Good morning from Brussels, 

The backstage talks over the EU top jobs continue after an informal summit earlier this week did not seal a preliminary deal, with the centre-right raising additional questions over the Socialist pick, Portugal’s Antonio Costa. 

“He [Costa] has been too light on migration”, an EPP source close to the talks told Euractiv, adding to concerns over the ongoing corruption probe into Costa’s former government officials.

The EU centre-right source talked about a “positive and creative” atmosphere with the other pro-EU political forces. 

However, the source insisted on keeping the second part of the EU Parliament and EU Council mandates open for discussion at a later stage, something that the EU socialists disagree with.

“We don’t want to commit now as we don’t know what the future political balances will look like. The EPP may be leading Germany with CDU and Spain with Partido Popular”, the source said.  

For their part, the EU socialists note that the EPP cannot push too much in the talks as the EU Parliament remains the EU centre right’s “weakest point”.

Read the full story.

Meanwhile, the EPP on Tuesday welcomed new members, writes Max Griera.

As EU policymakers mull a reform of the EU’s cohesion policy that could see regional governments disempowered, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, president of the EU’s Committee of the Regions (CoR), issued a strong warning against this in an interview with Euractiv’s Jonathan Packroff.

On the China front, European and Chinese panellists said at a Brussels event on Tuesday that EU-China relations are at risk of severely deteriorating if the current trade tariffs “tit-for-tat” develops into a hardline approach from the two blocs.

In the agricultural world, Hungary is set to place food security at the forefront of its agenda as it takes over the EU Council presidency for the next six months starting on 1 July. Meanwhile, the EU triggered the emergency brake on the import of oats from Ukraine.

BERLIN

German hopes are high that Economy Minister Robert Habeck’s trip to China will help address tensions over the recently announced EU tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs). Read more.

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PARIS

France’s far-right leader Bardella wants to become PM – but with conditions. Jordan Bardella, the up-and-coming young leader of France’s far-right Rassemblement national (RN), said he would only become prime minister if his party secures an absolute majority in the National Assembly, as a coalition with other political forces would be close to impossible. Read more.

French legislative elections: A third of far-right RN MEPs stand as candidates. French far-right politicians elected to Brussels are rushing back to Paris, campaigning to take seats in the next parliamentary assembly, with half of the 80 on the EU elections list running at the national level. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

EU’s centre-right welcomes new members, eyes Belgium’s conservative N-VA. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group is set to officially welcome 11 new members at a meeting on Tuesday, but the party leadership is also eyeing a closer alliance with Belgium’s N-VA, currently sitting with the hard right. Read more.

ATHENS

The collaboration among the left and socialists in France ahead of the snap parliamentary elections later this month has sparked a big debate in Athens, with voices calling for Greek progressives to join forces on the rise. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese PM dismisses backlash over Costa endorsement. Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has rejected criticism of his coalition government backing the candidacy of António Costa as European Council president, arguing that there has always been a “great deal of convergence” between his Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Costa’s Socialist Party (PS) on EU issues. Read more.

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MADRID

Spanish prosecutors pave way for Puigdemont’s return. Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday narrowly ruled in favour of the inclusion of embezzlement offences in the recently passed and highly controversial amnesty law – a decisive step towards allowing former Catalan separatist president Carles Puigdemont to return to Spain without facing prosecution. Read more.

BUDAPEST

Orbán’s opponent stays as MEP to lead Hungarian opposition from Brussels. After initially pledging to give up his seat in the European Parliament, newly elected MEP Peter Magyar announced on Facebook late Tuesday (June 18th) that he would stay in Brussels to lead the opposition against Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Read more.

Hungary vows to ‘make Europe great again’ with EU presidency. Hungary on Tuesday (18 June) vowed to “make Europe great again” during its EU presidency starting next month, a take on former US president Donald Trump’s famous campaign slogan. Read more.

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WARSAW

Weber caves under Polish pressure, accepts nominee for EPP vice-head. Under pressure from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform party, EPP President Manfred Weber approved the nomination of Polish MEP Andrzej Halicki as EPP vice-president despite having previously opposed it on the grounds of gender parity. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia backs Mark Rutte for NATO chief in exchange for air defence support. Slovakia will support the candidacy of the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the position of NATO Secretary General, in exchange for assistance from the Netherlands in securing its air defence, President Peter Pellegrini announced on Tuesday following the conclusion of an extraordinary European Council meeting. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgarian president refuses to meet Montenegrin PM after short wait. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who on Tuesday was invited to meet Montenegrin  Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, waited four minutes for his host to show up and left before the meeting took place. Read more. 

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chairs College of Commissioners meeting;
• Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson hosts National Energy Administration of China Director Zhang Jianhua;
• Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski participates in Committee of Regions plenary session for debate and adoption of opinion on CAP future;
• Elisa Ferreira delivers keynote speech at Committee of Regions plenary session on regional innovation valleys (RIVs);

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Liene Lūsīte, Alice Taylor]