The Brief – France backstabs Greece
Source: Euractiv
Today’s edition is powered by VDMA
How the Omnibus Regulation can be successful: a 2-step-approach
A two-step approach, including a two-year pause, could quickly cut red tape and provide enough time to thoroughly revise the CS3D, CSRD and EU taxonomy.
The Greeks are furious.
France is mulling selling Turkey the same missiles it sold to Greece in 2021, known as METEOR.
When the Anglo-Americans humiliated France with the AUKUS deal in 2021, Greece stepped in quickly to protect Macron’s Achilles heel: his prestige.
Athens purchased 24 Rafale fighters from France in 2022 to gain an edge in the Aegean vis-a-vis its forever frenemy, Turkey.
France repaid Athens with a military deal with a mutual defence clause – though it conveniently left out exclusive economic zones, as Euractiv first reported, bringing Athens into a difficult position toward Ankara.
Meanwhile, Turkey, barred from buying Rafale or American F-35s after its Russian S-400 missile deal, turned to Eurofighters – jets that, like Rafale, can be armed with METEOR missiles.
Ankara has made its position crystal clear: If Turkey doesn’t get METEOR missiles with the Eurofighter purchase, no deal.
Luckily for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Macron’s memory is short and selective. And the Frenchman now also wants to sell METEOR missiles to Turkey and essentially cancel Greece’s air advantage in the Aegean.
Publicly, France has not admitted it.
But our well-informed sources suggest that Paris has lifted its veto in the METEOR’s six-country consortium, as the other five were pushing – primarily London.
How will the Greece-France defence deal be implemented if Turkey’s French METEOR targets French or Greek Rafales?
Muddling matters further, Germany and some northerners are also pushing for Turkey to be part of the upcoming EU defence umbrella – NATO’s European pillar.
This makes absolute sense, as they are all NATO members. But the reality?
Well, perhaps it’s worth asking Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas how we can work with Turkey if:
1. Erdoğan meets with the terrorist leader of Hamas, which he also considers a liberation army.
2. Erdoğan wants to get rid of the Kurds – who helped fight against terrorist ISIS – in Syria against EU interests.
3. Erdoğan still occupies Europe’s last divided capital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Macron discussed the topic with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today in Paris, though the issues wasn’t on the official agenda. Whether France sells or not, one thing is clear – backstabbing is now the official EU policy – just as Donald Trump wanted.
Roundup
Energy – Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said today that authorities in the breakaway, pro-Kremlin region of Transnistria had rejected an EU-backed deal to receive the gas.
Economy – The European Commission has denounced Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on all US imports of steel and aluminium, arguing that such duties would be unlawful and ultimately harm the American economy.
Defence – NATO allies spent more than €50 billion on military support to Ukraine in 2024, according to internal data shared with Euractiv, but the impact on the battlefield is still difficult to determine.
Health – Disability groups have warned that thousands of disabled people in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and candidate countries are at risk following the stop-work order for USAID staff and foreign aid cuts.
EU Commission – The European Commission will describe continued support for Ukraine as its “foremost priority” in its work programme for 2025, according to a near-final draft seen by Euractiv.
Across Europe
Romania – Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation as Romania’s president on Monday amid growing discontent among the population and even among his own political allies.
Germany – The battle for 5% that will shape Germany’s next government.
Greenland – Beneath Greenland’s icy surface lies a wealth of untapped minerals crucial for the green transition – and for the island’s push toward financial independence from Denmark.
France – President Macron said France will attract €109 billion in data centres and AI projects “in the coming years,” making it the first European country with AI infrastructure on par with the US and China.
The original article: belongs to Euractiv .
