All posts tagged: Lithuania

German police detain 2 men suspected of warship sabotage – POLITICO

German police detain 2 men suspected of warship sabotage – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The Hamburg authorities said they were looking into who else might be behind the attacks. German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter, from the ruling coalition Christian Democrats, told POLITICO on Tuesday: “The modus operandi and the apparent objective fit a Russian pattern of using targeted acts of sabotage against militarily relevant and critical infrastructure to prepare for attacks and spread terror in Germany through hybrid methods.” However, he added: “It is necessary to wait and see whether this assessment applies in this case as well.” Europe has suffered at least 145 sabotage incidents since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a study by the AP news agency. The acts, which have tended not to cause fatalities or significant damage, have disrupted Europe by keeping intelligence, police and prosecution assets busy with cross-border investigations. AP reported that Russia has in some cases used common criminals to perform minor acts of sabotage. In Greece, authorities said the arrest warrant for the Greek national had been issued on Oct. 10 for acts of sabotage against …

Merz plays down Weber’s idea of a European peacekeeping army in Ukraine – POLITICO

Merz plays down Weber’s idea of a European peacekeeping army in Ukraine – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

 “We must focus on the tasks at hand right now,” Merz replied, when asked about Weber’s initiatives. The chancellor added he had no problem with “us repeatedly asking institutional questions” on making Europe more powerful and united, and stressed that “these are questions that need to be discussed again and again.” However, Merz showed little appetite for getting bogged down in the sweeping European reforms that Weber’s proposals could require. “Achieving treaty changes in this European Union of 27 is a rather difficult task,’ the chancellor said. “I advocate that we first and foremost concentrate on the tasks that are now on the table.” He said those were improving defense capabilities and the continent’s flagging industrial competitiveness. While Merz was cool on Weber’s proposals about a European army, his government has still to decide on its commitment to German peacekeepers in Ukraine. While Berlin is not as forward as Britain and France in raising the possibility of providing peacekeepers, Merz has insisted: “We are not ruling anything out in principle.” Germany also stresses it is …

Queen Mary of Denmark makes poignant outfit choice as she joins husband King Frederik at glittering state banquet in Lithuania

Queen Mary of Denmark makes poignant outfit choice as she joins husband King Frederik at glittering state banquet in Lithuania

Published by Daniella Wilson

Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark pulled out all the stops on Wednesday night as they attended a glittering state banquet in Lithuania.  The royal couple are currently on a two-day visit to the country, and joined President Gitanas Nauseda and his wife, Lithuania’s First Lady Diana Nausediene, at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius for the glamorous occasion.   Queen Mary, 53, looked elegant as ever in a floor-length, long-sleeved burgundy gown by designer Elie Saab, complete with cape detailing, pinning King Frederik’s portrait order to the front.  She added the stunning Diamond Necklace Tiara, believed to be a personal favourite of the monarch, as she bought it herself at auction in 2012 from the Bruun Rasmussen house in Copenhagen. She completed the look with matching diamond earrings and a statement ruby ring that previously belonged to King Frederik’s grandmother, Queen Ingrid.  © Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima King Frederik and Queen Mary attended a state banquet The King and Queen were awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great, which …

Warum die Koalition gerade ein Momentum hat – POLITICO

Warum die Koalition gerade ein Momentum hat – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und für alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Unser Berlin Playbook-Newsletter liefert jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Hier gibt es alle Informationen und das kostenlose Playbook-Abo. Mehr von Berlin Playbook-Host und Executive Editor von POLITICO in Deutschland, Gordon Repinski, gibt es auch hier:  Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbHAxel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 BerlinTel: +49 (30) 2591 0[email protected]Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 BUSt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna Source link

6-way bidding war emerges for ECB vice presidency – POLITICO

6-way bidding war emerges for ECB vice presidency – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Eurozone finance ministers are set to pick the winner behind closed doors in a secret ballot when they meet in Brussels for this month’s Eurogroup meeting on Jan. 19. The winner will need at least 16 votes from the 21 ministers, representing around 65 percent of the eurozone’s population. Eurozone leaders formally propose the candidate to succeed the outgoing vice president, Luis de Guindos, whose eight-year term ends on May 31. The European Parliament and the ECB are entitled to an opinion about the final pick. Northern European applicants make up the bulk of the contenders, with Finland’s central banker, Olli Rehn, facing competition from Baltic neighbors. These include his central banking peers, Estonia’s Madis Müller and Latvia’s Mārtiņš Kazāks. Lithuania’s former finance minister, Rimantas Šadžius, completes the Baltic round-up. The other two applicants come from Southern Europe: Portugal’s ex-Eurogroup president, Mário Centeno, and the Croatian central bank governor, Boris Vujčić. The candidates are tentatively scheduled to face questions from MEPs behind closed doors before finance ministers meet on Jan. 19. Source link