Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, we invite you to read the story “‘Agri-tech’ spreading like wildfire across French farms” by EURACTIV France’s Aline Robert.
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ROME. With the number of cases topping 150, Italy is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak outside Asia. Entire towns in the Northern part of the country were locked down, while schools were closed and public events, such as the iconic Venice Carnival, were cancelled.
However, Italy’s government is reluctant to suspend the Schengen borderless system.
“There’s no ground for an initiative of this kind, at the moment,” said PM Giuseppe Conte, adding that a temporary reintroduction of border control will have a devastating impact on the country’s economy. “What are we going to do with Italy, a lazaretto?” he added.
Meanwhile, Greek Education Minister Nikis Kerameos has decided to suspend all planned educational excursions to Italy.
EURACTIV’s Gerardo Fortuna looks at how Italy has been dealing with what is the biggest outbreak on European soil.
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BERLIN
SPD and Greens win big in Hamburg. Sunday’s (23 February) elections in Hamburg showed big gains for the city’s governing coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens. With 38% of the vote, the SPD’s Peter Tschentscher will continue to serve as the city’s first mayor, while the Greens doubled their support. Given that their partnership continues, the Greens will have a stronger position in the governing coalition.
After the crisis in Thuringia, the election delivered a crushing blow to the CDU, as the Conservative party received its worst electoral results ever in Hamburg. Both the FDP and AfD barely reached the 5% threshold to be in the parliament. (Sarah Lawton | EURACTIV.de)
For a more detailed analysis, read: Crisis-ridden SPD wins state parliamentary elections in Hamburg
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VIENNA
Partyless Strache announces comeback. The former vice-chancellor and leader of far-right (FPÖ), Heinz-Christian Strache, announced his return to the political scene as candidate for the Viennese elections in October 2020 with his own – as yet unnamed – party.
EURACTIV Germany’s Philipp Grüll looks at what this could mean for the FPÖ.
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PARIS
The important thing is to believe in it. “I have a good chance of being president of the Republic because I think the French are fed up with the situation,” Marine Le Pen told the “Grand Jury RTL-LCI-Le Figaro” on Sunday (23 February). The French “have now understood that we must stop with the ultraliberalism of unfair competition, mass immigration, insecurity, laxity, nonsense, the inter-self of our elites, international finance,” she said. .
However the ex MEP is not yet officially a candidate as she would need to first step down as president of her party, the Rassemblement National (RN). (EURACTIV.FR)
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BRUSSELS
Belgian PM reacts to Aalst Carnival controversy. A year after having sparked controversy, the Aalst Carnival organisers brought back anti-Semitic caricatures that led to an international storm of protest after the 2019 edition of the event. For the first time, Belgium’s PM stepped into the discussion as well. Alexandra Brzozowski has the story.
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HELSINKI
Refugees from the Mediterranean. Finland will receive some 175 refugees from the camps and reception centres in Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Italy, most of whom are children and single parent families originating from countries where the humanitarian situation is the most severe like Afghanistan and Syria. Thus far, France and Portugal are among the EU member states that have made similar decisions.
Meanwhile in Greece, the government is determined to proceed with its decision for the construction of closed hosting facilities for refugees and migrants despite strong reactions from local communities.
EURACTIV’s Pekka Vänttinen and Sarantis Michalopoulos have the story.
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DUBLIN
Sinn Féin & IRA. Irish nationalists Sinn Féin have defended themselves over claims that the Provisional Irish Republication Army (IRA), still holds an influence over the political direction of the party. Speaking to RTÉ’s The Week in Politics on Sunday, Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said that the IRA were no longer a functioning group. “The IRA has gone and they are not coming back. That’s the reality,” he added.
Meanwhile, mainstream parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are set to meet this week in a bid to hammer out a possible deal on forming a government following the recent general election, which saw Sinn Féin make considerable gains. EURACTIV’S Samuel Stolton has more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
France stands by Greece. France will stand by Greece and Cyprus, supporting both in their disputes with Turkey over maritime zones in the Mediterranean, French Defence Minister Florence Parly told Greek newspaper To Vima in an interview.
MADRID
EFE interviews North Macedonia FM. Almost 20 years after signing the partnership agreement between North Macedonia and the EU, Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov acknowledges that his country has no “other strategic alternative than the EU”. He also told EFE that Europe must already recognize the progress that will allow the accession negotiations to begin and “bring the European standard of living home”. Read more.