The calming role of Germany and France in the war may retaliate and other recent EU issues. You can order the full Europe letter from the link at the end of your email.
Rikhard Husu,
Anna Karismo
Poland’s hopes for EU recovery money were boosted when the Commission said it was in favor of approving the country’s recovery plan on Wednesday. There is no question of any coffee money: Poland is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the 35 billion pot recovery fund.
The money is intended to green the Polish economy and promote the digital transition. Recovery funds will finance, among other things, high-speed internet access for one million households.
THE INVESTMENT WILL COME need. Poland is one of the tail countries in the comparisons of European digitalisation. The recovery funds are expected to accelerate Poland’s economic growth and create around 100,000 new jobs in the country.
However, don’t lick until you drop. In return for the money, the country needs to carry out reforms to improve the rule of law. The focus is on the decision to abolish the disciplinary body supervising judges, which is contrary to EU law.
Last week, the Polish Parliament voted to end the disciplinary body. Brussels is concerned that the changes will remain superficial. Can a country be trusted in a country that has blatantly questioned EU rules in the past?
WITH MANY COMMISSIONERS had doubts about it before Wednesday’s decision. Lead Vice – Presidents of the Commission Margrethe Vestager and Frans Timmermans voted against the adoption of the recovery plan, which is exceptional.
In the second stable cup, Poland’s undeniable achievements as a supporter of the Ukrainian defense forces and a recipient of refugees arriving from there weigh. Among other things, Poland supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU. In addition, Poland has been at the forefront of demanding stronger action from the EU against Russia.
BY AWARDING POLAND positive developments will give the EU the opportunity to steer the country towards the heart of the Union.
At the same time, this will make it possible to dismantle the unholy alliance between Poland and Hungary, which has taken both countries to the periphery of the Union. The relationship between Poland and Hungary has also been put to the test because of Hungary’s sympathies with Russia.
The war brings strange friends and enemies, says a diplomatic source familiar with Poland. It remains to be seen whether the Polish leadership will take the hand of the EU.
PS EU supplier Janne Toivonen reports from the Netherlands, where a natural gas field is causing houses to collapse. A new gas field is now being built at sea because of the desire to get rid of Russian gas.
Colleague Anna Karismo gathered other hot European topics:
Some: Snow on Germany and France from Ukraine posts
The logic of France, on the other hand, is that wars end either in the complete defeat of the other party or in a ceasefire and reconciliation, write by a respected EU observer (go to another service) Mujtaba Rahman in its chain. If the West is not ready to fight Russia alongside Ukraine itself, the goals must be flexible in order to achieve peace.
Former Russian chess world champion Garry Kasparov was one of those who warned of Putin’s intentions to attack long before the war.
In his view, Scholz, Macron and Italian Mario Draghi fear that Ukraine’s victory will change their positions of power so that their own position will falter. “They would no longer be seen in the new security setup as leaders after their reassuring speeches,” Kasparov writes. Hmm, right?
VISA OF THE WEEK: The oldest European companies operate in the service sector – but what is the oldest company in Finland?
MUSTION IRON is known to be the oldest company established in Finland, but now Mustio no longer has an ironworks but, among other things hotel and restaurant (go to another service). Do you know what is the oldest Finnish company in its original industry? It was founded in 1638. Reply in next week’s letter.
NEXT WEEK: Parliament votes on climate package and ECB outlines rate hikes
COMPETITIVENESS corresponding ministers meet (move to another service) for the rest of the week to consider how to make the EU more self-sufficient, for example in semiconductors. In any case, the aim is to make the economy more independent in industrial and trade policy.
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT is a week of plenary in Strasbourg. There will be a vote on the so-called Fit for 55 package. In practice, these are measures by which the EU will reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels. The time to reach the goal is therefore seven and a half years.
SECOND HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK EU affairs will be on Thursday, when the Governing Council of the European Central Bank will meet for its monetary policy meeting, exceptionally in Amsterdam. Director general Christine Lagarde assesses interest rate developments towards the end of the year at its press conference. The ECB’s room for maneuver was small even before the war started by Russia, but now it has only narrowed.
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