From 2h ago
Belgium and the Czech Republic bring up Russian interference
Lisa O’Carroll
The Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, and the Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, have written a joint letter raising concerns about Russian interference in electoral processes in Europe.
De Croo is calling on fellow prime ministers to establish new restrictive measures against the Kremlin to “counter Russian malign activities” in the wake of the Czech discovery of alleged payment to MEPs.
In a two page letter to the presidents of the EU commission, council and parliament, he also wants leaders to examine whether the European anti-fraud office, OLOF, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have enough powers.
“If this were not the case, we should not rule out an expansion of these mandates to allow such prosecution in the future,” he said.
Last Friday De Croo revealed that the Belgian federal police had opened an investigation into Russian interference in the European parliament as a result of payments allegedly made elsewhere in Europe.
Russian interference in electoral processes across Europe is happening as we speak.
They intend to disrupt our democracies.
⁰Together with @P_Fiala we will bring this to the table of #EUCO pic.twitter.com/TeSFEetOl8— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) April 17, 2024
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Russian interference in electoral processes across Europe is happening as we speak.
They intend to disrupt our democracies.
⁰Together with @P_Fiala we will bring this to the table of #EUCO pic.twitter.com/TeSFEetOl8— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) April 17, 2024
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Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, said that when it comes to competitiveness, “we talk a lot about energy union, defence union, capital markets union, health union – our message is, let’s not forget that what we really need is the European Union and a Single Market that works for all, in every single member state.”
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On the issue of Ukraine, she stressed the need for more air defence and ammunition. “We need to be faster in procuring equipment for them to defend themselves,” Metsola said.
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Speaking of the Middle East, she said that “after the unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel, the challenge now is how to de-escalate. At the same time, we will continue to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, the return of the hostages in order for us to allow for the much-needed humanitarian aid to go through.”
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The parliament president also said she will appeal to the leaders to work on the campaign encouraging voters to participate in the upcoming European elections.
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Gitanas Nausėda, the Lithuanian president, said when arriving at the meeting that “regrettably, since our last meeting of EUCO, the geopolitical situation has not improved – on the contrary, it has deteriorated.”
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“I’m concerned that we are losing the focus on Ukraine,” he stressed.
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“It’s really a pity to see that we are taking the decisions but we are not implementing them,” the president added.
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Arriving at the summit, the Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, said that there is a “serious allegation” that Russia has played an “active role in trying to influence our democracy.”
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“We have to be very clear on that, that attempts like this are non-acceptable. And that we have to do everything to defend our democracy.”
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Speaking about the Middle East, the Belgian prime minister said “we clearly condemn” Iran’s attacks and that his position is that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard should be put on a sanctions list. “I think it would be a very important signal to give,” he said, adding: “we ask for restraint in reactions.”
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Prime Minister Alexander De Croo speaks to press as he arrives for a special European Council at the EU headquarters in Brussel.","caption":"Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo speaks to press as he arrives for a special European Council at the EU headquarters in Brussel.","credit":"Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images"}}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1713371369000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"17.29 BST","blockLastUpdated":1713372205000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"17.43 BST","blockFirstPublished":1713371646000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"17.34 BST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"17.34","title":"’Serious allegation’: Belgian prime minister raises Russia influence concern","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 17 Apr 2024 18.37 BST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 17 Apr 2024 14.14 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The Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, and the Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, have written a joint letter raising concerns about Russian interference in electoral processes in Europe.
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De Croo is calling on fellow prime ministers to establish new restrictive measures against the Kremlin to “counter Russian malign activities” in the wake of the Czech discovery of alleged payment to MEPs.
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In a two page letter to the presidents of the EU commission, council and parliament, he also wants leaders to examine whether the European anti-fraud office, OLOF, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have enough powers.
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“If this were not the case, we should not rule out an expansion of these mandates to allow such prosecution in the future,” he said.
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Last Friday De Croo revealed that the Belgian federal police had opened an investigation into Russian interference in the European parliament as a result of payments allegedly made elsewhere in Europe.
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Russian interference in electoral processes across Europe is happening as we speak.
They intend to disrupt our democracies.
⁰Together with @P_Fiala we will bring this to the table of #EUCO pic.twitter.com/TeSFEetOl8— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) April 17, 2024
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The latest draft conclusions, seen by the Guardian, include strong language on Iran.
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“The European Council strongly and unequivocally condemns the Iranian attack on Israel and reiterates its full solidarity with the people of Israel and commitment to Israel’s security and to regional stability.”
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The leaders are expected to add:
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“The European Council calls on Iran and its proxies to cease all attacks and urges all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any action that may increase tensions in the region. The European Union will take further restrictive measures against Iran, notably in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles. The European Union remains fully committed to contributing to de-escalation and security in the region.”
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Simon Harris, Ireland’s new leader, said he will be repeating a “call for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of aid to the people of Gaza” during the European Council meeting.
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“I will also continue to discuss the recognition of Palestine with like-minded partners,” he noted.
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Harris added:
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\n
Ireland will use its voice to call for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza & restraint & deescalation in the region after Iran’s reckless attack on Israel.
\n
Also look forward to engaging with counterparts on competitiveness & the single market
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I am looking forward to attending my first European Council meeting today.
I will be repeating Ireland’s call for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of aid to the people of Gaza.
I will also continue to discuss the recognition of Palestine with like-minded partners
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) April 17, 2024
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At their meeting, leaders will discuss a report by Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister.
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“It is time to craft a new compass to guide the Single Market in this complex international scenario. Powerful forces of change – spanning demographics, technology, economics, and international relations – necessitate innovative and effective political responses,” Letta wrote.
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“Given the ongoing crises and conflicts, action has become urgent, particularly as the window of opportunity to intervene and relaunch the European economy risks closing in the near future.”
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Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president and the centre-right European People’s party lead candidate in the European elections, has reiterated today her call for strengthening Europe’s defences – and “turbo charging our defence industrial capacity.”
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Von der Leyen wants Europe to spend more on defence, and to spend it in Europe.
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In this changing security environment, we need to focus on three priorities:
Strengthening Europe’s defence preparedness.
Turbo charging our defence industrial capacity—with spending more, spending better, spending European.
Strengthening our core partnerships. pic.twitter.com/MBtiUj3k9G
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 17, 2024
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Good afternoon and welcome to a special edition of the Europe blog.
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Today we will be looking at a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels.
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Sends tips and comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
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Leaders from the EU’s 27 member states will meet in Brussels today and tomorrow.
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In his invitation letter, the European Council president, Charles Michel, said “our upcoming meeting will centre on bolstering our competitiveness” but that “topics of foreign policy will also feature high on our agenda.”
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“We must collectively bridge the growth and innovation divide vis-a-vis our global counterparts and safeguard our economic, industrial and technological base,” Michel said.
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When it comes to Ukraine, he said leaders “will address Russia’s persistent attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure, including in the energy sector. These underscore the urgency of intensifying our delivery of military assistance, notably air defence capabilities.”
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Addressing the situation in the Middle East, he said:
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Our commitment to work with partners to end the tragic crisis in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, as well as an urgent increase of unimpeded humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, remains crucial.
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Developments over the weekend have exacerbated an already highly volatile situation in the region.
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We must condemn the recent attack by Iran against the people of Israel and unite in urging all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, respect international law, and avoid action that may increase tensions.
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We must also address the situation in Lebanon, acknowledging the challenging circumstances it is facing, and reiterate our strong support at this critical time.
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Key events
Leaders are now greeting each other, and the meeting will soon get underway.
Petteri Orpo, the Finnish prime minister, said that when it comes to the Middle East it is “important” to ask Israel “not to attack because we have to de-escalate this very difficult situation.”
Lisa O’Carroll
The new Irish prime minister, Simon Harris, said he will be using the council to try and persuade other countries to join Ireland and Spain in officially recognising Palestine as a sovereign state and calling for immediate ceasefire and release of hostages.
I intend to use the opportunity of being here to continue my engagement with European counterparts about the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the need for, of course, the release of hostages, but also the need, I believe, for a number of European states to now move ahead and recognise the state of Palestine because ultimately, if you believe in a two-state solution, I think such positive momentum could be helpful and could be important.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said it was important that Iran’s attack on Israel did not cause escalation and that he was under the impression that this had been understood by the affected parties, Reuters reported.
“For us, it is important that this moment is now also used for further de-escalation and that Israel … does not respond with a massive attack of its own,” he said.
Lisa O’Carroll
The Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, says now is not the right time to recognise Palestine as a state, although he is not opposed to the idea.
Asked if he would be joining Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta who have said they plan to do so, he replied: “Not now, because I do not see it today as a lever to achieve a sovereign state. It’s a good thing, but it needs to be a sovereign state that can make its own decisions that it is not fully dependent on another on another state. “
He added that there would next week be a vote on full Palestinian membership of the United Nations
“I think all these are important important, discussions [that] have a high symbolic value.
However he added there was a leadership gap in the Middle East.
“What’s really needed is political leaders who get around the table. And for the moment, unfortunately, I do not see the circumstances to have …moderate and responsible people sitting around the table.”
Metsola calls for ‘faster’ aid for Ukraine, de-escalation in Middle East
Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, said that when it comes to competitiveness, “we talk a lot about energy union, defence union, capital markets union, health union – our message is, let’s not forget that what we really need is the European Union and a Single Market that works for all, in every single member state.”
On the issue of Ukraine, she stressed the need for more air defence and ammunition. “We need to be faster in procuring equipment for them to defend themselves,” Metsola said.
Speaking of the Middle East, she said that “after the unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel, the challenge now is how to de-escalate. At the same time, we will continue to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, the return of the hostages in order for us to allow for the much-needed humanitarian aid to go through.”
The parliament president also said she will appeal to the leaders to work on the campaign encouraging voters to participate in the upcoming European elections.
‘I’m concerned that we are losing the focus on Ukraine’, Lithuanian leader says
Gitanas Nausėda, the Lithuanian president, said when arriving at the meeting that “regrettably, since our last meeting of EUCO, the geopolitical situation has not improved – on the contrary, it has deteriorated.”
“I’m concerned that we are losing the focus on Ukraine,” he stressed.
“It’s really a pity to see that we are taking the decisions but we are not implementing them,” the president added.
Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, has called on Germany and its partners to “designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program.”
I appealed today to the Foreign Minister of Germany @ABaerbock who visited Israel: Germany and its partners should act in the EU in order to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program.… pic.twitter.com/0Offy5swEg
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 17, 2024
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I appealed today to the Foreign Minister of Germany @ABaerbock who visited Israel: Germany and its partners should act in the EU in order to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program.… pic.twitter.com/0Offy5swEg
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 17, 2024
Earlier today, the leaders attended a reception hosted by the Belgian king.
In the framework of the Belgian Presidency, His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians invited the members of the European Council for a reception at the Royal Palace ahead of the Special European Council.#EU2024BE 🇪🇺🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/WsGEJefrA2
— Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 (@EU2024BE) April 17, 2024
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In the framework of the Belgian Presidency, His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians invited the members of the European Council for a reception at the Royal Palace ahead of the Special European Council.#EU2024BE 🇪🇺🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/WsGEJefrA2
— Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 (@EU2024BE) April 17, 2024
Arriving at the meeting, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, said it’s an “important” session.
As leaders meet in Brussels, the Greens have called for heads of government not to backtrack on the bloc’s green transition.
“The next five years will decide whether the EU comes out on top in the race for global competitiveness or whether the EU forfeits the global leadership role to China and the USA,” said Terry Reintke, the Greens group’s president.
The group, she said, “calls for a massive investment program to provide industries and companies with long term planning security.”
Reintke added: “The EU’s strategic agenda must reflect its commitment to energy sovereignty, energy security, climate protection and sustainable jobs. The EU cannot afford to backtrack on the Green Deal.”
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has arrived for the meeting.
🔴 Now live: Statement of 🇩🇪 @Bundeskanzler Olaf #Scholz ahead of the European Council on April 17 in Brussels. @RegSprecher #EUCO https://t.co/fRG6oYM0ft
— Germany in the EU (@germanyintheeu) April 17, 2024
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