POLITICO’s must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Brussels, by Gerardo Fortuna, Nicholas Vinocur and Gabriel Gavin.
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Greetings! It’s Nick Vinocur.
In today’s Playbook:
— Ukraine’s EU bid faces scrutiny before formal talks kick off.
— The Commission’s defense department is due for a staffing boost.
— Faces in the crowd: Marta Kos, Yulia Svyrydenko, Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Marieke Ehlers, Dan Jørgensen, Ursula von der Leyen, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Jessika Roswall and more …
On today’s Brussels Playbook Podcast: Zoya and Sarah talk about the real-life sci-fi gadget that’s giving Brussels privacy nightmares.
**A message from Google: Europe shouldn’t have to choose between a ‘fair’ tech market and secure personal data. We can achieve both and encourage innovation while keeping user privacy fully protected – but it requires smart cross-disciplinary cooperation and rigorous testing first.**
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR: Ukraine’s ambition to move rapidly along the path to EU membership is creating tension between Kyiv, Brussels and some European capitals ahead of the opening next week of a first formal negotiating cluster, according to diplomats and EU officials.
Meeting in the middle: Kyiv and Brussels have publicly hailed the likely start of formal negotiations on June 15 as a breakthrough. But Ukraine is concerned its bid could be “parked” due to political issues, including France’s presidential election. That could push enlargement off the EU agenda. Brussels, meanwhile, is worried about the pace of reforms in Kyiv.
Membership lite: Discussion papers floated by Paris and Berlin, touting “associate membership” for Kyiv and other interim solutions for candidate states, are jangling nerves. “In practice, Ukraine is being offered everything except membership itself,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov told Playbook.
Nobody puts Kyiv in a corner: The risk for Ukraine is being parked in a side room — with some of the benefits of EU integration but no clear path to full membership. Kyiv isn’t rejecting the Franco-German ideas, but wants stronger guarantees on where it will end up, according to officials informed on the talks.
Why it’s getting tense: Kyiv wants to open not one but several negotiating clusters before the end of this summer, as a signal to its politicians and war-weary voters that EU membership is a real prospect, not a pipe dream.
Different vantage: Brussels is concerned about disenchantment as a risk factor for Ukraine’s internal reforms. Indeed, progress on passing key laws required to join the EU has slowed in recent months, amid unfilled seats in the Rada, the national parliament, and concerns that some measures wouldn’t secure a majority if put to a vote.
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos visited a bomb-scarred Kyiv this week with a “keep calm, carry on” message, as she met with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the heads of parliamentary committees in charge of reviewing reforms.
Dispatch from Ukraine: “Inside the room there was a sense that both sides are really starting to roll up their sleeves and to get much more hands-on in the access process,” an EU official informed on details of Kos’ trip told Playbook.
The bottom line: Managing Kyiv’s EU membership bid is a delicate dance for Brussels and EU capitals. Stakes are high — and missteps will have painful consequences.
COURTING CHINA: French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host a video call Thursday between G7 countries and China to address global trade imbalances, according to four officials familiar with preparations for the meeting.
EXCLUSIVE — ESN IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Here’s the 300-page report in which the authority overseeing European political parties urges EU institutions to launch proceedings to ban the far-right ESN party for allegedly breaching the bloc’s values. There’ll be a debate among EU Parliament group leaders and a possible vote next week in Strasbourg on whether to move the process forward.
CURTAINS FOR FRANCO-GERMAN FIGHTER JET: France and Germany have abandoned a plan to jointly build a next-generation fighter jet, in a major blow to Macron’s vision of closer European defense integration.
CYBERSECURITY CLASH: The European Commission is preparing to take France and Spain to Europe’s top court over their failure to pass cybersecurity legislation, after the two countries missed an October 2024 deadline to get bloc’s rules onto their own lawbooks.
PRE-EUCO ECON HUDDLE: Seventeen EU leaders, including those of Germany, Belgium and Italy, huddled via video conference Monday to talk about EU competitiveness amid concerns that the European Council isn’t paying enough attention to the bloc’s economy.
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EXCLUSIVE — DEFENSE STAFF BOOST: The European Commission’s defense department is set to receive an increase in staff, including a potential new top-level official, as it takes on new duties linked to distributing SAFE loans. That’s according to four EU officials aware of plans for the moves who spoke to Jacopo Barigazzi and me.
DG DEFIS may be getting some high-level reinforcements, with Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, a German official currently serving as managing director at the EU’s diplomatic arm, eyeing a move in a high-level role, per two other officials. Von Seherr-Thoss didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Another winner: DG CONNECT, the directorate in charge of developing and implementing the EU’s digital policies, will also receive a staff boost as part of an annual internal redeployment of civil servants, as it faces increased pressure to implement policies like the AI Act.
Relocation: The moves, which the officials said would be announced this week, are part of an annual exercise by which 1 percent of the Commission’s staff (about 330 employees for an institution with headcount of roughly 33,000) is meant to move internally to departments facing particular strain.
A deeper look: But the staffing shifts don’t signal a burst in hiring at the Commission. On the contrary — they’re part of an attempt to make the EU executive more efficient, following a decrease in overall staffing between 2014 and 2020. But it’s not just about internal gap filling.
New blood: The Commission is now looking to boost its ranks by some 2,400 staff in the bloc’s next long-term budget, with Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin arguing the hires are needed to carry out the bloc’s new defense and security priorities.
Not everyone is happy: Austria has come out loudly against the Commission’s hiring plans, arguing Brussels should be tightening its belt at a time when national administrations are under pressure to cut staffing levels. “We have to consolidate our national budget. On the other hand in Brussels there is obviously no limit to spending money in administration,” Austria’s Minister for Europe Claudia Bauer told Gregorio Sorgi.
Brussels hosts an EU-South Korea summit tomorrow, the first such event for three years. But what are they going to talk about? A range of topics, including trade (a free trade agreement between the two sides has been in place since 2011), security and defense, as well as AI. Geopolitical topics such as the conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s war on Ukraine will also get a mention. President Lee Jae Myung will represent South Korea, with European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen there for the EU.
TALK TO PLAYBOOK: WhatsApp us on +32 491 050629 and listen from 7 a.m. to hear if we give you a shoutout.
EXCLUSIVE — FAR RIGHT’S FRESH FACE: The newly appointed chief whip of the Patriots for Europe, Marieke Ehlers, has one of the most important jobs on Europe’s far right: turning a movement built on opposing Brussels into one capable of shaping EU laws, Max Griera writes.
The strategy: In an exclusive interview, Ehlers says the mainstream parties’ firewall against engaging with the far right is already crumbling, with the center-right European People’s Party increasingly willing to work with the Patriots. Pragmatism and compromise are opening doors for the Patriots to shape EU law, despite the group still preferring to keep Brussels at arm’s length, she says. “If there’s a left-wing majority, it will be way worse.”
Locked out: The Patriots’ next important task, Ehlers says, is to tear down another firewall — the one that surrounds the European Parliament’s leadership positions. The argument is that the EPP, the Socialists and Democrats and Renew continue to divvy up among themselves vice presidential and committee chair posts, which could otherwise be claimed by the Patriots under proportional allocation. As things stand, the far right doesn’t have a seat on Parliament’s bureau, the body that oversees the institution’s internal functioning — something Ehlers describes as “very undemocratic.”
Non-negotiable: With all leadership positions up for grabs in January and speculation that Parliament President Roberta Metsola could seek Patriots’ support for a third term, Ehlers praises a “semblance of fairness” by Metsola in how she treats MEPs in the plenary and debates, and her management of requests from the Patriots. But, Ehlers adds, her group “cannot support someone who openly commits to upholding the cordon sanitaire” around the far right.
TAKE THE REINS: European leaders are ready to assume the leading role in negotiations to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday.
SIDE EYE FOR SMART GLASSES: Europe is ramping up its warnings over the surveillance risks posed by smart glasses, in what is seen as the next big fight over people’s physical privacy.
OCEANIC PREDICAMENT: The EU wants to plug a gaping hole in ocean research left behind by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The trouble is, the bloc has a lot less cash to splash.
DON’T GIVE UP: Five ways U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to show his administration still has gas in the tank.
FINANCIAL CLOUT: Britain’s banks want to muscle in on Starmer’s Brexit “reset” with the EU, with the sector calling for a “genuinely strategic” partnership between the two sides.
RED CARD FOR SOMALI REF: A World Cup referee from Somalia has been denied entry to the U.S., forcing him out of the event just days before the first match.
WEATHER: High of 18C, light rain.
BAUHAUS LIVES! One of the EU’s most enigmatic creations, the New European Bauhaus, is back, with the third edition of its annual festival kicking off today.
What is it again? Despite the name, it has little to do with the influential 20th-century art and architectural movement. The New European Bauhaus is a European Commission initiative, launched in 2021, to rethink homes, public spaces and communities through the lens of beauty, sustainability and inclusion. “This year’s festival will provide an opportunity to discuss the future development of this initiative and its contribution to Europe’s clean and fair [energy] transition,” a Commission spokesperson said.
Everyone’s showing up: This year’s festival is part trade fair, part EU conference and part cultural happening, with a strong focus on affordable housing. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will open proceedings tonight, with Commissioners Dan Jørgensen, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Jessika Roswall and Raffaele Fitto all scheduled to appear during the week.
The EU’s Coachella: There’s a music, theater and dance program, running from today to Saturday, with the inflatable sculpture “Happy Heads” making an appearance from Wednesday.
Playbook’s picks: Estonian indie rockers The Boondocks (imagine a Baltic version of Arctic Monkeys) and Italy’s 2024 “X Factor” finalists I Patagarri, bringing their trademark gypsy-jazz-meets-pop sound to Brussels. For dance fans, Saturday offers a workshop with legendary choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker; on Friday, don’t miss the dance duet called Siri, Don’t Die.
SPOTTED … at last night’s reception celebrating the EU-Mercosur interim trade deal, sipping caipirinhas to Argentinian tango: Brazil’s Ambassador to the EU Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva; Argentina’s Ambassador to the EU Fernando Iglesias; Uruguay’s Ambassador to the EU Pablo Sader; Paraguay’s Ambassador to the EU Enrique Franco; EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and team members Bernd Biervert and Chiara Galiffa; Tomas Baert and Alexandra Henman, of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet; MEPs Bernd Lange and Jörgen Warborn; DG TRADE’s Paolo Garzotti, Matthias Jørgensen and Miriam García Ferrer; Head of Cabinet to European Council President António Costa Pedro Lourtie; Ana Apse-Paese, of Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis’ cabinet; Deutsche Welle’s Rosie Birchard; the FT’s Andy Bounds; Borderlex’s Iana Dreyer and Rob Francis; Euractiv’s Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro; and POLITICO’s Camille Gijs.
Also spotted … at Liberty Global’s summer reception, with Italian-approved pizza: Cullen International’s Felipe Olchenski; Teneo’s Magnus Franklin; Connect Europe’s Alessandro Gropelli; Nokia’s Marc Vancoppenolle; Deutsche Telekom’s Christian von Stamm Jonasson; Liberty Global’s Eke Vermeer and Charlotte Matthysen; Vodafone’s Thomas Bihlmayer and Inês Nolasco; Telefónica’s José Manuel García-Margallo; FiberCop’s Giuliana Sebastiani; Fourtold’s Victoria Main; Reuters’ Foo Yun Chee; MLex’s Anna Ferrari; and POLITICO’s Mari Eccles and Gerardo Fortuna.
THEATRE DOUBLE BILL: The Brussels Light Opera Company is performing “Trial by Jury” and “The Zoo” as a double feature on June 11-14. Tickets here. The American Theatre Company performs two one-act plays — “Together” and “Bench” — on June 16-20. Tickets here.
Berlin: The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition is launching its second attempt today to move beyond the bickering and show it can govern.
London: Keir Starmer assembles his Cabinet this morning — with some of those around the table wondering how many more times they’ll meet.
Paris: The political fallout from the murder of a French schoolgirl is set to dominate debate in the National Assembly.
Washington PM: There’s a growing strategic gulf between Israel and the U.S. over the war in the Middle East.
— European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa speak at the New European Bauhaus Festival at 6 p.m. Watch.
— NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte receives Costa and NATO ambassadors at 12:30 p.m.
— European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addresses the Commemoration of the Victims of Soviet Deportations at 1 p.m. and the Wall Street Journal CEO Summit in London at 8:30 p.m.
— EU High Representative Kaja Kallas meets with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee.
— Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Luxembourg with Commission Executive Vice President for Technology Henna Virkkunen attending. Press conference at 5 p.m. Watch.
— Executive Vice President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu participates at the G7 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting and the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
— Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis meets Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the Finnish Parliament’s Grand Committee.
— Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen opens the 20th European Sustainable Energy Week.
— Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra meets with ECB President Christine Lagarde at 6:30 p.m.
— German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosts the World Economic Forum Event on European growth and competitiveness, with EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela attending.
MEP Konstantinos Arvanitis; European Commission’s Krzysztof Nowaczek; Akshay Joshi of the World Economic Forum; EIOPA’s Philip Kitzmantel; AWO’s Mathias Vermeulen; Constance Balsamo from Diageo; Bosnian politician Denis Zvizdić; ZDF’s Shakuntala Banerjee.
Playbook is brought to you by POLITICO’s EU Politics team: Gerardo Fortuna, Nicholas Vinocur, Gabriel Gavin, Zoya Sheftalovich, Max Griera, Mari Eccles, Hanne Cokelaere and Sebastian Starcevic. And: reporters Ferdinand Knapp and Milena Wälde, editors Alex Spence and James Panichi, and producers Dean Southwell and Hugh Kapernaros.
**A message from Google: Europe can have a competitive digital sector without undermining its own high standards of data privacy for European users. Protecting citizens’ data requires reliable anonymization techniques that have been validated by experts and tested for vulnerabilities.**
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