Good morning from Brussels.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's "reset" of relations with the EU has so far yielded little, but he may find it easier to strike a deal with Donald Trump.

Analysts spoke to Euractiv’s Nicholas Wallace about Starmer's different options and whether a balanced approach could be achieved. 

NOTE: After more than five years, today is my last day as the editor of The Capitals newsletter. As of Monday, I am handing over to the good hands of our new colleague Vas Panagiotopoulos who will further progress this newsletter with the rest of the newsroom. 

As for me, I will continue my Euractiv adventure as the editor of the PRO services focusing on agriculture, energy, technology and health. 

Thank you for your trust all these years. Euractiv is entering the next level and I will be there.

Sarantis Michalopoulos

Paragon Solutions, an Israeli commercial spyware vendor linked to the surveillance of European journalists and civil society members, has set up shop in the EU’s most powerful country: Germany. Vas Panagiotopoulos writes about the key European hubs for the spyware industry.

Meanwhile, Europe’s NGOs are scrambling for clarity as the evaporation of US humanitarian funding – on top of cuts by many EU capitals – means they are already feeling the squeeze. 

As the EU pushes to slash red tape steps up, labour groups fear consequences for workers’ rights. Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis agreed to conduct periodic “workers’ reality checks”, reports Thomas Moller-Nielsen. 

BERLIN

Germany‘s election frontrunner Friedrich Merz received a boost in a hotly anticipated poll released on Thursday, which suggested that voters are not yet punishing his controversial approach to the far right. Read more.

Sparks of hope for Germany’s struggling car industry. A boost in production and sales of electric cars has injected cautious optimism into Germany's all-important automotive industry, following a years-long slump typified by factory closures and job losses. Read more.

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PARIS

Long-awaited French fighter jets arrive in Ukraine. French-made Mirage 2000 fighters arrived in Ukraine today, potentially giving Kyiv an advantage against Russian forces as peace talks intensify. Read more.

MADRID

EU far-right gathers in Madrid to bolster unity amid Gaza tensions. Leading figures from the far-right Patriots for Europe, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and France's Marine le Pen, will meet in Madrid on Friday and Saturday for a summit organised by Vox to discuss Trump's recent comments about 'taking over' Gaza and relocating nearly two million Palestinians to neighbouring countries. Read more.

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ROME

Meloni-ICC row takes new turn as Hague court opens probe into government. Tensions between Italy and the International Criminal Court have escalated after the court opened an investigation into whether Italy's deportation of Libyan official Osama Njeem Almasri obstructed justice, while the Italian government rejected the probe, questioned the ICC's conduct and suggested that the court itself should be investigated. Read more.

BRATISLAVA

The shots fired in last May’s assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico were not the first -or the only- to target a politician whose authoritarian drift has not stopped him from staying at the top. Read more.

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PRAGUE | BUDAPEST

Hungary’s foreign minister secretly visits Prague to meet opposition. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held a private meeting with opposition leaders in Prague on Thursday and spoke to reporters who approached him about rocky ties with the Czech government. Read more.

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WARSAW

Polish Prosecutors launch coup probe targeting Tusk. Polish prosecutors have launched an investigation into PM Donald Tusk and other top politicians after Bogdan Święczkowski, President of the Constitutional Tribunal filed a complaint alleging they are all guilty of staging a coup. Read more.

Poland on defence spending: autonomy comes with a strong army. Spend a lot and spend it wisely to get the best army and be respected, says Poland's Secretary of State for Defence Paweł Zalewski. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria to gain over €500 Million from military aid to Ukraine. Bulgaria expects €500 million in revenue from military aid to Ukraine over the past three years, after Kyiv's biggest donors agreed to compensate Sofia generously. Read more.

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BUCHAREST | CHISINAU

Moldovan PM Signs €15.4M Grant Deal with EBRD. Moldova will receive an EU grant to interconnect its electricity networks with Romania, with PM Dorin Recean stressing that the EU is helping Chișinău avoid energy blackmail from Russia. Read more.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Vas Panagiotopoulos]