yet another sector,” said the Swedish Minister for Economic Affairs, Ebba Busch.

Even if the current cause for alarm is the bankruptcy of Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, Busch emphasized that the impending decline of the battery industry is a European problem. “And a European problem needs a European solution,” she said. Without additional support, the European industry would not be able to survive against heavily subsidized competitors from third countries.

Ministers call for swift action

It was only on Tuesday that Sweden, together with France and Germany, put the issue on the Council agenda, which gave the other member states hardly any time to deal with the issue. Nevertheless, Spain, Finland and Belgium also spoke out in favor of the initiative at yesterday’s meeting. Italy and Poland were also cautiously positive. This means that a North-South coalition is emerging on this issue, which is unusual for EU economic policy.

The member states are calling on the new EU Commission to come up with solutions for the European battery industry as quickly as possible. Some concrete proposals have already been heard. BMWK State Secretary Bernhard Kluttig suggested operating cost subsidies for battery manufacturers, while French Deputy Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci called for the EU Innovation Fund to be used to support battery manufacturers. Busch insisted above all on speed. “Speed, speed, speed,” she shouted to her colleagues in the Council. jaa

Decarbonization of the automotive industry: seven countries call for a rethink

New laws for the automotive industry must be geared towards helping the ailing industrial sector back on its feet. This is what Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are demanding from the next EU Commission. In an open letter submitted to Table.Briefings, they write that the CO₂ fleet targets need to be revised in order to ensure the competitiveness of the industry.

The EU must commit to the principle of technological neutrality, they continue. In addition to electric vehicles, “sustainably powered combustion engines” should also be taken into account in the CO2 fleet targets by adapting the calculation method for car emissions.

On the one hand, the seven countries are calling for a fundamental revision of an EU law that was passed long ago, but on the other hand, they are calling for better planning for the industry. The letter states that uncertainty is hindering long-term investment in new technologies. luk

Critical infrastructure protection: Commission initiates proceedings against Germany

In the current geopolitical environment, the protection of critical infrastructures should actually be at the top of governments’ agendas. However, most EU member states, including Germany, are not making any progress in implementing European directives in this area. They should have fully transposed the NIS 2 Directive (Directive 2022/2555) on network security and the CER Directive (Directive 2022/2557) on the analogous resilience of critical facilities into national law by Oct. 17. In 26 member states, however, this has not happened for one or even both directives.

The EU Commission has now sent letters of formal notice to these states and thus initiated infringement proceedings. Germany is affected in both cases. Both the NIS 2 Implementation Act and the KRITIS Umbrella Act, which is intended to implement the CER Directive, were not agreed upon by the coalition government before it broke.

Probably no progress before the new elections

Germany and the other member states now have two months to respond and fully implement the directives. If this does not happen, the Commission may decide to send reasoned opinions. If the member state still does not respond or does not rectify the infringements, the Commission can refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The probability that the two directives will be implemented before the new elections in Germany is currently not very high. The SPD and the Greens are dependent on the support of either the FDP or the CDU/CSU. The CDU/CSU has already indicated that the chances of success are slim. There are still two weeks of parliamentary sessions to go this year. vis/wp

After election in Parliament: Council appoints Commission for five years

On Thursday, the Council appointed the new Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. The term of office was set from Dec. 1, 2024 to Oct. 31, 2029. The decision was taken by circular resolution after Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed the Council of the election in Parliament by letter on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Commission received 35 more votes than it needed to be confirmed by Parliament. In yesterday’s edition, we mistakenly wrote that it had 88 more votes than it needed. 370 MPs voted yes, 282 voted no and 36 abstained. 688 out of 719 MPs voted. Therefore, 344 plus one vote were needed for the election. mgr

Outdoor smoking bans: Resolution in the European Parliament fails

A resolution in the European Parliament calling for a ban on smoking and vaping in outdoor areas did not receive a majority. Young people in particular should be protected from the dangers of passive smoking and vaping. The focus was not only on cigarettes but also on new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters. The EPP, ECR and the far-right groups did not follow the resolution, which was supported by the Liberals, S&D and Greens. The Commission had proposed a Council recommendation with similar content. The Council will vote on the Council recommendation on Tuesday. mgr

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Till
Hoppe

Sarah
Schaefer

Lukas
Knigge

Corinna
Visser

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Grabitz

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Berkel

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Israel

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Stam

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Allenbach-Ammann

Dear reader,

Is the rise of Italy’s head of government Giorgia Meloni over? In Europe, she has just gained a lot of power with the election of Raffaele Fitto as Vice-President of the EU Commission. But at home, the mood is tense, to say the least. There is a general strike this Friday. Once again. Schools, flights, buses and health services will not be available. The highway companies are also planning to strike. Public life will be almost completely paralyzed. The Italians are annoyed.

Strikes are nothing unusual here, but their frequency in recent weeks has been remarkable. The reason for the anger is the draft budget of the right-wing governing coalition of Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia, and Lega, which envisages drastic cuts and austerity measures in several areas. This is why there is a lot of rumbling within the three governing parties. In the Senate Budget Committee this week, Forza Italia voted with the opposition and against the Lega – which in revenge caused a motion by the former Berlusconi party to fail.

One thing is clear: Two years after Meloni took office, the initial euphoria over her election victory has faded. Citizens are increasingly realizing that they are no better off under the Fratelli leader than under her predecessors. 80 percent of the right-wing parties’ election promises have not yet been fulfilled. Lost regional elections followed a “No Meloni Day” by left-wing students two weeks ago in Umbria and Emilia-Romagna. And in the polls, the Fratelli, after breaking the 30 percent mark at the beginning of October, is now back at 29 percent. That is still stable – but the way down can go quickly. Especially with troublemakers on their own government bench.

The opposition is already rejoicing. Elly Schlein, the leader of the social democratic Partito Democratico, announced that the right-wing coalition had collapsed and, according to the Five Star Movement, there is no longer a government. It hasn’t come to that yet, but a government crisis can happen more suddenly than expected in a country where it feels like there have been a thousand changes of government.

Your
Almut Siefert

António Costa: More cooperation and ‘no-nonsense’

By

Stephan Israel

The handover of office from Charles Michel to António Costa will be marked with a small ceremony in the Europa building on Friday. Portugal’s former head of government will formally take over the post of EU Council President in December. A first exchange with Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola is planned for Monday. Costa wants to make a “jour fix” with the President of the Commission and Parliament every two weeks a tradition. A first speech will follow on Tuesday before the European Economic and Social Committee.

Costa stands for a new style and, above all, a better climate between the three institutions in Brussels’ European quarter. Good cooperation with the Commission President and the new Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas should be a priority, also in order to improve Europe’s clout. Things can only get better after the Charles Michel era. Hardly anyone mourns the Belgian, he will be remembered above all for his private feuds with von der Leyen.

EU summits to last just one day

In recent weeks, Costa has visited all capital cities, with the exception of Sofia and Bucharest due to election dates and the formation of new governments. Among other things, the feedback is that the heads of state and government want more strategic discussions at the EU summits.

With a view to a focused exchange, Costa plans to limit EU summits to one day. There are also plans for regular meetings outside Brussels, which should be truly informal again, with small delegations, free discussion, and no conclusions. At a first “retreat” in February, the EU Council President wants to talk about Ukraine, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attending.

Next week, Costa wants to present his working methods and plans directly to the AstV, a body that he reportedly wants to visit regularly and strengthen with a view to its role in the summit preparations. The Portuguese politician also wants to improve cooperation with Parliament, where he intends to meet regularly with the heads of the political groups.

Heads of state and government hope for more leadership

Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Costa in Berlin in October. The two Social Democrats get on well together, according to reports in Berlin. Costa already knows many of the heads of the European Council: As Prime Minister of Portugal, he sat on the most important EU body for eight years until he resigned from office in November 2023 due to corruption investigations in his circle. There has been much criticism of the investigations.

The 63-year-old is respected by his colleagues and is regarded as pragmatic and humorous. Costa stands for “no-nonsense” and has no urge for self-promotion, says one diplomat. That sets him apart from his predecessor.

Scholz and others are hoping for more leadership from Costa: his task is to “bring the positions together in a targeted manner with a clear vision instead of just leading a list of speeches”, says a diplomat. Costa is likely to be rather cautious in his communication at first; he first wants to gain the trust of the others.

Costa must try to close the ranks

His task will be anything but easy. On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will be sworn in as POTUS and Costa must try to close the ranks of the member states in both the looming trade conflict and in Ukraine policy. “It will be very, very, very difficult,” he recently told the Financial Times. But his interlocutors are aware of the scale of the problems. And: “Europe usually works best in moments of crisis.”

Costa will have to moderate the shifts in the balance of power in the Council. The traditional leadership duo of Germany and France has been weakened by the domestic political turmoil. Nationalist politicians such as Viktor Orbán and Giorgia Meloni are demanding a greater say. He has always perceived Meloni as constructive, says Costa. Even with Hungary, solutions have been found at critical moments.

What is piquant is that Costa is the first socialist to take over the top job, while the influence of his party family in the capitals is lower than ever before. Only four heads of state and government in the Council are currently Socialists. In contrast, the Christian Democratic party family has been able to increase its influence. At EU summits, 14 out of 27 heads of state and government come from the Christian Democrat EPP party family. The EPP now also forms the government in Poland, Luxembourg, Sweden and Portugal.

And the Social Democrats could soon lose further influence in the Council. It is very likely that Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be replaced by Friedrich Merz (CDU) after the elections in Germany at the end of February. Pedro Sánchez leads a minority government in Spain. Should his government collapse, the Christian Democratic PP, which won more votes than the Socialists in the last election, could take over.

Should Germany and Spain lose to the Socialists, only two member states, Denmark and Malta, would still be governed by Socialists. At the same time, it is clear that the EPP will lose Romania after the end of President Klaus Iohannis’ term of office. In the run-off election, either the right-wing populist Călin Georgescu or the center-right politician Elena Lasconi (USR, Renew) will be elected. (Please also read the following Analysis).

Only four of the 27 heads of state and government in the European Council are currently social democrats:

Olaf Scholz (Germany)
Mette Frederiksen (Denmark)
Pedro Sánchez (Spain)
Robert Abela (Malta)

14 member states have EPP heads of state and government:

Nikos Christodoulides (Cyprus)
Luc Frieden (Luxembourg)
Simon Harris (Ireland)
Klaus Iohannis (Romania)
Ulf Kristersson (Sweden)
Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greece)
Luís Montenegro (Portugal)
Karl Nehammer (Austria)
Petteri Orpo (Finland)
Andrej Plenković (Croatia)
Evika Siliņa (Latvia)
Ingrida Šimonytė (Lithuania)
Donald Tusk (Poland)
Dimitar Glawchev (Bulgaria), Interim Prime Minister

Three member states have liberal heads of state and government:

Kristen Michal (Estonia)
Emmanuel Macron (France)
Alexander De Croo (Belgium)

Two member states have heads of state and government from the conservative EKR party family:

Giorgia Meloni (Italy)
Petr Fiala (Czech Republic)

One member state has a prime minister from the far-right party family:

Viktor Orbán (Hungary)

Three member states have heads of state and government who cannot be assigned to a European party family:

Robert Golob (Slovenia), green-liberal
Robert Fico (Slovakia), formerly Social Democrat
Dick Schoof (Netherlands), expert government

Presidential election in Romania: Suspicion of Russian influence

By

Frank Stier

Romania is in turmoil after the first round of the presidential elections. On Thursday, the country’s Constitutional Court ordered the recount of all ballots cast in the first round of voting on Sunday. The pro-Russian right-wing radical Călin Georgescu received the most votes with 22.94 percent. The conservative-liberal politician Elena Lasconi came in second with 19.17%.

The court also rejected one of two applications to annul this ballot. The application had been submitted later than the permitted deadline. The next court hearing was scheduled for Friday. Two candidates who were defeated in the first round had applied for the election to be annulled on the grounds that Georgescu had not disclosed the sources of funding for his election campaign and had also received money from abroad. Both facts would violate Romanian law.

The staid-looking civil servant is a successful influencer

The fact that Georgescu, who has no party affiliation, won the first round of the elections is causing irritation in many parts of Romania. The 62-year-old agricultural engineer and sustainability expert is no stranger to Bucharest’s political scene and has occasionally been in the running for the office of Prime Minister in recent years. However, neither politicians, the media nor opinion pollsters had him on their radar for the election. His competitors for the office of head of state, including the social democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, had to take note of the fact that the bland-looking civil servant Georgescu is an influencer with a large social media base.

Georgescu makes no secret of his admiration for Romania’s historical fascist leaders. In terms of domestic policy, he agitates against the alleged corruption and mismanagement of the political elite, which has led to growing inflation and precarious living conditions for citizens. In terms of foreign policy, he propagates a sovereigntist strategy with autonomy vis-à-vis the EU and NATO. Georgescu has taken a critical stance on military support for Ukraine, earning him accusations of cronyism with Russia.

The suspicion: Russia could have supported Georgescu

It is suspected that Putin’s long arm may have helped Georgescu to win the election financially and logistically. Georgescu had told the central election authority that he had run his campaign with “zero” financial resources. He had mainly campaigned on the TikTok platform. Numerous experts pointed out that such an online campaign is not possible without considerable financial resources. Several Romanian influencers stated that they had been paid to advertise for Georgescu.

TikTok itself has also been criticized in connection with the election campaign. There is a debate in Romania about the extent to which the platform enabled the radical right-wing populist to circumvent his official ban on political advertising. “Călin Georgescu campaigned on several platforms, so it is inaccurate and misleading to attribute the activity only to TikTok,” a Romanian TikTok representative responded.

Parliamentary elections are due before the run-off

Before the run-off election on Dec. 8 will show whether Georgescu can prevail against second-placed Lasconi from the Union Save Romania (USR), the country is facing another landmark election. The parliamentary elections on Sunday will show whether the ruling Social Democratic (PSD) and National Liberal (PNL) parties can hold their own against right-wing populist political forces such as the Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR).

The results of the latest opinion polls point to the Social Democrats as the likely winners of the election and predict a close race between the PNL and AUR for second place. However, the polls date back to the weeks before the first round of the presidential election. At the moment, it is impossible to estimate what influence Georgescu’s triumph will have on the vote for the Chamber of Deputies. Romania’s pro-European and pro-Atlantic political spectrum fears that a further shift to the right in the parliamentary elections could lead the country into troubled waters. With sas

Georgia does not want to negotiate EU accession until 2028

The rift between the EU and accession candidate Georgia is deepening. Georgia will not negotiate accession until the end of 2028, said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the national-conservative ruling party Georgian Dream. “In addition, we will not accept any budget support from the European Union until the end of 2028,” he said according to media reports in Tbilisi.

Kobakhidze called Brussels’ demands for EU accession talks blackmail, to which Georgia did not want to expose itself. He said that integration was a two-way street, not a soft gift from Brussels. He also criticized a resolution of the European Parliament on Georgia. It called for the result of the parliamentary elections at the end of October, with the officially declared victory of the Georgian Dream party, not to be recognized.

Pro-European protest

The government’s rejection of EU accession negotiations immediately brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi. In the evening, they blocked the main street Rustaveli Prospekt near the parliament. The pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili accused the government of a “constitutional coup”. “Today is the end of a path that began in Europe and led to Russia,” she said. Georgia will lose its independence to Russia, she warned.

In December 2023, the former Soviet republic of Georgia was granted EU accession candidate status together with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. However, the relationship has deteriorated rapidly because the ruling party is increasingly critical of Europe and wants to limit alleged foreign influence in the country. The desired control over civil society is similar to the methods used in Russia. Brussels has therefore also put the rapprochement on ice. The opposition wants to stick to the European course. It accuses the government of only achieving its election victory through manipulation. dpa

Hungary: Extradition agreement with China takes shape

Hungary’s Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson has submitted a proposal for an extradition agreement with the People’s Republic of China. The draft follows a corresponding declaration of intent that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed in Beijing in July 2024. This was reported by local media citing an official publication. Further details are not yet known.

The potential consequences of such an agreement are not yet foreseeable. On October 6, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that extraditions to the People’s Republic of China must not take place. In its ruling, the ECtHR cited several passages from the UN Committee against Torture, which stated that torture and other ill-treatment were common practices in the Chinese penal system.

Illegal police stations in Europe

According to recent surveys, over 18,000 Chinese live in Hungary. The Chinese state also tries to keep its foreign diaspora under close political control. Among other things, it has set up illegal police stations throughout Europe, which are disguised as service offices and also carry out Chinese state security tasks.

A report by the German news channel ntv suggests that these police stations are still operating. Renata Alt, Chairwoman of the Human Rights Committee in the German Bundestag, criticizes this as a “serious failure on the part of the German security authorities. Among other things, these stations are being used to spy on and pressure Chinese students and exiled opposition activists – a clear human rights violation,” says Alt.

An extradition agreement with an EU member state would offer the Chinese security apparatus new opportunities to extradite opposition Chinese citizens in the EU to China. grz

Competitiveness Council: Dispute over nuclear energy blocks joint declaration

Yesterday, Thursday, the Hungarian Council Presidency wanted to adopt a joint declaration on European competitiveness in the Competitiveness Council. However, a difference of opinion, mainly between Germany and France, over the financing of nuclear technologies proved to be too great an obstacle.

This involved a formulation that calls for better coordinated and prioritized financing of energy technologies. The Council Presidency had proposed designating the technologies as “clean”, which generally also includes nuclear energy.

Austria also resisted the declaration

Hungarian Economics Minister Márton Nagy wanted to increase the pressure by making the discussion on the joint declaration public, which was unusual. However, BMWK State Secretary Bernhard Kluttig stuck to his position that Germany “unfortunately cannot yet agree to the current version”. “For Germany, it is of the utmost importance that EU funds are only made available for technologies that are supported by all member states,” said Kluttig during his first appearance in the Council.

A German compromise proposal envisaged deleting the term “clean” and adding additional wording. This would have ensured that the declaration could not have been interpreted as a preliminary decision for the allocation of EU funds. However, the compromise proposal was not accepted by France. “Above all – and I insist on this – we must support all technologies that promote decarbonization, whether they are nuclear or renewable,” said French Deputy Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci.

Alongside Germany, only Austria opposed the text of the declaration. Instead of being published as a Council declaration, it will now only be published as a Council Presidency declaration. jaa

Broad coalition in the Council to support the battery industry

Sweden, France and Germany sounded the alarm about the situation in the European battery industry at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council on Thursday. “We cannot afford to be naive again and in yet another sector,” said the Swedish Minister for Economic Affairs, Ebba Busch.

Even if the current cause for alarm is the bankruptcy of Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, Busch emphasized that the impending decline of the battery industry is a European problem. “And a European problem needs a European solution,” she said. Without additional support, the European industry would not be able to survive against heavily subsidized competitors from third countries.

Ministers call for swift action

It was only on Tuesday that Sweden, together with France and Germany, put the issue on the Council agenda, which gave the other member states hardly any time to deal with the issue. Nevertheless, Spain, Finland and Belgium also spoke out in favor of the initiative at yesterday’s meeting. Italy and Poland were also cautiously positive. This means that a North-South coalition is emerging on this issue, which is unusual for EU economic policy.

The member states are calling on the new EU Commission to come up with solutions for the European battery industry as quickly as possible. Some concrete proposals have already been heard. BMWK State Secretary Bernhard Kluttig suggested operating cost subsidies for battery manufacturers, while French Deputy Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci called for the EU Innovation Fund to be used to support battery manufacturers. Busch insisted above all on speed. “Speed, speed, speed,” she shouted to her colleagues in the Council. jaa

Decarbonization of the automotive industry: seven countries call for a rethink

New laws for the automotive industry must be geared towards helping the ailing industrial sector back on its feet. This is what Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are demanding from the next EU Commission. In an open letter submitted to Table.Briefings, they write that the CO₂ fleet targets need to be revised in order to ensure the competitiveness of the industry.

The EU must commit to the principle of technological neutrality, they continue. In addition to electric vehicles, “sustainably powered combustion engines” should also be taken into account in the CO2 fleet targets by adapting the calculation method for car emissions.

On the one hand, the seven countries are calling for a fundamental revision of an EU law that was passed long ago, but on the other hand, they are calling for better planning for the industry. The letter states that uncertainty is hindering long-term investment in new technologies. luk

Critical infrastructure protection: Commission initiates proceedings against Germany

In the current geopolitical environment, the protection of critical infrastructures should actually be at the top of governments’ agendas. However, most EU member states, including Germany, are not making any progress in implementing European directives in this area. They should have fully transposed the NIS 2 Directive (Directive 2022/2555) on network security and the CER Directive (Directive 2022/2557) on the analogous resilience of critical facilities into national law by Oct. 17. In 26 member states, however, this has not happened for one or even both directives.

The EU Commission has now sent letters of formal notice to these states and thus initiated infringement proceedings. Germany is affected in both cases. Both the NIS 2 Implementation Act and the KRITIS Umbrella Act, which is intended to implement the CER Directive, were not agreed upon by the coalition government before it broke.

Probably no progress before the new elections

Germany and the other member states now have two months to respond and fully implement the directives. If this does not happen, the Commission may decide to send reasoned opinions. If the member state still does not respond or does not rectify the infringements, the Commission can refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The probability that the two directives will be implemented before the new elections in Germany is currently not very high. The SPD and the Greens are dependent on the support of either the FDP or the CDU/CSU. The CDU/CSU has already indicated that the chances of success are slim. There are still two weeks of parliamentary sessions to go this year. vis/wp

After election in Parliament: Council appoints Commission for five years

On Thursday, the Council appointed the new Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. The term of office was set from Dec. 1, 2024 to Oct. 31, 2029. The decision was taken by circular resolution after Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed the Council of the election in Parliament by letter on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Commission received 35 more votes than it needed to be confirmed by Parliament. In yesterday’s edition, we mistakenly wrote that it had 88 more votes than it needed. 370 MPs voted yes, 282 voted no and 36 abstained. 688 out of 719 MPs voted. Therefore, 344 plus one vote were needed for the election. mgr

Outdoor smoking bans: Resolution in the European Parliament fails

A resolution in the European Parliament calling for a ban on smoking and vaping in outdoor areas did not receive a majority. Young people in particular should be protected from the dangers of passive smoking and vaping. The focus was not only on cigarettes but also on new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters. The EPP, ECR and the far-right groups did not follow the resolution, which was supported by the Liberals, S&D and Greens. The Commission had proposed a Council recommendation with similar content. The Council will vote on the Council recommendation on Tuesday. mgr

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Till
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Sarah
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Lukas
Knigge

Corinna
Visser

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António Costa&#8217;s plans + Romanian elections: Suspicion of Russian influence

Feature

António Costa: More cooperation and ‘no-nonsense’

EU summits to last just one day

Heads of state and government hope for more leadership

Costa must try to close the ranks

Social Democrats have less influence than ever before

Presidential election in Romania: Suspicion of Russian influence

The staid-looking civil servant is a successful influencer

The suspicion: Russia could have supported Georgescu

Parliamentary elections are due before the run-off

EU-Monitoring

News

Georgia does not want to negotiate EU accession until 2028

Pro-European protest

Hungary: Extradition agreement with China takes shape

Illegal police stations in Europe

Competitiveness Council: Dispute over nuclear energy blocks joint declaration

Austria also resisted the declaration

Broad coalition in the Council to support the battery industry

Ministers call for swift action

Decarbonization of the automotive industry: seven countries call for a rethink

Critical infrastructure protection: Commission initiates proceedings against Germany

Probably no progress before the new elections

After election in Parliament: Council appoints Commission for five years

Outdoor smoking bans: Resolution in the European Parliament fails

Executive Moves

Europe.Table Editorial Team

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Feature

António Costa: More cooperation and ‘no-nonsense’

EU summits to last just one day

Heads of state and government hope for more leadership

Costa must try to close the ranks

Social Democrats have less influence than ever before

Presidential election in Romania: Suspicion of Russian influence

The staid-looking civil servant is a successful influencer

The suspicion: Russia could have supported Georgescu

Parliamentary elections are due before the run-off

EU-Monitoring

News

Georgia does not want to negotiate EU accession until 2028

Pro-European protest

Hungary: Extradition agreement with China takes shape

Illegal police stations in Europe

Competitiveness Council: Dispute over nuclear energy blocks joint declaration

Austria also resisted the declaration

Broad coalition in the Council to support the battery industry

Ministers call for swift action

Decarbonization of the automotive industry: seven countries call for a rethink

Critical infrastructure protection: Commission initiates proceedings against Germany

Probably no progress before the new elections

After election in Parliament: Council appoints Commission for five years

Outdoor smoking bans: Resolution in the European Parliament fails

Executive Moves

Europe.Table Editorial Team

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

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