There was a festive atmosphere in the Berlaymont on Saturday as the European Commission opened its doors to celebrate Europe Day. EU lawyers dressed in full judicial garb explained the difference between directives and regulations to crowds of children, while volunteers handed out pastéis de nata to drunk Belgians.
I even managed to take a selfie with Ursula von der Leyen – though she came across as even more wooden and tight-lipped than usual. I guess that’s what you call message discipline. See the picture here.
You’re reading Rapporteur on Monday 11 May. This is Eddy Wax, with Nicoletta Ionta in Brussels.
Need-to-knows:
🟢 EU poised to tackle violent Israeli settlers
🟢 Marta Kos to make first trip to Kosovo
🟢 Denmark tests appetite for right-wing coalition
On the roundabout: Síkela’s Velvet Revolution memories
From the capital
Brussels has floated all manner of sanctions on Israel in recent months.
But despite mounting diplomatic pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, EU countries have yet to collectively agree on any concrete measures.
Now, as Viktor Orbán, one of Netanyahu’s closest allies, leaves the stage and settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank intensifies, there’s an expectation that something’s about to give.
Palestinian reports said settlers carried out more than 20 attacks across the West Bank over the weekend, wounding several people and torching homes. Today’s meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels is being closely watched.
None of the big-ticket EU proposals has materialised, with majorities remaining elusive.
Terminating research cooperation, sanctioning far-right ministers and suspending trade preferences for Israeli exporters remain stuck in limbo – blocked by the likes of Italy and Germany, but not off the table.
Instead, momentum is building behind smaller, more attainable steps: a third package of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers, first proposed last September, and measures to curb trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank.
“There’s been a huge increase in settlement construction and planning, we’ll continue to do everything we can to stop that,” Michael Mann, the EU’s ambassador to Israel, said at an event last week. “If we can make a contribution by perhaps adopting some more sanctions (that would be) helpful.”
Mann said Hungary’s change of government means sanctioning violent settlers “may well be possible,” though it’s not a done deal.
Several diplomats and officials told Rapporteur that a political agreement could be reached today, possibly alongside sanctions targeting Hamas operatives.
Hungary was the only country blocking the settler sanctions earlier this year. But the position of the incoming government remains unclear. Anita Orbán is due to be sworn in as foreign minister later this week, so ambassador Bálint Ódor will represent the country today.
As for stopping trade with settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is expected to present ministers with four options, following consultations with Maroš Šefčovič, the trade commissioner.
The first is an outright ban that would require unanimous backing (unlikely). Two further options would effectively choke off trade through exorbitant tariffs or quotas on settlement produce, measures requiring a lower threshold of support. A final option would leave countries to take their own national measures, as Ireland and Spain have moved towards doing.
Both measures – sanctioning violent settlers and curbing trade with settlements – are chiefly about sending a political signal to the Israeli government. EU trade with settlements represents only a tiny share of Israel’s economy, and Donald Trump has already rolled back parallel sanctions imposed under the Biden administration. But the moves are a sign that Europe’s political mood on Israel has shifted, perhaps decisively.
“Land grabs, ethnic cleansing and killings have only increased. The EU cannot stand idly by,” said Barry Andrews, a senior MEP who visited the West Bank last week. “EU Foreign Ministers must agree, at a minimum, new sanctions on settlers. But ultimately only a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement will have an impact.”
Europe meets, Trump tweets
Britain and France will today host defence ministers from more than 40 countries willing to participate in a future mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz – though only once hostilities have ended. The meeting will focus on potential military contributions, echoing the Franco-British efforts to flesh out plans for a postwar force in Ukraine that are close to crystallising. Alice Tidey has more in our FIREPOWER newsletter.
Meanwhile, Trump last night described Iran’s response to his proposal to end the war as “totally unacceptable.”
EU puts the Kos in Kosovo
Marta Kos, the EU enlargement commissioner, will travel to Kosovo on Friday, an EU official told Rapporteur, making her first official trip to the country since taking office in late 2024.
Kosovo is the only Western Balkan country Kos has yet to visit, after earlier planned trips were delayed or cancelled because of the country’s prolonged political crisis. The country is currently governed by a caretaker administration under Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje party, with snap elections set for 7 June.
Although Kosovo is not formally an EU candidate country, it is included in the bloc’s €6 billion Growth Plan for the region, which ties funding to reform progress and economic integration.
Discussions during the visit, according to Euractiv’s Bronwyn Jones, are expected to focus on the deadlines Kosovo must meet to unlock the funds. Several EU countries – Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain – still do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.
The visit also follows the EU’s gradual lifting of measures imposed on Kosovo in 2023, which had included restrictions on high-level visits and the suspension of parts of EU financial assistance.
Denmark tests the waters on the right
Mette Frederiksen has failed in her first attempt to build a left-leaning coalition, and the buck has now passed to a right-wing party to lead talks. But there is only a slim chance that Troels Lund Poulsen, the liberal party chief, will be able to form a government, Magnus Lund Nielsen tells me. Frederiksen is therefore likely to get another shot if or when Poulsen fails.
Also testing the waters to his right, Danish conservative MEP Henrik Dahl said in an interview with Euractiv that Germany should eventually bring AfD into government under a Danish-style “yoke of responsibility,” giving the far-right influence over migration policy but not foreign affairs. “You make these parties more responsible,” Dahl told Magnus.
He argued that mainstream European parties had created populist challengers by failing to address concerns over immigration and deindustrialisation, while praising acting PM Mette Frederiksen for giving “real answers” to voters on migration.
‘Alarming rise’ of antisemitism worldwide
Envoys from more than 30 countries, including the US and EU states, have warned of an “alarming rise of antisemitism across the globe,” according to a statement seen by Rapporteur.
The twice-yearly informal gathering, known as SECCA, is chaired by the EU’s coordinator for fighting antisemitism, Katharina von Schnurbein, and met this weekend in Geneva.
“Antisemitism is a threat to Jews – and that alone would be reason enough to fight it. But it also erodes the very foundations of our democratic and free societies: human rights and dignity, equality, and the rule of law,” the statement said. It also called on social media platforms to “provide solutions to address antisemitic hatred online with applicable legislation.”
No immediate EU talks with Putin
António Costa said the EU will only speak to Russia at the “right moment” as he addressed reporters during his Europe Day celebration on Saturday. He also said he had no intention of disrupting ongoing US-led efforts to end the war in Ukraine. His comments set the record straight after reports last week heavily implied he was actively preparing for such talks. Read the full story.
Clean bill of health for Várhelyi
The Commission on Friday cleared Olivér Várhelyi of wrongdoing and closed an internal probe into his tenure as Hungary’s ambassador to the EU. Media reports last year alleged that he oversaw spying operations at Hungary’s permanent representation in Brussels – accusations he has consistently denied. Balazs Ujvari, a Commission spokesperson, said investigators had identified “no serious security breach.” Read the full story.
Schuman roundabout
MERZ NOT HAPPY: “We will talk with him about this day in Moscow,” said Friedrich Merz over the weekend, referring to Robert Fico’s meeting with Vladimir Putin.
VELVET MEMORIES: Commissioner Jozef Síkela recalled the Velvet Revolution in 1989 during a speech this weekend. “I, along with my girlfriend and friends, stood right here (…) while an attack was being prepared against us – students and other demonstrators for freedom and democracy. I won’t hide the fact that we were afraid at the time … We didn’t know what the police would do.”
The capitals
LONDON 🇬🇧
Keir Starmer wants a reset – with his own country. He’s fighting for political survival after Labour’s bruising local election losses last week, where he was trounced by Nigel Farage’s Reform. The Greens also made strong gains under eco-populist Zack Polanski. Backbencher Catherine West intends to trigger a leadership contest. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has warned Starmer he’s waiting in the wings, while Angela Rayner, his former deputy, gave him a “last chance.” Despite his massive parliamentary majority, Starmer could soon be a goner.
– Eddy Wax
BERLIN 🇩🇪
Vladimir Putin floated former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a possible mediator in the war in Ukraine over the weekend, despite Berlin reportedly rejecting the idea outright. Schröder, a social democrat and longtime ally of Putin, has faced sustained criticism in Germany for maintaining Kremlin-friendly positions since leaving office in 2005. He later worked on Russian energy projects, including Nord Stream, and remained on the board of Rosneft until 2022.
– Victoria Becker
PARIS 🇫🇷
Emmanuel Macron met Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi on Sunday as France sought to reset relations with Africa amid rising Chinese and Russian influence. Macron will co-host a summit with African leaders and business executives focused on investment and economic ties, in what Paris described as the first forum of its kind held in an English-speaking African country.
– Christina Zhao
MADRID 🇪🇸
Speaking at a party rally in Andalusia on Sunday, Pedro Sánchez said the international community viewed Spain’s handling of the Hantavirus outbreak as “exemplary and effective.” Referring to the docking of a ship in Tenerife, where passengers including 14 Spaniards were allowed to disembark after possible exposure, Sánchez said Madrid had followed all emergency protocols required by the WHO and the EU, stressing the government’s “scientific and technical rigour” and commitment to international cooperation.
– Inés Fernández-Pontes
BUDAPEST 🇭🇺
Péter Magyar was sworn in as prime minister over the weekend, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule and promising a sweeping “regime change.” The pro-European conservative, whose Tisza party secured a two-thirds majority, pledged to restore judicial independence, investigate past corruption and repair ties with Brussels. The ceremony, rich in pro-EU symbolism, marked what supporters cast as Hungary’s return to Europe after years of nationalist rule.
– Christina Zhao
TIRANA 🇦🇱
Opposition leader Sali Berisha accused EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato of aligning himself with PM Edi Rama and misrepresenting the opposition’s stance on EU integration to Brussels. The bloc condemned the remarks as “unacceptable” and voiced full confidence in Gonzato. Berisha, who denies corruption allegations against him, was sanctioned by the US in 2021 and indicted by Albanian prosecutors in 2024.
– Bronwyn Jones
WARSAW 🇵🇱
Poland’s former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, facing criminal charges at home and sheltered by Viktor Orbán’s government last year, has fled Hungary for the US, he confirmed on Sunday. The nationalist hardliner, accused of abuse of power and misuse of Pegasus spyware funds, said he was “ready to appear before any court” if Warsaw seeks extradition. Hungary’s new prime minister Péter Magyar has vowed to stop protecting wanted allies.
– Christina Zhao
Also on Euractiv
Europe’s football empire prepares to go to Trump’s America
At a moment when Europe looks politically weak, football may be the last global stage…
5 minutes
At a moment when Europe looks geopolitically diminished, football remains one arena where the continent still commands global admiration, and next year’s World Cup in the US will test how that soft power collides with Donald Trump’s political spectacle.
Glenn Micallef, the EU’s sports commissioner, hopes the tournament stays “free of politics,” but analysts tell Euractiv Europe will dominate on the pitch while Trump dominates off it.
Contributors: Bronwyn Jones, Magnus Lund Nielsen, Alice Tidey
Editors: Christina Zhao, Sofia Mandilara
