Welcome to Rapporteur, the publication previously often called The Capitals. I’m Eddy Wax, joined by Nicoletta Ionta in Brussels. Each day we’ll deliver you on top of things on the tales shaping the EU and European politics.
Need-to-knows:
- Commission: Ursula von der Leyen says NATO ought to shoot down Russian jets
- Gaza: Ex-Palestinian PM pours doubts on EU’s ‘Donor Group’ plan
- Exposed: Slovak MEP mocks EU transport debate with Instagram stunt
But first, we flip to the bloc’s weakening grip on local weather management…
Today’s version is powered by the Party of European Socialists (PES)
PES Congress 2025: Progressive Mobilisation.
Not politics-as-usual, however a big convention uniting prime ministers, mayors, politicians, journalists, activists, artists, lecturers, commerce unionists, and entrepreneurs from throughout Europe and past to deal with Europe’s massive questions – and switch concepts into motion.
16–18 October 2025, Amsterdam.
From the capital
Not too way back, the EU was thought to be a regulatory superpower, exporting its requirements across the globe. The “Brussels impact,” coined greater than a decade in the past by Finnish-American professor Anu Bradford, symbolised Europe’s tender energy.
Now in a world more and more outlined by onerous energy, the bloc appears diminished, Magnus Lund Nielsen writes.
Apple stepped up strain on the EU’s tech agenda right now, urging Brussels to repeal its Digital Markets Act, a measure meant to usher in a brand new period of fairer world digital competitors. The US tech large requested the bloc to withdraw it, arguing the regulation interferes with elementary rights, a declare the Commission disputes, as Anupriya Datta reviews.
The EU is already getting ready a set of digital deletions in a so-called “omnibus” bundle to simplify guidelines. The distinction with current years is stark; simply 5 years in the past, Mark Zuckerberg was urging Brussels to tighten the regulatory screws.
The bloc can also be struggling to defend its function as local weather chief. At a New York summit final evening, Ursula von der Leyen provided solely imprecise commitments after EU governments, divided over the tempo of the inexperienced transition, couldn’t agree on a 2035 emissions goal, Stefano Porciello writes. Still, the Commission chief reiterated that the bloc stays dedicated to combating local weather change.
Europe’s inexperienced ambitions have additionally fallen like timber this week. A key anti-deforestation regulation was postponed but once more on Tuesday – Brussels cited IT points as the explanation, although the delay adopted Washington’s lobbying within the EU-US commerce deal.
Keen to venture energy, von der Leyen has made ever additional rhetorical leaps, venturing past the EU’s jurisdiction. On CNN final evening, she stated it was her “private opinion” that “the choice of taking pictures down a fighter jet that’s intruding our airspace is on the desk.” The comment was extra bullish than something NATO’s personal secretary normal has stated within the wake of Russian aerial incursions into the bloc’s airspace.
Compared with the frenzied legislative bonanza of 2019-2024, political power in Brussels has shifted from bold new legal guidelines to revising present ones – partly to guarantee companies, and to dangle one thing juicy in entrance of Donald Trump. Even the much-vaunted AI Act is dealing with a haircut earlier than it’s totally rolled out.
Rather than main by instance, the EU has grown more and more reactive and submissive. When the bloc has taken initiative, similar to slicing out Russian power, von der Leyen’s political technique is kowtowing to the US president, telling him he’s proper to demand, and even ready until she’s by his facet to announce contemporary measures.
While there are indicators this technique could also be paying off – as with Trump’s pro-Ukraine remarks this week – there’s no assure it’s going to.
Ex-Palestinian PM says no want for von der Leyen’s fund
There is not any must create a brand new fund to channel cash to the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Shtayyeh, the prime minister of Palestine between 2019-2024, advised Rapporteur in an interview. The EU is at the moment rallying Arab and Gulf help for a Donor Group for the PA, which is being financially strangled by the Israeli authorities.
“I don’t suppose we want new funds, there are already present funds,” Shtayyeh stated by cellphone from Ramallah. He urged the bloc to maintain supporting the PA by its present programme, PEGASE. Shtayyeh negotiated the most recent aid-for-reforms take care of Brussels in 2022.
At the identical time, he welcomed von der Leyen’s announcement of a “devoted instrument” to finance Gaza’s reconstruction. He additionally known as on Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Czech Republic, and Germany to “stroll the stroll” by recognising Palestine – one thing he argued shouldn’t be handled as “punishment” for Israel.
Asked concerning the PA’s reform plans, notably whether or not elections may quickly be held, he careworn it was additionally as much as Israel to permit them to happen. “The ball just isn’t in our courtroom all the time,” Shtayyeh stated. “Every Palestinian needs to see elections however how are you going to have elections with out the struggle being stopped in Gaza?”
Charles Michel proposes EU safety council
The former European Council president has floated creating an EU safety council hooked up to his outdated establishment. In an op-ed for the French journal L’Express, Michel urged it will mirror the UN mannequin with rotating everlasting and non-permanent members and will function the inspiration for a European cyber military.
Though he doesn’t spell it out, the proposal would probably even be a method of prying defence selections away from the Commission – whose president he clashed with throughout his 2019-2024 tenure.
Justus Lipsius may very well be cut up in two
Diplomats are scoping out choices for a “profound” renovation of the Justus Lipsius constructing, which is a part of the Council of the European Union, sources inform Rapporteur.
Best often called the place the place journalists spend busy nights masking European summits, the constructing is slated for a revamp to satisfy energy-efficiency requirements, the Council stated. The most popular possibility below dialogue is to construct a “two-building campus.”
Countries hammer Commission over future funds
Many nations – greater than 12, based on one diplomat – raised doubts concerning the EU’s so-called single plan concept for the subsequent seven-year funds at a closed-door assembly on Wednesday.
The proposal would merge conventional funds pillars – regional funding and farm subsidies – and permit nationwide capitals to set priorities straight with Brussels, sidelining areas that after performed an even bigger function. It is prone to be among the many most contentious gadgets within the first spherical of negotiations this autumn and winter.
EU deportation plan meets nationwide resistance
National governments are scaling again key components of the Commission’s flagship returns reform. A Danish presidency compromise, up for technical-level talks right now, would weaken mutual recognition of migrant return selections between member states – giving capitals broad leeway to override one another – and cut back guidelines on voluntary returns.
The overhaul was meant to interchange the 2008 Return Directive and function a cornerstone of von der Leyen’s migration legacy, making a stronger EU deportation system and even “return hubs” in third nations. But mutual recognition of return orders rapidly grew to become the largest sticking level, diplomats say.
Parliament has made little headway both. In Strasbourg, even centre-right EPP boss Manfred Weber took a swipe on the delays throughout his response to the State of the Union speech. The jab raised eyebrows in Brussels: as one EU official dryly famous, it was Weber’s personal occasion that saved suspending conferences to pick a rapporteur.
The Commission, in the meantime, just isn’t off the hook. It is scrambling to win over capitals forward of October’s crunch choice on the new solidarity mechanism, which is able to decide who’s below the heaviest migration strain – and who should pay.
Rapporteur has realized that migration chief, Magnus Brunner, known as an casual huddle with ministers from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy for 1 October to hash out the burden-sharing plan.
Frederiksen faucets hardline migration chief
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen reshuffled her coalition’s social democratic ministers, handing the migration portfolio to Rasmus Stoklund.
As my colleague – and Euractiv’s resident Dane – Magnus notes, Stoklund is the one determine in her occasion who may outflank his predecessor Kaare Dybvad on the problem.
Stoklund has typically made headlines in Denmark for his fiery takes on migration. In 2021, he appeared to liken legal migrants to weeds that wanted rooting out. In 2024, he wrote the ebook, No one above the courtroom, arguing that the European Court of Human Rights has taken energy from nation states on migration.
Denmark, alongside Italy, has been main the push to rein within the Strasbourg courtroom. Earlier this month, Belgium adopted up with its personal playbook to do exactly that. Now, Stoklund – ebook in hand – is main that cost from Copenhagen.
Commission takes NGO flak over Libya ties
More than 40 NGOs – together with SOS Mediterranee, Sea-Watch, and Emergency – have known as on the Commission to droop all cooperation with Libya following a Libyan coast guard assault on an NGO rescue ship in worldwide waters final month. The vessel was closely broken, although the crew and migrants had been unhurt.
In response, an EU government spokesperson stated an investigation is below method and Brussels is “awaiting” the outcomes however emphasised the EU will proceed participating with Libya, citing political priorities.
The capitals
COPENHAGEN 🇩🇰
Drones had been sighted at 4 Danish airports late Wednesday. Aalborg Airport shut its airspace, native police stated on X, forcing at the very least 4 planes to be redirected. Drones had been additionally noticed close to Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, residence to Denmark’s F-16 and F-35 fleet. On Monday, giant drones closed Copenhagen Airport’s airspace in what Frederiksen described as “the worst assault on vital infrastructure thus far.”
WARSAW 🇵🇱
Poland plans to amend its army deployment regulation to let its forces shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine with out NATO or EU approval, Gazeta Wyborcza reported. The fast-tracked measure follows the nation’s downing of Russian drones in its airspace earlier this month, the primary such motion by an alliance member for the reason that struggle started.
PARIS 🇫🇷
French commerce unions stated PM Sébastien Lecornu gave “no clear reply to the employees” throughout Wednesday’s talks, asserting a brand new strike for two Oct following final week’s protests. Two weeks into his tenure, Lecornu continues to be consulting on the 2026 funds, due for adoption on 31 Dec. Later right now, former President Nicolas Sarkozy will be taught the decision in his corruption case over allegations he took hundreds of thousands from late Libyan chief Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 marketing campaign.
ROME 🇮🇹
Italy’s Base Union (USB) has known as a brand new normal strike over assaults on the Italian Global Sumud Flotilla, days after a Gaza-related walkout paralysed cities and triggered clashes in Milan. At a press convention in Rome, USB leaders vowed a nationwide shutdown “with out discover,” whereas Deputy PM Matteo Salvini denounced the transfer as “irresponsible.”
MADRID 🇪🇸
King Felipe VI of Spain opened the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, calling a two-state resolution the one viable path to peace within the Middle East. He urged Israel to finish its army marketing campaign in Gaza, which he described as a bloodbath, and warned that the world can’t stay “silent or look the opposite method” amid the devastation.
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4 minutes
A small-town mayor who as soon as appeared a fringe determine is now rattling Catalonia’s political order. Silvia Orriols’ Aliança Catalana, rooted much less in separatism than in anti-immigration anger, is rising within the polls as Junts falters, threatening each Catalonia’s steadiness of energy and the coalition that retains Spain’s prime minister in workplace.
Pre-written speeches are making Parliament uninteresting, says high official
The European Parliament’s high official has a blunt clarification for why the establishment’s debates are…
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Agenda
➡ Commissioner Serafin unveils anti-fraud structure white paper in EP CONT committee
➡ Costa addresses the UN General Assembly in New York
➡ EP Health Committee hosts Commissioners Várhelyi and Zaharieva
Schuman roundabout
THE FIVE-MINUTE MEP: Extreme-right Slovak MEP Milan Mazurek barged right into a transport committee assembly on Wednesday to snap a number of pics for his socials together with his assistant, as witnessed by a Euractiv reporter.
An usher tried to cease the impromptu picture op, however after a couple of minutes the pair left the room. The outcome: Mazurek’s Instagram confirmed him smiling in his MEP seat with the slogan, “An overpriced dialogue that not one of the MEPs are all in favour of anyway.” Including him!
FLIGHT OF FANCY: Von der Leyen is sticking to her declare that her airplane was hit by focused Russian GPS interference en path to Bulgaria a number of weeks in the past. “The airport authorities are those who had been very clear on that one,” she advised CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Erm. Bulgaria’s PM has flip-flopped on whether or not there was an assault, and aviation consultants insist nothing of the kind occurred.
LEUVEN BEATS MOLENBEEK: Leuven will probably be a European Capital of Culture in 2030, pipping Molenbeek to the publish.
BLUESKY MEETS GREY COMMITTEES: Parliament committees have joined Bluesky.
Contributors: Magnus Lund Nielsen, Anupriya Datta, Charles Cohen, Stefano Porciello, Angelo di Mambro, Jacob Wulff Wold, Thomas Møller Nielsen, Maximilian Henning, Alessia Peretti, Inés Fernández-Pontes, Aleksandra Krzysztoszek
Editors: Christina Zhao, Sofia Mandilara
