LONDON
A trade deal with the US could only be worth 0.16% to the UK economy by the middle of the next decade, the UK’s Department for International Trade admitted on Monday (2 March).
An “ambitious and comprehensive” trade deal would be worth £3.4bn after 15 years, the DIT added, a smaller fraction of the costs of failing to broker a pact with the EU before the post-Brexit transition period ends in December 2020.
Benjamin Fox reports from London.
Read also: Talking about life after the divorce: EU and Britain kick off new talks
CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS
MADRID
Coronavirus cases rise in Spain after local contagion in Madrid. The number of cases of contagion by COVID-19 rose to 115 in Spain, with new infections confirmed on Monday by Fernando Simón, director of the Spanish Center of Coordination and Health Alerts in the Health Ministry, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. Read more.
LISBON
First cases of COVID-19 disease virus. Two Portuguese nationals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the first two cases in Portugal. Both men are hospitalised in Porto, after having been in Italy and Spain. The president of Portugal described on Monday the emergence of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Portugal as “long-awaited news” but warned that it was not a matter for “alarm”.
The Portuguese authorities have also begun an “epidemiological investigation” because of Luis Sepulveda’s case. The Chilean writer, who lives in Spain, is infected with coronavirus and attended last week a literary festival in Portugal. The 21st edition of the Correntes d’Escritas festival took place from 18 to 23 February with the participation of almost 100 Portuguese- and Spanish-language authors of 14 nationalities who took part in various activities such as debates and meetings with the public. (Helena Neves, Francisca Matos and Sílvia Borges Silva, Lusa.pt)
PARIS
Third COVID-19 death. France reported a third coronavirus death and 191 cases of infection on Monday. School closures have increased in France, while the coronavirus epidemic is progressing, in the Oise but also in Brittany and Savoy. The Book Fair and the Tourism Fair have been cancelled, the Louvre has been closed, and all school trips have been cancelled. The OECD is forecasting lower growth for France, i.e. +0.9% compared to 1.2% previously forecast. (EURACTIV.FR)
BRUSSELS
‘Corona coalition’? Nine months after the Belgian elections on 26 May 2019, there is still no prospect of a federal government. Can the coronavirus play a role in the negotiations? Alexandra Brzozowski has the latest update.
ROME
Civil Protection Chief and Coronavirus Emergency Commissioner Angelo Borrelli said on Monday that 1,835 people have become ill with the virus in Italy, up by 258 with respect to Sunday, ANSA reported.
He said this number does not include the 149 people who have recovered from the coronavirus, 66 more than the number reported on Sunday, and the 52 people who have died from it, up 18 on Sunday.
WARSAW
Coronavirus panic. Although there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Poland, there is widespread discussion whether the country is prepared for a possible outbreak. The debate in the parliament, initiated by President Andrzej Duda, was the topic of the day. The government reassured the public that it is prepared for any case of coronavirus while the opposition asked how much the government is willing to spend to be prepared and criticised a hastily-introduced bill regulating actions in case of the outbreak. (Łukasz Gadzała | EURACTIV.pl)
In other news from the capitals…
BERLIN
A controversial candidate in Thuringia. Björn Höcke, head of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Thuringia, announced his candidacy to lead the state on Monday (2 March). He will run against former incumbent Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) in the state premier election on 4 March. EURACTIV Germany’s Sarah Lawton has more.
VIENNA
Austrian coalition struggling to find common position on Greek situation. Since the inauguration in January, the main fault line between the two parties has been migration policy. The conservative ÖVP keeps a tough stance, while the Greens have been advocates of diversity and humanitarian aid. Therefore, the situation at the EU’s border challenges coalition harmony. Philipp Grüll has the detail.
DUBLIN
Fine Gael out of government talks. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that his Fine Gael party is not in talks with any other parties on forming a prospective programme for government. Samuel Stolton reports.
ATHENS
Trump: Greece has a right to apply its laws at its border. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke with US President Donald Trump on Monday, briefing him about the situation at Greece’s land and sea borders with Turkey, government sources said on Monday. Mitsotakis emphasised Greece’s inalienable right to defend its borders and President Trump recognised Greece’s right to apply its laws at its borders, Athens-Macedonian News Agency quoted sources as saying.
HELSINKI
Sámi people setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Sámi are the only indigenous people living in the European Union. Currently there are some 75,000 – 100,000 Sámi people spread out in the northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. Pekka Vänttinen reports from Helsinki.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Foreign policy not yet in the focus of the new PM. The prospective new Slovak Prime Minister, Igor Matovič, (OĽaNO) admitted he hadn’t really taken interest in foreign policy so far. “I have fought for Slovakia, there was no help coming from abroad, that’s why I haven’t taken interest in foreign policy“, Matovič said during a debate of Denník N. He assured that he has no intention of changing the pro-Western foreign policy orientation of Slovakia. Asked which foreign leaders he admired, Matovič replied Emmanuel Macron is a handsome man, „the Austrian one also“.
More resignations. Leader of Progressive Slovakia (PS, Renew) Michal Truban, and leader of Together (Spolu, EPP), Miroslav Beblavý, announced their resignations from the party posts following the poor election results that left the parties out of the parliament. PS enjoyed huge success last year, after its presidential candidate Zuzana Čaputová made her way to the presidential palace. A few months later, jointly with Together, the coalition won the European elections in Slovakia and sent four MEPs to the European parliament. Both parties will hold congresses in the near future and undergo a period of reflection. (Zuzana Gabrižová | EURACTIV.sk)
PRAGUE
Mismanagement. Czech Finance Ministry recorded a state budget deficit of €1.1 billion in February. It is the worst monthly budgetary result since 1993. The Ministry claims that the budget was affected by irregular EU payments but admitted that the government had higher expenditure, for example on pensions. This problem was already emphasised in a country report published last week by the European Commission, stating that the current pension system poses a risk for Czech fiscal sustainability. (Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Borissov meets Erdogan, gets assurance Bulgaria’s border will stay calm. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov failed on Monday (2 March) in his mediation mission in Ankara which aimed to bring Greece, Turkey and EU leaders to a summit in Sofia to prevent a new refugee crisis in Europe. Georgi Gotev has the story.
ZAGREB
Preparation for another migration wave. On Monday, President Zoran Milanović revealed that he had agreed with PM Andrej Plenković to convene a National Security Council soon because of a potential new migrant wave, but reiterated that he doesn’t expect it will happen. Karla Junicic has the full story.
In other news, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman talked with his counterpart Nikola Dimitrov in Skopje about EU enlargement and the European path of North Macedonia. His visit coincided with the latest European Commission progress report in the area of rule of law for North Macedonia and Albania, which concluded that both countries deserve to open accession negotiations.
The Croatian minister described the report as a “very important event” and a “positive sign” that North Macedonia is heading in the right direction. He said the decision to open negotiations with two countries is seen as an introduction to the EU-Western Balkans summit in May, which is ‘’a key objective of Croatia’s EU Council presidency. (Karla Junicic, EURACTIV.hr)
BELGRADE
Vucic: Serbia will buy arms from Israel and open Mission in Jerusalem. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that Serbia intends to buy weapons from Israel, stating that it will ‘not be a small delivery’.
In addition, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote to US President Donald Trump, affirming his government’s commitment to resolving the remaining issues with Serbia, Pristina’s media reported on 2 March.
Last but not least, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Sijjarto said during a visit to Belgrade that Serbia was prepared to open five chapters in accession negotiations with the European Union (EU).
Click here to read more about these stories by EURACTIV Serbia.
[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Zoran Radosavljevic]
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