Lots of nuance and colourful quotes in Jakob Hanke Vela's update on the scandal (?) brewing around Von der Leyen:

“I had the impression as if the queen bee was under attack and that the whole string of protective bees had to be brought out to defend her'

politico.eu/newsletter/bru…

After some high-level political haggling, the EU is this week set to announce its reshuffle of ambassadors.

This year’s rotations helps create an exit for high-level advisers, including Charles Michel’s chief of staff.

W jacopo barigazzi Jakob Hanke Vela

politico.eu/article/eu-top…

COPA-COGECA European Parliament Bernd Lange Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 Christiane Lambert Lennart Nilsson C.I.B.E. EU Sugar Manufacturers AVEC CEPM INTA Committee Press Marc Fesneau For sugar, there are NO legitimate concerns that merit more than halving imports from 🇺🇦
You have benefited from record prices and your manufacturers have benefited from huge profit increases 2022/23
🇺🇦 needs revenues and 🇪🇺 has sugar deficit. Read:
docs.google.com/document/d/e/2…

Aus Brüssel schickt Annalena Baerbock Grüße an Rolf Mützenich:

Wer den jüngsten UN-Bericht zu russischen Kriegsverbrechen liest, 'der wird aus meiner Sicht nicht wieder darüber sprechen, dass man vielleicht den Konflikt einfrieren sollte.'

Call her lucky but if Trump wins Giorgia Meloni can become even more central, with ⁦Nicholas Vinocur ✍️⁩ and ⁦Hannah Roberts 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇮🇪🇮🇹🇪🇺⁩ politico.eu/article/giorgi…

Ursula von der Leyen’s reelection campaign gets off to a bumpy start | Good story here by Nicholas Vinocur ✍️
politico.eu/article/eu-com…

Significant warning to Orbán from the U.S. ambassador to Hungary.

*** Breaking: Spektakuläre Entscheidung im EU-Rat: Die zunächst ua von 🇩🇪 blockierte Plattform-Richtlinie hat eine Mehrheit - gegen Deutschland und Frankreichs Willen POLITICOEurope ***

Allies are starting to speak out about Scholz' public claim that FR and UK helped Ukraine target missiles — wrote earlier how crazy this is.

Today UK FA committee chair Alicia Kearns MP called his words 'irresponsible and a slap in the face to allies.”
politico.eu/newsletter/bru…

What the new Polish government has done in those few months warrants praise, but much work remains. By placing politics first, the Commission opens itself to the argument that this whole rule of law story was really about getting the PiS government out. 5/

In spite of Germany real support to #Ukraine , Scholz remains a real danger to #NATO coalition.

Brussels playbook as usual useful.

Jakob Hanke Vela

A felony conviction is a felony conviction is a felony conviction…until an appeals court rules otherwise. There is nothing “wrongful” about an independent court reaching a verdict based on the evidence presented, aka rule of law.

Quite the burn by Peter Stano, when asked about Dmitry Medvedev’s latest threats: “He is the eternal Nr. 2, we thank him for always sharing his mental state with us: he would need assistance but I doubt that #Russia ’s healthcare system has the resources.'

POLITICO Berlin Playbook Launchparty 🇩🇪🚀

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday poured cold water on hopes of making substantial progress on Ukraine’s accession before the election.

More in Brussels Playbook with Jakob Hanke Vela jacopo barigazzi Eddy Wax ✍️

politico.eu/newsletter/bru…

Pourquoi l’Occident est en train de perdre l’Ukraine

A lire absolument : ce papier très documenté de Nicholas Vinocur ✍️ qui revient sur la pusillanimité des 🇺🇸🇩🇪mais aussi ce que certains qualifient de “cynisme” de la 🇫🇷 dans la guerre face à Poutine

politico.eu/article/ukrain…

Ursula von der Leyen and the EPP were the driving force behind the EU's Cancer Plan.

Now they're quietly dismantling some of its main planks.

With Paula Andrés and Bartosz Brzeziński

politico.eu/article/tactic…

Twitter has suspended Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia's account – just a day after she set it up and vowed to hold Putin responsible for his death

🚨EU to pull out of controversial energy charter treaty, according to a draft deal between EU countries seen by Camille Gijs and I.

(€)

pro.politico.eu/news/175834