Setting things Strait
A coalition of foreign ministers led by France and Britain will hold an online meeting today to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to my colleague Thomas Moller Nielsen.
The talks – also attended by EU foreign policy chief Kallas – come amid growing US pressure on Europe to help secure the strategically critical waterway. The Financial Times reported that Donald Trump threatened to cut off arms supplies to Ukraine to push EU allies to cooperate.
The meeting follows a Franco-British-led statement by 35 countries last month “condemn[ing] in the strongest terms” Tehran’s “de facto closure” of the strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and gas once passed before the war. Read the full story.
The budget ‘Hunger Games’ await
The Commission’s proposed EU budget overhaul would merge historically separate budget lines, such as agriculture and cohesion, pitting them against one another.
An internal European Parliament briefing, seen by my colleague Victoria Becker, shows most EU states facing cuts. The European Fund, worth €771 billion within the €2 trillion package, would shrink from €759 billion to €698 billion under national allocations – an average drop of 8%.
Slovenia and Ireland would see the steepest reductions, followed by Portugal, Italy, France, Spain, Czechia and Germany, while only six countries gain, led by Luxembourg and Cyprus.
“It replaces a system based on shared European policies with one driven by national political bargaining,” Committee of the Regions President Kata Tüttő told Euractiv, adding that “in practice, this creates a kind of ‘Hunger Games’ between Europe’s core policies.”
Warborn shrugs off far-right backlash
EPP’s lead simplification lawmaker Jörgen Warborn dismissed the claim that he was the first to orchestrate a new alliance between the centre right and the far right, though he acknowledged that his flagship project, “Omnibus I,” marked a turning point.
His remarks follow renewed scrutiny over an EP staffers’ WhatsApp group highlighting ties between the EPP and far-right actors. The Swedish MEP served as lead rapporteur on the sweeping legislation, which introduced new sustainability rules for industry and passed with support from both liberals and, controversially, the far right.
“How the majorities are shaped is of less importance as long as we have good content that we vote through,” he told Rapporteur in an interview. “This game of political play, it's less important,” he added.
Warborn, also the lead MEP on the newly agreed EU-Australia trade deal approved by the Commission, dismissed concerns it could face the same political obstacles as the Mercosur agreement. He expressed regret over elements such as the luxury car tax, but described these as manageable trade-offs.
Euronews restores pulled Orbán-linked story
Euronews has reinstated a sensitive article it removed after Euractiv reported on its disappearance, raising fresh questions over Orbán-linked ownership and editorial independence, according to my colleague Elisa Braun.
The piece detailed declining valuations among firms linked to the Fidesz government, noting that some business figures close to Viktor Orbán appeared to be moving assets abroad as polls suggest a tighter race.
The article, taken down on Friday amid concerns over editorial breaches, reappeared on both Euronews’ English and Hungarian sites on Wednesday with a disclaimer citing a “missing disclosure of ownership interests.” The outlet said the five-day removal was due to an “investigation and correction of the error.”
Euronews later disclosed that its owner has financial ties to 4iG, a Hungarian telecoms group mentioned in the story and, as we previously reported, in Orbán's orbit, while stressing the companies operate independently.
War threatens food outlook
Máximo Torero, chief economist at the FAO, told my colleague Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro that global food supply is stable for now – but warned that a prolonged Middle East conflict could cloud next year’s outlook.
Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, shut by Iran after US and Israeli strikes in late February, which handles roughly 30% of global fertiliser trade, are already constraining access to key inputs for farmers, he said. Read the full interview.
Brussels vaccine ruling complicates Tusk
Donald Tusk criticised a Brussels court ruling ordering Poland to pay around €1.3 billion to Pfizer over unused Covid-19 vaccines, blaming the previous government for what he called a costly mistake.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, found Poland had failed to honour commitments under an EU joint procurement deal during the pandemic. The financial impact is already sparking tensions at home, with Polish media reporting the funds are unavailable and ministries disputing who should cover the cost as a budget deficit looms.
