Catalans set new red lines to back socialist Sánchez for PM

Good morning from Madrid,

Catalan pro-independence parties have set conditions for supporting a new investiture of acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as Spain’s King Felipe VI begins this week a complex round of consultations with several political parties to determine who has more chance of heading the new executive. Read more.

THE HAGUE

Dutch far left and right parties criticised outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD/Renew) for circumventing parliament following his announcement on Sunday that the country would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. Read more.

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BERLIN

Nearly two in three Germans want a new government. Germany would benefit from a change in government, according to 64% of Germans who responded to a new poll as the country’s three-way coalition kicked off the second semester with a new round of infighting. Read more.

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PARIS

French FM: China must convince Russia to end war in Ukraine. China must do everything it can to convince Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine and strengthen global food security, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a telephone conversation. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austrian ex-Chancellor Kurz charged with perjury. Former conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) has been charged with perjury following allegations that he may have been lying to a parliamentary investigation panel in a corruption affair over the appointments to state holding company ÖBAG. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Belgium faces violent protests, clashes following police shooting. Violent protests and clashes between demonstrators and police erupted in the eastern suburbs of Liège over the weekend after a 31-year-old driver was shot and killed by police on Friday. Read more.

COPENHAGEN | THE HAGUE

Denmark and Netherlands pledge F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Netherlands and Denmark confirmed on Sunday that they would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, in a long-awaited announcement expected to give a boost to Kyiv’s difficult counteroffensive against Russia. Read more.

ATHENS

EU top chiefs and Western Balkans leaders will have an informal dinner on Monday in Athens following an invitation by the Greek prime minister, but Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was not invited amid a growing row between Athens and Tirana. Read more.

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ROME

Italian army general subject of controversy: Meloni’s party in trouble. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing party Fratelli d’Italia (FDI/ECR) is in crisis facing public opinion over the Vannacci case, which involves General Roberto Vannacci, who has been widely criticised for the homophobic, racist and sexist positions he took in his book ‘The World in Reverse’. Read more.

WARSAW

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has criticised Michał Kołodziejczak, the leader of the leading farmers’ movement-turned-political party which joined the opposition Civic Coalition (KO) electoral bloc last week, calling him an agent or an idiot after his comments about the US. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Study: Czech economy falls into middle-income trap. The Czech Republic is facing the biggest turning point in its modern history as it has exhausted all previous growth drivers, lost its competitive advantages and fallen into the so-called middle-income trap, a new study has found. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak agri-chief demands change in ‘thistle instead of wheat’ scheme. Agriculture Minister Jozef Bíreš will ask the European Commission to change rules on buffer strips, which separate single-crop fields to protect soil and promote biodiversity, but a summer ban on landscaping has left them overgrown with allergens and invasive plant species. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria’s two largest parties accused President Rumen Radev of being a risk to Bulgaria’s future in the European Union on Saturday, citing his constant political attacks on the government, his influence in society and the pro-Russian line the country has taken during his administration. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romanian far-right leader slams country’s grain transit deal with Kyiv. Romanian far-right leader George Simion has criticised the deal Romania struck with Ukraine on Friday to double the volume of grain transit from Ukraine, claiming the decision was either an act of treason or plain stupid. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Serbs resign from Kosovo police as president condemns pressure from Belgrade. Seven ethnic Serbs have resigned from their positions in the Kosovo police in the last few days, prompting President Vjosa Osmani to denounce the influence of Belgrade, which she said is behind the action. Read more.

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TIRANA

Summer of discontent between Italy, Albania over tourism, unpaid bills, soothed by Meloni’s visit. Record numbers of Italian tourists in Albania this summer have led to tensions on both sides of the Adriatic, while an impromptu visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smoothed the waters with talks of cooperation and nuclear power, and an Italian dine-and-dash bill being settled by her government. Read more.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]