Good morning from Brussels.

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss a highly contentious issue: defence spending. 

However, in her analysis, Aurélie Pugnet writes that we should not expect much. 

Spending isn’t really on the agenda and the discussion will rather focus on what equipment is missing that member states could jointly buy, as well as how the EU can help pay for it. 

Meanwhile, the meeting will likely be overshadowed by Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. 

As Europe seems to be next on Trump’s list, an EU spokesman commented that the bloc would respond “firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods”.

At a time when the far right is resurgent across the continent, Europe’s silent majority needs strong voices more than ever. And we want to offer them a forum, writes Euractiv’s Editor-in-Chief Matthew Karnitschnig. 

In the field of tech, Euractiv has mapped all DeepSeek-related open investigations and requests for information from European data protection authorities. 

PARIS

The French government of Prime Minister François Bayrou could fall this week as candidates to succeed Emmanuel Macron are already lining up to claim the presidential prize. Read more.

French government future uncertain ahead of budget vote. Just two months after Michel Barnier’s cabinet collapsed, France faces renewed political turmoil as PM François Bayrou prepares for a no-confidence vote on Wednesday over the 2025 budget, which includes over €50 billion in cuts. With uncertainty at its peak, the government’s future hangs in the balance. Read more.

France appoints new ambassador to Moscow after months of vacancy. Nicolas de Rivière, formerly France's Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council in New York, has been formally appointed Ambassador to Moscow. Read more.

///

BERLIN

Germany gives Big Tech a passing grade in elections stress test. Major social media platforms have passed a stress test in Bonn designed to help ensure integrity in the upcoming German election, but the non-binding nature of the process and the lack of fines and sanctions raise questions about its effectiveness. Read more.

ROME

Meloni’s migration deal with Albania fails once again. The Italy-Albania migration deal has hit yet another wall after a Rome court ordered that migrants be sent back - again. Read more.

///

MADRID

Can the EU Parliament’s own MAGA movement bring down EPP and S&D? Inspired by Donald Trump's MAGA slogan, parties aligned with the Patriots for Europe group will gather in Madrid on Friday and Saturday under the banner "Make Europe Great Again" (MEGA), aiming to disrupt the dominance of the EPP and S&D groups in Strasbourg. Read more.

LONDON

If Olaf Scholz and Keir Starmer needed a reason to justify their meeting on Sunday, Donald Trump delivered it right on cue. Read more.

COPENHAGEN

Denmark bets on exports to Germany to beat offshore wind doldrum. The Danish government is looking to rejuvenate its offshore wind industry with EU backing after a failed auction last year left it in the doldrums. Read more.

PRAGUE

Czech public media face growing threats as opposition leader Andrej Babiš, widely regarded as a frontrunner in this autumn’s general election, advocates for direct state funding of broadcasters. His proposed reforms, mirroring those in Slovakia and Hungary, have sparked concerns over potential political influence on public media. Read more.

///

WARSAW

Tusk downplays significance of Trump’s EU tariff threats. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU Council’s rotating presidency, sees no immediate reason to fear potential U.S. tariffs on EU goods. While acknowledging the issue as a concern, he emphasized that Poland is prepared for various scenarios. Read more.

///

BRATISLAVA

Slovak Christian Democrats oppose Fico’s controversial constitutional reform. The opposition Christian Democratic Party (KDH) has announced it will not support Prime Minister Robert Fico’s proposed amendments, which seek to define only two genders, ban adoption by same-sex couples, and establish the primacy of Slovak law over EU regulations. Read more.

SOFIA

Sanctioned Russian cleric visits Bulgaria at the request of the Bulgarian Patriarch. Nikolai Balashov, a senior Russian Orthodox priest sanctioned by Ukraine and reportedly a former KGB colonel general, was granted entry into Bulgaria following the Patriarch’s invitation and insistence. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

Romania’s coalition parties unite behind Antonescu’s candidacy. Crin Antonescu officially secured backing for the upcoming presidential election during the extraordinary congress of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Sunday, ensuring that the liberal politician has the full support of the governing coalition. Read more.

• EU: Informal EU leaders meeting at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels expected to focus on defence; NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to participate;
• Joint informal meeting of competitiveness and trade ministers addresses trade and industrial policies alignment, and more;
• Economy and Productivity Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis receives American Chamber of Commerce to the EU CEO (AmCham EU) Malte Lohan;
• Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque meets with President of EU Chamber of Commerce in China Jens Eskelund, and European Chamber Industry representatives delegation; Attends 9th Annual FinTech and Regulation Conference;
• Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath meets with Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico; Delivers opening remarks at Core Group on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine 13th meeting; Meets with Deputy Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Iryna Mudra;
• Sustainable Transport and Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas visits the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), in Lisbon, Portugal;
• Fisheries and Oceans Commissioner Kostas Kadis hosts Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) representatives;
• Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen meets with Director General of Fertilizers Europe Antoine Hoxha; Holds meeting with representatives of BirdLife, the European Environmental Bureau, Greenpeace, and the World Wide Fund for Nature;

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Martina Monti]