Although the meeting of energy ministers starting today is informal, the topic is quite serious. A perfectly timed report by the regulatory agency ACER made this clear on Friday. Without massive additional efforts, the EU will miss its central goal for the internal electricity market and the construction of ever-new and, above all, ever-cheaper wind and solar parks could be a waste of time.
After all, green electricity must be able to flow freely across national borders – from sunny and windy regions to energy-hungry conurbations and industrial centers. This is why the EU states are to keep 70 percent of their transmission capacities free for European electricity trading by the end of next year – and thus put an end to all the costly side effects of delayed grid expansion.
However, this goal is likely to be missed, as can be seen from the latest ACER report. Because the construction of unpopular power lines cannot be accelerated at will, the regulators are also pushing for another, more “structural solution”: the division of the mostly still national electricity price zones.
For German industry, this would mean higher electricity prices, especially in the west and south of the country. A free Table.live briefing on Thursday, including an official from the Directorate-General for Energy, will provide information on the implications and the exact decision-making process. You can register for this free of charge here.
TikTok claims to have 20 million users in Germany alone – per month. Whether you believe the figure or not, the app operated by Chinese-controlled provider Bytedance is extremely popular, especially with children and young people – as well as conspiracy theorists and the far right. This is causing party headquarters to think about the correct approach, especially in view of the reach that the AfD’s leading candidate for the European elections and China fan Maximilian Krah seems to be achieving on TikTok.
Krah uses TikTok as a billboard for his pamphlets: “Millions of Africans come to Europe, are cared for at our expense and will not succeed in the foreseeable future,” he claims in a video. He then says: “Normally I would have to criticize this harshly, but now there’s the Digital Services Act and I’m no longer allowed to do that.” In this short excerpt alone, almost everything that can be factually wrong is wrong. In 2022, there were 245,270 asylum applications from the entire African continent – in the entire EU. And the Digital Services Act does not prohibit criticism of legislation or political conditions.
But Krah reaches many young people with his mixture of untruths, half-truths and misogynistic dating tips about TikTok. His follower count is not exactly overwhelming. However, unlike on other platforms, followers are by no means the right currency on TikTok. This is because the platform feeds its users with videos that it thinks are suitable. Which criteria are used exactly is a trade secret of the operators.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has been around since the start of her campaign for the European Parliament elections. For the first time, 16-year-olds in Germany are allowed to vote. “Not made in China” is one of Strack-Zimmermann’s advertising messages on TikTok. “We don’t want to leave this medium to the right-wing or the chaotic, do we?” Of course, “MASZ” doesn’t ask this just anywhere but in a TikTok video. And she is not the only one making her presence felt on the platform.
“TikTok is becoming more and more popular, especially among young people, and is increasingly being used to learn about current world events,” says the Green Party headquarters. A spokeswoman announces: “In order to meet this development, we as a party will have an account on TikTok in the coming weeks.”
Having a party account is still examined at FDP headquarters, as it is at other party headquarters. The Konrad Adenauer House, for example, does not want to reveal its channel strategy, but the CDU is considering: “We are keeping a close eye on trends and developments in social media and incorporating them into our strategic considerations. This includes TikTok.”
TikTok poses a dilemma for Western politicians, says political consultant Johannes Hillje. “On the one hand, a geostrategic tool of China should not be fed, but on the other hand, the many TikTok users can’t be left to the radical forces.” When weighing the options, it is good that the other parties follow suit, otherwise, the TikTok generation could become the AfD generation, says Hillje.
The environment on the platform and the expectations of users present a challenge: It is about a “balancing act between addressing the target group and platform appropriately and maintaining a minimum level of political seriousness.” Politicians do not have to dance – which is popular on TikTok – or imitate the language of young people, says Hillje.
However, they should “pick up on the topics, interests, aesthetics and communication habits of young people.” In the end, it’s about relevance. Namely that of the young people who use TikTok and often enough do not feel noticed. “At best, TikTok is a door opener for young people to politics,” Hillje believes.
However, whether TikTok will play a relevant or even decisive role in the European election campaign remains to be seen. The platform falls under the rules of the Digital Services Act as a particularly large provider. This is accompanied by special protection against “systemic risks,” which also include election interference and manipulation.
According to the EU Commission, the company is cooperating. And yet the EU Commission’s requirements on the operators are no small matter. TikTok is operated with a high degree of automation, including content moderation, however, in its guidelines for the European elections, the Commission has formulated a number of requirements for platform operators that must be implemented in terms of technology and personnel. On the one hand, this concerns the detection of false reports and content moderation. TikTok must employ qualified moderators for each EU language, for example. In the last transparency report in September 2023, Bytedance did not have a single linguist content moderator for Maltese and Gaelic, and only a single-digit number for languages such as Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian.
In February, the Commission had already initiated formal investigation proceedings against TikTok operator Bytedance for this reason. However, it also suspected that the company was not fully complying with its obligations in terms of algorithmic transparency and the provision of a non-user data-based display. For example, only content from accounts that users actively want to follow is displayed. However, this is precisely where TikTok’s conceivable relevance in the European election campaign lies: flushing content into target groups that would otherwise not be reached at all.
All texts on the 2024 European elections can be found here.
There is a dispute in the EU over the future course of the Union’s labor market and social policy. The La Hulpe Declaration is due to be signed by the Council, Parliament, Commission and social partners on Tuesday. The declaration is considered groundbreaking as it sets out the broad outlines of the social agenda for the period 2024-2029.
However, Sweden’s government in particular was still blocking the declaration on the side of the member states until the weekend. Stockholm is reportedly opposed to several points in the content of the declaration. However, people familiar with the negotiations believe this is due to a fundamental rejection of the issue. Talks continue in the background to get the Swedes on board after all.
Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has governed Sweden since 2022 with the Christian Democrats and Liberals – supported by the right-wing nationalist Sweden Democrats.
The paper is to be signed on Tuesday in the eponymous Belgian suburb of La Hulpe – without Sweden if necessary, according to informed sources. If not all countries support the La Hulpe Declaration, the Belgian EU Council Presidency will sign the paper instead. The European employment and social affairs ministers are also expected to attend the high-level conference on Monday.
Gaby Bischoff, Socialist MEP, is pushing for the broadest possible approval: “The stronger the message from the institutions, the more confidence-building it will be for citizens.” Working conditions and job security are issues that affect people in their everyday lives. “It is an important signal to the citizens in view of the European elections that Europe remains social,” the trade unionist told Table.Briefings.
Green MEP Katrin Langensiepen took a similar line: “The EU can no longer afford to ignore the reality of so many people’s lives and treat social policy as a side issue. The situation is serious,” she said. “If we don’t want to lose the EU to populism, we must finally step towards a European social union.” EU citizens need to see in concrete terms that the EU has their back, said Langensiepen.
The labor market and social policy are difficult terrain at the European level. The competencies here lie predominantly with the member states. In the past five years, however, there have been quite a few initiatives by the Commission by European standards. For example, the minimum wage directive or the directive on platform work. In view of numerous crises and the rise of right-wing populism, many politicians have come to realize that the EU must also deliver in this area.
During the negotiations on the La Hulpe Declaration, however, there was once again a clear headwind for a more closely coordinated social Europe. Not only countries such as Sweden, but also business and employers’ associations want to implement existing initiatives first instead of new ones. In view of a weakening economy in many EU countries, they fear that new regulations could hinder the economy in international competition. They had therefore pushed for a lean agenda in advance.
In fact, the Belgian Council Presidency’s plan was significantly weakened in some areas during the negotiations. An explicit demand for a directive on minimum requirements for labor and social inspections was deleted. At the same time, some business-friendly demands are no longer included in the La Hulpe Declaration, such as the demand for longer working hours in the EU.
Before it is clear how the new Commission and the new Parliament will be composed after the European elections they cannot and do not want to be too specific. The document is more of a rough outline of social and labor market policy guidelines. Nevertheless, there are some more concrete points in the La Hulpe Declaration, available to Table.Briefings:
Criticism comes from CDU labor market politician Dennis Radtke. “The paper is a collection à la ‘everything is possible, but nothing certain’.” This is in the nature of things, but Radtke told Table.Briefings that he would have liked to see a concrete action plan for the further implementation of the Social Pillar. The Commission’s evaluation of the ELA is also already in full swing. “As a parliament, we have already taken a clear position; we want a stronger mandate for the ELA.” They would be far from a ‘let’s see’ position.
The fact that public procurement law and working standards in the digital world are at least mentioned is in line with the wishes of the trade unions. The coordinators of the EMPL committee had also called for this.
SPD MP Bischoff says: “It is important that the reform of public procurement law is included in the declaration.” She also considers the revision of ELA to be key. “However, I would have liked more specific instruments in some cases,” she also emphasizes.
There is tension between Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Head of State Emmanuel Macron. The reason is the state of the French state budget, known in Parisian jargon as “fipu” for “finances publiques.” The national deficit increased surprisingly significantly last year and amounted to 5.5 percent of GDP. The government had only forecast an increase to 4.9 percent. In 2022, new debt was still at 4.8 percent. Public debt amounted to 110.6 percent of GDP.
“Less than two months before the European elections, this announcement comes at a very bad time for the government,” according to parliamentary circles in Paris. Macron now fears that the French could panic over the country’s financial situation if the issue of the budget deficit continues to dominate the political debate in France. “The Elysée believes that any debate on this issue creates a climate that it describes as anxiety-ridden.” Talking about tax increases and cuts to social benefits is dangerous for Macron’s EU election campaign, especially at a time when his candidate Valérie Hayer’s campaign is struggling to get off the ground, the source said.
The MEP also reminds us that it will be difficult for the government to avoid discussing the state of public finances due to three upcoming deadlines. On April 26, the rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s will publish their assessment of France. On April 29, there will be a debate on public finances in the National Assembly and on May 31, it will be Standard & Poor’s turn to assess France’s performance.
Macron and Le Maire differ in their approach to the debate on public finances. Macron has his sights set on the European elections, while Le Maire is looking ahead to the 2027 presidential elections. For the French MP, the economy minister is in a position to ask the French to “call a spade a spade” and warn them that the hardest part still lies ahead. In this way, he demonstrates to future voters that he is taking action and responsibility. “He is working on his presidential candidacy,” explains our source. And Le Maire has time.
With less than two months to go before the European elections, Macron simply does not have that time. Valérie Hayer’s sluggish election campaign and the public deficit debate are threatening the credibility of Macron, who has made control of the economy and finances his trademark, says the MEP.
And the opposition has now found pleasure in playing their score: Macron was once described as the “Mozart of the financial world,” now he plays “the non-magic flute” or he is referred to as the “conductor of the Titanic.”
But even if Macron is in danger of losing the trust of the French, he is by no means losing confidence in himself. Speaking alongside Bruno Le Maire at an explosives factory on Thursday, the head of state denied that he had any “disagreements” with his minister and emphasized that his economic strategy was not bad, but was producing results. “We are the most attractive in Europe, we have one of the best growth rates in the eurozone, we are creating jobs.” Hence: all good, according to Macron. Now the head of state simply needs to pass the reality check on June 9.
Although the meeting of energy ministers starting today is informal, the topic is quite serious. A perfectly timed report by the regulatory agency ACER made this clear on Friday. Without massive additional efforts, the EU will miss its central goal for the internal electricity market and the construction of ever-new and, above all, ever-cheaper wind and solar parks could be a waste of time.
After all, green electricity must be able to flow freely across national borders – from sunny and windy regions to energy-hungry conurbations and industrial centers. This is why the EU states are to keep 70 percent of their transmission capacities free for European electricity trading by the end of next year – and thus put an end to all the costly side effects of delayed grid expansion.
However, this goal is likely to be missed, as can be seen from the latest ACER report. Because the construction of unpopular power lines cannot be accelerated at will, the regulators are also pushing for another, more “structural solution”: the division of the mostly still national electricity price zones.
For German industry, this would mean higher electricity prices, especially in the west and south of the country. A free Table.live briefing on Thursday, including an official from the Directorate-General for Energy, will provide information on the implications and the exact decision-making process. You can register for this free of charge here.
TikTok claims to have 20 million users in Germany alone – per month. Whether you believe the figure or not, the app operated by Chinese-controlled provider Bytedance is extremely popular, especially with children and young people – as well as conspiracy theorists and the far right. This is causing party headquarters to think about the correct approach, especially in view of the reach that the AfD’s leading candidate for the European elections and China fan Maximilian Krah seems to be achieving on TikTok.
Krah uses TikTok as a billboard for his pamphlets: “Millions of Africans come to Europe, are cared for at our expense and will not succeed in the foreseeable future,” he claims in a video. He then says: “Normally I would have to criticize this harshly, but now there’s the Digital Services Act and I’m no longer allowed to do that.” In this short excerpt alone, almost everything that can be factually wrong is wrong. In 2022, there were 245,270 asylum applications from the entire African continent – in the entire EU. And the Digital Services Act does not prohibit criticism of legislation or political conditions.
But Krah reaches many young people with his mixture of untruths, half-truths and misogynistic dating tips about TikTok. His follower count is not exactly overwhelming. However, unlike on other platforms, followers are by no means the right currency on TikTok. This is because the platform feeds its users with videos that it thinks are suitable. Which criteria are used exactly is a trade secret of the operators.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has been around since the start of her campaign for the European Parliament elections. For the first time, 16-year-olds in Germany are allowed to vote. “Not made in China” is one of Strack-Zimmermann’s advertising messages on TikTok. “We don’t want to leave this medium to the right-wing or the chaotic, do we?” Of course, “MASZ” doesn’t ask this just anywhere but in a TikTok video. And she is not the only one making her presence felt on the platform.
“TikTok is becoming more and more popular, especially among young people, and is increasingly being used to learn about current world events,” says the Green Party headquarters. A spokeswoman announces: “In order to meet this development, we as a party will have an account on TikTok in the coming weeks.”
Having a party account is still examined at FDP headquarters, as it is at other party headquarters. The Konrad Adenauer House, for example, does not want to reveal its channel strategy, but the CDU is considering: “We are keeping a close eye on trends and developments in social media and incorporating them into our strategic considerations. This includes TikTok.”
TikTok poses a dilemma for Western politicians, says political consultant Johannes Hillje. “On the one hand, a geostrategic tool of China should not be fed, but on the other hand, the many TikTok users can’t be left to the radical forces.” When weighing the options, it is good that the other parties follow suit, otherwise, the TikTok generation could become the AfD generation, says Hillje.
The environment on the platform and the expectations of users present a challenge: It is about a “balancing act between addressing the target group and platform appropriately and maintaining a minimum level of political seriousness.” Politicians do not have to dance – which is popular on TikTok – or imitate the language of young people, says Hillje.
However, they should “pick up on the topics, interests, aesthetics and communication habits of young people.” In the end, it’s about relevance. Namely that of the young people who use TikTok and often enough do not feel noticed. “At best, TikTok is a door opener for young people to politics,” Hillje believes.
However, whether TikTok will play a relevant or even decisive role in the European election campaign remains to be seen. The platform falls under the rules of the Digital Services Act as a particularly large provider. This is accompanied by special protection against “systemic risks,” which also include election interference and manipulation.
According to the EU Commission, the company is cooperating. And yet the EU Commission’s requirements on the operators are no small matter. TikTok is operated with a high degree of automation, including content moderation, however, in its guidelines for the European elections, the Commission has formulated a number of requirements for platform operators that must be implemented in terms of technology and personnel. On the one hand, this concerns the detection of false reports and content moderation. TikTok must employ qualified moderators for each EU language, for example. In the last transparency report in September 2023, Bytedance did not have a single linguist content moderator for Maltese and Gaelic, and only a single-digit number for languages such as Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian.
In February, the Commission had already initiated formal investigation proceedings against TikTok operator Bytedance for this reason. However, it also suspected that the company was not fully complying with its obligations in terms of algorithmic transparency and the provision of a non-user data-based display. For example, only content from accounts that users actively want to follow is displayed. However, this is precisely where TikTok’s conceivable relevance in the European election campaign lies: flushing content into target groups that would otherwise not be reached at all.
All texts on the 2024 European elections can be found here.
There is a dispute in the EU over the future course of the Union’s labor market and social policy. The La Hulpe Declaration is due to be signed by the Council, Parliament, Commission and social partners on Tuesday. The declaration is considered groundbreaking as it sets out the broad outlines of the social agenda for the period 2024-2029.
However, Sweden’s government in particular was still blocking the declaration on the side of the member states until the weekend. Stockholm is reportedly opposed to several points in the content of the declaration. However, people familiar with the negotiations believe this is due to a fundamental rejection of the issue. Talks continue in the background to get the Swedes on board after all.
Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has governed Sweden since 2022 with the Christian Democrats and Liberals – supported by the right-wing nationalist Sweden Democrats.
The paper is to be signed on Tuesday in the eponymous Belgian suburb of La Hulpe – without Sweden if necessary, according to informed sources. If not all countries support the La Hulpe Declaration, the Belgian EU Council Presidency will sign the paper instead. The European employment and social affairs ministers are also expected to attend the high-level conference on Monday.
Gaby Bischoff, Socialist MEP, is pushing for the broadest possible approval: “The stronger the message from the institutions, the more confidence-building it will be for citizens.” Working conditions and job security are issues that affect people in their everyday lives. “It is an important signal to the citizens in view of the European elections that Europe remains social,” the trade unionist told Table.Briefings.
Green MEP Katrin Langensiepen took a similar line: “The EU can no longer afford to ignore the reality of so many people’s lives and treat social policy as a side issue. The situation is serious,” she said. “If we don’t want to lose the EU to populism, we must finally step towards a European social union.” EU citizens need to see in concrete terms that the EU has their back, said Langensiepen.
The labor market and social policy are difficult terrain at the European level. The competencies here lie predominantly with the member states. In the past five years, however, there have been quite a few initiatives by the Commission by European standards. For example, the minimum wage directive or the directive on platform work. In view of numerous crises and the rise of right-wing populism, many politicians have come to realize that the EU must also deliver in this area.
During the negotiations on the La Hulpe Declaration, however, there was once again a clear headwind for a more closely coordinated social Europe. Not only countries such as Sweden, but also business and employers’ associations want to implement existing initiatives first instead of new ones. In view of a weakening economy in many EU countries, they fear that new regulations could hinder the economy in international competition. They had therefore pushed for a lean agenda in advance.
In fact, the Belgian Council Presidency’s plan was significantly weakened in some areas during the negotiations. An explicit demand for a directive on minimum requirements for labor and social inspections was deleted. At the same time, some business-friendly demands are no longer included in the La Hulpe Declaration, such as the demand for longer working hours in the EU.
Before it is clear how the new Commission and the new Parliament will be composed after the European elections they cannot and do not want to be too specific. The document is more of a rough outline of social and labor market policy guidelines. Nevertheless, there are some more concrete points in the La Hulpe Declaration, available to Table.Briefings:
Criticism comes from CDU labor market politician Dennis Radtke. “The paper is a collection à la ‘everything is possible, but nothing certain’.” This is in the nature of things, but Radtke told Table.Briefings that he would have liked to see a concrete action plan for the further implementation of the Social Pillar. The Commission’s evaluation of the ELA is also already in full swing. “As a parliament, we have already taken a clear position; we want a stronger mandate for the ELA.” They would be far from a ‘let’s see’ position.
The fact that public procurement law and working standards in the digital world are at least mentioned is in line with the wishes of the trade unions. The coordinators of the EMPL committee had also called for this.
SPD MP Bischoff says: “It is important that the reform of public procurement law is included in the declaration.” She also considers the revision of ELA to be key. “However, I would have liked more specific instruments in some cases,” she also emphasizes.
There is tension between Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Head of State Emmanuel Macron. The reason is the state of the French state budget, known in Parisian jargon as “fipu” for “finances publiques.” The national deficit increased surprisingly significantly last year and amounted to 5.5 percent of GDP. The government had only forecast an increase to 4.9 percent. In 2022, new debt was still at 4.8 percent. Public debt amounted to 110.6 percent of GDP.
“Less than two months before the European elections, this announcement comes at a very bad time for the government,” according to parliamentary circles in Paris. Macron now fears that the French could panic over the country’s financial situation if the issue of the budget deficit continues to dominate the political debate in France. “The Elysée believes that any debate on this issue creates a climate that it describes as anxiety-ridden.” Talking about tax increases and cuts to social benefits is dangerous for Macron’s EU election campaign, especially at a time when his candidate Valérie Hayer’s campaign is struggling to get off the ground, the source said.
The MEP also reminds us that it will be difficult for the government to avoid discussing the state of public finances due to three upcoming deadlines. On April 26, the rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s will publish their assessment of France. On April 29, there will be a debate on public finances in the National Assembly and on May 31, it will be Standard & Poor’s turn to assess France’s performance.
Macron and Le Maire differ in their approach to the debate on public finances. Macron has his sights set on the European elections, while Le Maire is looking ahead to the 2027 presidential elections. For the French MP, the economy minister is in a position to ask the French to “call a spade a spade” and warn them that the hardest part still lies ahead. In this way, he demonstrates to future voters that he is taking action and responsibility. “He is working on his presidential candidacy,” explains our source. And Le Maire has time.
With less than two months to go before the European elections, Macron simply does not have that time. Valérie Hayer’s sluggish election campaign and the public deficit debate are threatening the credibility of Macron, who has made control of the economy and finances his trademark, says the MEP.
And the opposition has now found pleasure in playing their score: Macron was once described as the “Mozart of the financial world,” now he plays “the non-magic flute” or he is referred to as the “conductor of the Titanic.”
But even if Macron is in danger of losing the trust of the French, he is by no means losing confidence in himself. Speaking alongside Bruno Le Maire at an explosives factory on Thursday, the head of state denied that he had any “disagreements” with his minister and emphasized that his economic strategy was not bad, but was producing results. “We are the most attractive in Europe, we have one of the best growth rates in the eurozone, we are creating jobs.” Hence: all good, according to Macron. Now the head of state simply needs to pass the reality check on June 9.
