- Foreign ministers argue about visa ban for Russians
- Russian gas supplies: Bulgaria at a crossroads
- Serbia and Kosovo settle dispute over entry rules
- Gas storage targets reached earlier than expected
- ECB officials call for decisive monetary policy
- Consumer centers warn against more expensive online content
- Gazprom Germania possibly facing nationalization
- Katherina Reiche – guardian of the networks
Summer break is over in Europe: In Brussels, EU institutions are resuming work this week, and important events are coming up in other European capitals as well.
Today, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will give a keynote speech on European policy in Prague. He will speak about the significance that the “turning point in time” resulting from the Russian war of aggression holds for Europe for an hour in the Karolinum, the historic main building of Charles University. He will then meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, whose government has held the EU Council presidency since July 1.
Tomorrow and Wednesday, the EU foreign ministers will also travel to Prague for the bi-annual informal Gymnich meeting. An emotionally charged debate is emerging, as Eric Bonse reports in his Feature: Member states are divided over the issue of a visa ban on Russian citizens. A compromise could be the suspension of the visa agreement with Russia.
Also tomorrow, the German government will host Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for a closed meeting at Schloss Meseberg. The main topic is likely to be energy supply: Sánchez and Scholz support the plan to build the MidCat gas pipeline, which will connect Spain and Portugal to Central Europe. France, however, has so far opposed the project.
In Bulgaria, the transitional government established at the beginning of August wants to resume negotiations with Russia on gas supplies. In his Feature, Hans-Peter Siebenhaar explains how the country could move closer to Russia again after the parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in early October at the latest.
Have a great week!
Leonie Düngefeld
Feature
Foreign ministers argue about visa ban for Russians
The summer break of the EU foreign ministers ends as it began: with a tug-of-war over Ukraine policy. The ongoing dispute over arms deliveries and sanctions has now been joined by a conflict over entry restrictions for Russian citizens. The emotionally charged debate is likely to dominate the informal Gymnich meeting in Prague on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Estonia, Latvia and Finland have already gone ahead – they have announced or already implemented entry bans. “Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right,” says Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin calls it “unfair” that Russians can go on vacation in Europe “while Russia kills people in Ukraine”.
In contrast, Germany, Austria, Greece, and Cyprus are putting on the brakes. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warns against holding Russians collectively liable. The war in Ukraine is first and foremost “Putin’s war”, Scholz said. A general visa ban would also affect “completely innocent people” and not just war supporters. Moreover, such a ban would raise legal problems.
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