Good morning from Brussels, 

Although not officially on the agenda, the leaders of Germany, France and Italy are expected to hold the first talks about the EU’s next top jobs at a G7 meeting in Italy’s Bari before a dinner next Monday in Brussels with other EU leaders. 

A package deal circulating in Brussels suggests a second term for Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president, Portugal’s Socialist Prime Minister António Costa as European Council chief and Maltese MEP and incumbent European Parliament President Roberta Metsola returning to her role.

The EU’s top diplomat job is slated for a liberal politician and could fall to Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas or even Belgium’s outgoing counterpart Alexander De Croo. 

Politically, contrary to pre-election projections, a quick package deal could not be ruled out.

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing an internal battle, and a deal on the EU top jobs before the first round of the parliamentary elections on 30 June may be in his interest. EPP sources tell Euractiv that Macron will seek to be “constructive” and avoid “creating a front” with Brussels given the turmoil at home. 

For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz feels political pressure in Berlin after scoring behind the centre-right CDU and far-right AfD in the EU elections. Moreover, his coalition partners are setting conditions for supporting EPP candidate Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination. 

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has said it’s “too early” to discuss the case of von der Leyen, with sources suggesting that she eyes a big portfolio in the next executive. 

But what could happen still to prevent von der Leyen?

Alexandra Brzozowski and Alessia Peretti report from Bari.

Meanwhile, in Lisbon, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro did “the right thing” in clarifying the government’s support for António Costa’s possible candidacy for the presidency of the European Council.

On the G7 agenda, though, other difficult topics are on the table: A deal on a plan to use the windfall profits from the interest on €300 billion of immobilised Russian central bank assets to provide Ukraine with a large up-front loan as well as China’s support for Russia. Read the whole story. 

At a conference in Berlin, political decision-makers and business leaders focused on renewable energy as a key solution to secure Kyiv’s electricity supply. Nathan Canas has the details.

The EU will impose additional tariffs of 17.4% to 38.1% on electric cars produced in China, the European Commission announced on Wednesday, prompting strong condemnation from the Chinese government, which threatened to “take all the necessary measures” to defend its companies. Jonathan Packroff has more.

Concerns were also raised by Czech carmakers, who argue that the move may not solve problems related to Chinese competition and could prove counterproductive, similar to the situation in Berlin.

Last but not least, triggered by proposed new rules on electric transformers, European power sector representatives have written to the European Commission to outline their wider issues with the EU’s approach to regulation.

PARIS

France’s Marine Le Pen and the rest of the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) party opposed the idea of welcoming back Germany’s AfD party into their European Parliament group on Wednesday after it was kicked out due to a series of scandals, several sources confirmed to Euractiv. Read more.

Newly elected Reconquête! MEPs go against party founder Zemmour. In a surprising turn of events, four of the five newly-elected MEPs from the French far-right party Reconquête! (ECR), including party leader Marion Maréchal, openly criticised party founder Eric Zemmour on Wednesday. Read more.

Macron attacks ‘extremes’ and conservatives as he enters campaign race. French President Emmanuel Macron lashed out at the political ‘extremes’, and the conservative leadership’s decision to ally with the far right, dubbing them “anti-Republican,” in Wednesday’s two-hour press conference during which he informally launched his election campaign. Read more.

Experts: France will not submit its national energy and climate plan to Brussels on time. Given the current political situation in France, it is almost impossible for the government to submit its national energy and climate plan (NECP) to the European Commission by the 30 June deadline, according to several French energy and climate experts. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany presents new military service model to start conscription from next year. After months of anticipation, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a new military service model for Germany on Wednesday, announcing plans to recruit 5,000 conscripts annually starting in 2025. Read more.

German car industry, government react against EU EV tariffs as BMW faces 21% duty. The German car industry association VDA and senior government ministers criticised the EU’s preliminary tariffs on China-made electric cars announced on Wednesday, which will also hit European companies producing in China, such as BMW and Dacia. Read more.

LONDON

UK Conservatives double down on Rwanda deportations ahead of snap July election. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented his Conservative Party’s manifesto for the snap general election on 4 July under the banner of a “secure future”, pledging to cut taxes and doubling down on the deportation of migrants to Rwanda. Read more.

ROME

Italy has worked to torpedo language on sexual and reproductive rights included in the G7 draft communiqué, Euractiv has learned. Read more.

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MADRID

Thirty-three migrants died at sea each day trying to reach Spain this year – NGO. Between January and May this year, a total of 5,504 migrants – almost 33 deaths a day, or one migrant every 45 minutes – died trying to reach Spain by making the treacherous sea crossing, a report by a Spanish NGO revealed on Wednesday. Read more. 

Spain’s PP urges von der Leyen to help block controversial amnesty law. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen should help put a stop to the controversial amnesty law that pardons hundreds of Catalan separatist activists for illegal acts committed between 2011 and 2023, Dolors Montserrat, the lead candidate of Spanish Partido Popular (PP/EPP) that came first in the European elections, wrote in a letter to her EPP colleague von der Leyen on Wednesday. Read more.

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ATHENS

Greece’s mainstream parties in crisis mode after EU elections. The EU elections’ results have disappointed all mainstream parties in Athens as Greeks turned their backs on all politicians with an all-time high abstention rate. Read more.

Greek PM hints at cabinet reshuffle after EU vote disappointment. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hinted at a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, saying “corrective measures” were required after his centre-right party performed less well than expected in the European Parliament election. Read more.

Greece must reform to protect tourism, ombudsman says. Greece needs to reduce rampant construction and protect water resources and coastal areas if it wants to maintain a healthy tourism industry across its mountainous mainland and beach-lined islands, the country’s ombudsman said in a report on Thursday. Read more.

PRAGUE

The possible introduction of significant trade tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, announced by the European Commission on Wednesday, has raised concerns among Czech carmakers, who argue that the move may not solve problems related to Chinese competition and could prove counterproductive. Read more.

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WARSAW

Three Poles convicted of participating in killing Dutch journalist. Three Polish men were sentenced to up to 28 years in prison by an Amsterdam court on Wednesday for their role in the murder of Dutch crime journalist Peter de Vries. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Hungary strikes opt-out deal, says won’t obstruct NATO’s aid to Ukraine. After a day of “difficult” negotiations, Hungary confirmed on Wednesday that it will not hinder future NATO military aid to Ukraine, but was also promised the right not to take part in such efforts. Read more.

WESTERN BALKANS

Without proactive approach, EU risks further unravelling in Western Balkans. For nearly 30 years following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the violent break-up of Yugoslavia, our two countries were divided over the “name dispute”, which obstructed the relations between our peoples and weakened regional stability and the European perspective of the Western Balkans, write Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev. Read more.

• EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council convenes to discuss legislative proposal to combat child sexual abuse, Schengen Package 2024, asylum and migration, and more;
• G7 summit expected to address situation in Middle East, climate change in Africa, migration, artificial intelligence, and more;
• Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič delivers keynote speech on “Opportunities and challenges for the next political cycle” at Eurochambres Congress 2024, in Antwerp, Belgium; Meets with President of Eurochambres Vladimir Dlouhy;
• Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson delivers keynote speech at event “Empowering Europe’s Solar Future”, organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA);
• Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit meets with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General Gilbert Houngbo, in Geneva, Switzerland;

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