Europe
Battery raw materials from Canada + Slovakia and Czech Republic + Drought causes crop failures
Dear reader,
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made grand statements in Toronto yesterday; Canada has "almost limitless potential to become a superpower in renewable energies and the sustainable extraction of raw materials," he said during an appearance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Shortly thereafter, Scholz and Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck signed an agreement with Canada on cooperation in the production and transport of hydrogen. The two countries also want to cooperate on raw materials for battery production because Germany's automakers are massively dependent on imports of lithium, nickel, graphite, and cobalt, among other things, as Leonie Düngefeld and Markus Grabitz report.
Once before, the Czech Republic's government fell apart while the country held the presidency of the EU Council. Will this horror story repeat itself? Czech head of government Petr Fiala may soon have to face a vote of no confidence in parliament. In Slovakia, which has close historical ties with the Czech Republic, there is also speculation that new elections will be held this year. Hans-Peter Siebenhaar analyzed the situation.
Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has accelerated necessary changes in Europe. Among other things, Jan Pie, Secretary General of the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe, means that the fragmentation of defense production is being countered by stronger joint procurement in the EU – an overdue development. We present a profile of Jan Pie.
