Category: Uncategorized

In recent months, trade friction and China’s support for Russia have resurfaced as flashpoints, dashing any prospect for a feel-good summit.

In a sign of its frustration at how poorly things are going, China cancelled the summit’s second day in Hefei, an industrial city in Anhui province where European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has family links.

The only deliverable is a joint statement on climate issues, negotiations for which were fraught, but finally concluded overnight on Tuesday, with the text sent to Brussels for the approval of EU ambassadors on Wednesday. Otherwise, the pickings are slim.

“The [only other] European deliverable is a substantive, open, direct, good, constructive conversation between the two of us on every aspect of this relationship,” said one official, reflecting just how low the bar has fallen.

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to fine internet users for searching online content that authorities consider “extremist.” 

Unusually, the legislation has drawn criticism from both opposition activists and some pro-government figures.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, approved the bill with 306 votes in favor and 67 against.

The bill will now be sent to Russia’s upper house, where it is unlikely to face major opposition.

What does Russia consider ‘extremist’ content?

Russia‘s Ministry of Justice’s list of extremist materials spans more than 500 pages and contains over 5,000 entries.

These include songs that praise Ukraine and blog posts by the feminist rock band Pussy Riot.

The legislation would impose fines of up to 5,000 rubles (€54 or $64) on anyone who searched for or gained access to content material on the list.

It is still unclear how the bill would work in practice. The question of whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring users’ searches remains unanswered.

Protesters call it ‘something out of 1984’

Several activists and a journalist from the Russian newspaper Kommersant were arrested for protesting against the bill outside the State Duma a few hours before the vote.

Opposition politician and protest organizer Boris Nadezhdin compared the bill to “something out of 1984,” referencing George Orwell’s novel about a totalitarian regime.

Meanwhile, Duma spokesperson said the bill was aimed at “those trying to destroy and ruin Russia” by using the internet.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to fine internet users for searching online content that authorities consider “extremist.” 

Unusually, the legislation has drawn criticism from both opposition activists and some pro-government figures.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, approved the bill with 306 votes in favor and 67 against.

The bill will now be sent to Russia’s upper house, where it is unlikely to face major opposition.

What does Russia consider ‘extremist’ content?

Russia‘s Ministry of Justice’s list of extremist materials spans more than 500 pages and contains over 5,000 entries.

These include songs that praise Ukraine and blog posts by the feminist rock band Pussy Riot.

The legislation would impose fines of up to 5,000 rubles (€54 or $64) on anyone who searched for or gained access to content material on the list.

It is still unclear how the bill would work in practice. The question of whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring users’ searches remains unanswered.

Protesters call it ‘something out of 1984’

Several activists and a journalist from the Russian newspaper Kommersant were arrested for protesting against the bill outside the State Duma a few hours before the vote.

Opposition politician and protest organizer Boris Nadezhdin compared the bill to “something out of 1984,” referencing George Orwell’s novel about a totalitarian regime.

Meanwhile, Duma spokesperson said the bill was aimed at “those trying to destroy and ruin Russia” by using the internet.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to fine internet users for searching online content that authorities consider “extremist.” 

Unusually, the legislation has drawn criticism from both opposition activists and some pro-government figures.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, approved the bill with 306 votes in favor and 67 against.

The bill will now be sent to Russia’s upper house, where it is unlikely to face major opposition.

What does Russia consider ‘extremist’ content?

Russia‘s Ministry of Justice’s list of extremist materials spans more than 500 pages and contains over 5,000 entries.

These include songs that praise Ukraine and blog posts by the feminist rock band Pussy Riot.

The legislation would impose fines of up to 5,000 rubles (€54 or $64) on anyone who searched for or gained access to content material on the list.

It is still unclear how the bill would work in practice. The question of whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring users’ searches remains unanswered.

Protesters call it ‘something out of 1984’

Several activists and a journalist from the Russian newspaper Kommersant were arrested for protesting against the bill outside the State Duma a few hours before the vote.

Opposition politician and protest organizer Boris Nadezhdin compared the bill to “something out of 1984,” referencing George Orwell’s novel about a totalitarian regime.

Meanwhile, Duma spokesperson said the bill was aimed at “those trying to destroy and ruin Russia” by using the internet.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to fine internet users for searching online content that authorities consider “extremist.” 

Unusually, the legislation has drawn criticism from both opposition activists and some pro-government figures.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, approved the bill with 306 votes in favor and 67 against.

The bill will now be sent to Russia’s upper house, where it is unlikely to face major opposition.

What does Russia consider ‘extremist’ content?

Russia‘s Ministry of Justice’s list of extremist materials spans more than 500 pages and contains over 5,000 entries.

These include songs that praise Ukraine and blog posts by the feminist rock band Pussy Riot.

The legislation would impose fines of up to 5,000 rubles (€54 or $64) on anyone who searched for or gained access to content material on the list.

It is still unclear how the bill would work in practice. The question of whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring users’ searches remains unanswered.

Protesters call it ‘something out of 1984’

Several activists and a journalist from the Russian newspaper Kommersant were arrested for protesting against the bill outside the State Duma a few hours before the vote.

Opposition politician and protest organizer Boris Nadezhdin compared the bill to “something out of 1984,” referencing George Orwell’s novel about a totalitarian regime.

Meanwhile, Duma spokesperson said the bill was aimed at “those trying to destroy and ruin Russia” by using the internet.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

Paris thinks the same. “The Franco-German reflex has been rediscovered,” an Elysée official said.

But despite the good vibes and increased cooperation on policy areas involving deregulation and migration, the leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to conceal an uncomfortable reality: The promised restart of the Franco-German engine that long powered the European Union is already sputtering, as Merz and Macron confront a series of intractable divisions on everything from defense to trade.

One of the key differences between the current German chancellor and his predecessor is that Scholz recognized how difficult it would be to resolve the key Franco-German differences, and didn’t want to exert enormous energy to achieve the nearly impossible, one conservative lawmaker focusing on foreign relations told POLITICO.

“Scholz failed because he is smart and simply realized how difficult it is and then lost interest,” the lawmaker said. “We have the desire” to make the Franco-German relationship work, he added, “but it is still difficult.”

New agreement, deeper divisions

Merz and Macron have a lot in common when it comes to their pro-business leanings and desire to see less regulation. Perhaps the greatest example of this was last month’s cooperation between the two leaders to defang a due diligence law meant to bring EU-style protections to global supply chains.

Another area of increasing agreement is on nuclear energy. In May, Merz’s economy minister, Katherina Reiche, signaled that Berlin was prepared to give up its long-standing opposition to classifying nuclear power as a renewable energy source, potentially ending an enduring clash that has complicated EU energy policy. (Merz’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, oppose the move however.)

Paris thinks the same. “The Franco-German reflex has been rediscovered,” an Elysée official said.

But despite the good vibes and increased cooperation on policy areas involving deregulation and migration, the leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to conceal an uncomfortable reality: The promised restart of the Franco-German engine that long powered the European Union is already sputtering, as Merz and Macron confront a series of intractable divisions on everything from defense to trade.

One of the key differences between the current German chancellor and his predecessor is that Scholz recognized how difficult it would be to resolve the key Franco-German differences, and didn’t want to exert enormous energy to achieve the nearly impossible, one conservative lawmaker focusing on foreign relations told POLITICO.

“Scholz failed because he is smart and simply realized how difficult it is and then lost interest,” the lawmaker said. “We have the desire” to make the Franco-German relationship work, he added, “but it is still difficult.”

New agreement, deeper divisions

Merz and Macron have a lot in common when it comes to their pro-business leanings and desire to see less regulation. Perhaps the greatest example of this was last month’s cooperation between the two leaders to defang a due diligence law meant to bring EU-style protections to global supply chains.

Another area of increasing agreement is on nuclear energy. In May, Merz’s economy minister, Katherina Reiche, signaled that Berlin was prepared to give up its long-standing opposition to classifying nuclear power as a renewable energy source, potentially ending an enduring clash that has complicated EU energy policy. (Merz’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, oppose the move however.)

Paris thinks the same. “The Franco-German reflex has been rediscovered,” an Elysée official said.

But despite the good vibes and increased cooperation on policy areas involving deregulation and migration, the leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to conceal an uncomfortable reality: The promised restart of the Franco-German engine that long powered the European Union is already sputtering, as Merz and Macron confront a series of intractable divisions on everything from defense to trade.

One of the key differences between the current German chancellor and his predecessor is that Scholz recognized how difficult it would be to resolve the key Franco-German differences, and didn’t want to exert enormous energy to achieve the nearly impossible, one conservative lawmaker focusing on foreign relations told POLITICO.

“Scholz failed because he is smart and simply realized how difficult it is and then lost interest,” the lawmaker said. “We have the desire” to make the Franco-German relationship work, he added, “but it is still difficult.”

New agreement, deeper divisions

Merz and Macron have a lot in common when it comes to their pro-business leanings and desire to see less regulation. Perhaps the greatest example of this was last month’s cooperation between the two leaders to defang a due diligence law meant to bring EU-style protections to global supply chains.

Another area of increasing agreement is on nuclear energy. In May, Merz’s economy minister, Katherina Reiche, signaled that Berlin was prepared to give up its long-standing opposition to classifying nuclear power as a renewable energy source, potentially ending an enduring clash that has complicated EU energy policy. (Merz’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, oppose the move however.)