Tusk Visits Moldova: The Secrets Of Poland’s EUCO Presidency

Enlargement will be the priority for Poland’s European Council Presidency. Prime Minister Donald Tusk made that very clear during his visit to Moldova last week – a country that provides an ideal opportunity to make tangible accession progress

This will be in contrast to the inactivity and frequent controversies of the current Hungarian EUCO Presidency (which is ostensibly also focused on enlargement). As the Polish PM said, Poland will have to make up for lost time.

Upcoming on Visegrad Insight:

• Vitaly Portnikov writes why negotiations with Russia will not take place soon.
• Daniel Milo breaks down disinformation trends prevalent in Europe and the Visegrad region.
• Event, Thursday 12 September: How the nationalist agenda is shaping Slovakia’s future – Click here to learn more and register

Draghi report calls for EU defence policy rethink – as Russia is accused of masterminding cyberattacks

GLOBAL/Regional

• On 5 September, the US and nine allied nations – including Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine – formally accused the Russian government of conducting cyberattacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure in 2020, among many other targets.
• The countries pinned the attacks, which largely used a type of malware known as ‘WhisperGate,’ on GRU Unit 29155, a Russian military hacking group.

• The day before, the US also indicted two Russian citizens and seized more than 30 domains related to a campaign to influence the American election. 
• Importantly, the 277-page captured dossier shows how the Kremlin also wanted to influence European powers – including German, French, Italian, UK and CEE actors.
• It was agreed, for example, that ‘first and foremost, we need to discredit the USA, Great Britain and NATO, and secondly,’ convince Germans to oppose the ‘inefficient politics of sanctions.’

• Elon Musk‘s X has agreed to EU demands and will stop processing the personal information of European users to train its AI chatbot Grok.
• This week, the EU’s top court will also rule on a state-aid case over Apple’s €13 billion tax bill, as well as whether Google abused its market power by giving special prominence to its own price-comparison results in online shopping.
• On 11 September, the EU General Court will then rule on a €242 million penalty issued against Qualcomm for abusing its dominance, as well as whether Russia’s National Settlement Depository should remain on the EU’s sanctions list.

• Mario Draghi’s long-awaited report says that the EU’s defence industry faces ‘structural challenges’ that in turn limit the bloc‘s global competitiveness – according to a draft of the report to be published today.
• This means European defence firms must have more access to funding to improve their capacity, know-how and technological edge.
• Also, ‘With the return of war in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood, the emergence of new types of hybrid threats and a possible shift of geographic focus and the defence needs of the United States, the EU will have to take growing responsibility for its own defence and security.’

• It is with this in mind that member states eagerly await commissioner decisions – and who will get sought after (budget/economic) portfolios. 
• Decisions will be made public on 11 September, when President Ursula von der Leyen is confirmed to attend an early morning meeting with the political group leaders to present the structure of the next college.
• According to senior lawmakers, the EP will soon have two new special committees – one on housing and one on ‘democracy’ – and it will also upgrade the defence and health sub-committees to standing committees.

• Turkey has formally asked to join the BRICS group as it looks to forge new ties beyond the EU and Western allies – in what is a clear example to the EU and other candidate countries of how slow progress can hamper relations and EU integration.

Zelenskyy reshuffles Ukrainian government ahead of long winter

UKRAINE