EU Voters Choose New Representatives to European Parliament |
Voting in European Union (EU) countries is underway in an election that will decide (NYT) who will rule on matters such as foreign policy, migration, and economics. It will also set the stage for the contest over whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will see a second term.
Ahead of the election, some lawmakers from von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party said they would not back her, leading her to reach out (FT) to the Greens and a nationalist group led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The European People’s Party is expected to win the most seats. In the Netherlands, preliminary results from yesterday’s first day of voting suggest left-leaning parties appeared to have narrowly won (Politico) the most seats, though the party of far-right politician Geert Wilders made large gains. Voting across all twenty-seven countries will conclude by Sunday.
|
|
|
“A rightward shift in the parliament could push the [European People’s Party] to ask for changes in the EU’s climate and agriculture policy (in part in response to ongoing farmers’ protests), lead to a harsher approach toward illegal immigration, and more skepticism towards free trade agreements. The outcome will also test the durability of the Western coalition that is backing Ukraine against Russian aggression,” CFR expert Matthias Matthijs and CFR’s Caroline Kapp write in this article.
“The biggest impact of the parliamentary election is likely to be its effect on the selection of the next Commission president and the constraints on the Commission’s mandate. This will lead to a more powerful Council, and—with the member states ascendant—more difficulties in reaching consensus on how to tackle the challenges of boosting Europe’s competitiveness, integrating the EU defense industry, and meeting the targets of the green transition,” the Atlantic Council’s Frances Burwell writes.
|
| |
ECB Cuts Interest Rates For First Time in Nearly Five Years |
The bank reduced (FT) its benchmark rate to 3.75 percent yesterday—a major step that the U.S. Federal Reserve is yet to take. Economists said that the European Central Bank‘s (ECB) rate cut reflects diverging outlooks on inflation on either side of the Atlantic. Falling inflation and generally lower economic growth in the EU prompted (NYT) the move.
France: Halfway through his five-day visit to France, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hail (Reuters) the importance of defending democracy and warn against “the dangers of isolationism” in a speech today in Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. Pointe du Hoc is the site where American soldiers scaled cliffs as part of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
In this YouTube Short, CFR expert Charles A. Kupchan gives takeaways from Biden’s D-Day speech.
|
| |
U.S. Resumes Tariffs on Some Solar Energy Products Made By Chinese Firms |
Tariffs on solar products made by Chinese companies in Southeast Asia resumed yesterday (NYT) after a two-year pause designed to speed the adoption of solar energy in the United States. Tariff levels vary by product, but could be as high as 250 percent. They aim to protect U.S. industry from cheaply priced imports.
Hong Kong/United Kingdom: Two British judges resigned (BBC) from Hong Kong’s top court, one saying he did so because of “the political situation” in the city. Their exit follows the conviction of fourteen pro-democracy activists on charges of subversion. The judge who issued a statement said that he continues “to have the fullest confidence in the court and the total independence of its members.”
|
|
|
India’s Modi Pledges Focus on Development, Quality of Life in Third Term |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be sworn in (Business Standard) for a third term on Sunday. He said he would focus efforts on “good governance, development, quality of life,” and to “reduce the government’s meddling” in the lives of the middle and upper-middle class. His alliance won (Bloomberg) a narrower-than-expected majority in general elections after weak turnout for Modi’s party from once-supportive poorer regions.
Bangladesh: The government reduced (Nikkei) its growth target for the next fiscal year to 6.7 percent from the previous 7.5 percent. Bangladesh is struggling with near double-digit inflation and unstable exchange rates. Last month the country allowed its currency to fluctuate more freely against the dollar, which sent it plummeting.
|
| |
CFR’s Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins discuss the EU Parliament elections, the G7 leaders summit in Italy, the United States gearing up for an above-average hurricane season, and more. |
| |
|
Middle East and North Africa |
U.S., Sixteen Other Countries Release Statement Supporting Cease-Fire, Hostage Deal |
The seventeen countries have citizens taken hostage by Hamas. They urged (White House) Israel and Hamas to “make whatever final compromises are necessary to close this deal and bring relief to the families of our hostages,” adding that “it is time for the war to end” in a statement yesterday.
Syria: Kurds in Syria announced they will delay (Al-Monitor) a planned election set for Monday for the second time, pushing the date to August. It would have been the first local vote since the territorial defeat of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Turkey had called (Al-Monitor) the elections a threat to its territorial integrity and the United States advised that they were ill-timed.
This timeline looks back at the Kurds’ long struggle with statelessness.
|
|
|
South Africa’s ANC Says It Aims to Form ‘National Unity’ Government |
The proposal would unite (NYT) ideologically diverse parties to the ruling African National Congress’s (ANC) left and right, though the center-right Democratic Alliance has expressed staunch skepticism about serving in a government with some left-wing parties, calling the prospect a “doomsday coalition.”
Benin/Niger: A special prosecutor in Benin said Nigerien nationals entered (Reuters) an oil pipeline terminal and that “recurring information suggests the planning of acts against the security of the state of Benin.” Niger’s oil minister rejected the claims, which come amid a broader dispute over goods and oil export blockages.
|
|
|
Argentina’s Milei Reportedly Cancels Paris Talks to Address Legislative Agenda at Home |
President Javier Milei has traveled widely since taking office in December and was due (Bloomberg) to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron next week. He changed his plans, La Nación reported, as Argentine lawmakers have scheduled to strip key provisions of an economic package that is up for vote in the Senate next week. Milei still plans (Reuters) to go to Italy for the Group of Seven (G7) summit next week; Argentina is not a G7 member.
Cuba/Russia: Russian naval ships including a nuclear-powered submarine are due to visit Cuba (CNN) next week, Havana said yesterday, in line with long-standing friendly relations between the countries. CNN did not immediately receive comment from Moscow on the report. A Pentagon spokesperson described the Russian deployments yesterday as routine and said they pose no direct threat to the United States.
|
| |
Top Election Officials Express Divided View on AI Disclosures in Campaign Ads |
The vice chair of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) supports (Reuters) a recommendation by the Federal Communications Commission chair that political ads on radio and television be required to disclose if content is produced using artificial intelligence (AI), she said yesterday. The FEC chair has criticized the proposal. This Backgrounder by CFR’s Noah Berman disentangles the world of AI. |
| |
Der Spiegel and Lighthouse Reports spoke to migrants to uncover the dark role that European countries play in abandoning refugees in remote areas of the Sahara under the guise of migration management. |
|
|
Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 |
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
|
|
|
