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In today’s news from the capitals:

HELSINKI

Even though Finland has a sizable military force and reservists, less than half the population is confident the country could defend itself against a large-scale military attack, according to a new survey by think tank Finnish Business and Policy Forum. (EVA). Read more.

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BERLIN

Berlin is getting closer to the expropriation of Gazprom assets. Following Russia’s announcement of sanctions against 31 European utilities, including Gazprom Germania, the German government is moving closer to expropriating Gazprom’s German subsidiary and related assets. Read the full story here.

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PARIS

The Court confirms that Zemmour’s controversial remarks did not deny the Holocaust. The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed on Thursday that far-right expert Éric Zemmour did not deny the Holocaust when he said French wartime leader Philippe Pétain ‘saved’ the Jews, though this is contradicted by well-documented historical evidence. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria invests 1 billion euros in healthcare reform. The Austrian government has presented more than 20 measures to improve the working conditions of professionals in the care sector. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

DUBLIN

Tensions rise in Ireland over the threat of British protocol. Irish officials continue to push back against the UK government over its reported intention to unilaterally scrap large parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Read more.

NORDIC AND BALTIC

STOCKHOLM

Sweden simplifies administrative procedures for Ukrainian refugees. The Swedish government wants to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to work in Sweden by streamlining their administrative procedures, Integration and Migration Minister Anders Ygeman announced Thursday at a press conference. Read more.

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VILNIUS

Encrypted copies of state databases stored outside Lithuania. Encrypted copies of the most important national databases are stored not only in Lithuania, but also in one of the data centers of a NATO country for the first time in history. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

VALLETTA

Metsola: It is up to the EU to convince the states opposed to the modification of the treaty. It is up to the EU to change the minds of the 10 member states, including Malta which signed a letter opposing the modification of the EU treaty, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told EURACTIV in an interview. Read more.

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ROME

An EU court condemns Italy for breaching the bloc’s pollution rules. the The Court of Justice in Luxembourg condemned Italy on Thursday for failing to comply with the European directive on air quality, some of its cities having exceeded the authorized levels of nitrogen dioxide. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain and Morocco agree to reopen borders with Ceuta, Melilla. Land borders between Morocco and the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla are set to reopen on Tuesday, two years after they were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a diplomatic crisis, the Spanish Interior Minister confirmed on Thursday. , Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Read more.

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LISBON | HELSINKI

The Portuguese president claims that Finland is sovereign in the NATO decision. Finland is sovereign to decide freely on its security, and if it joins NATO, it will mark “a reinforcement at European level”, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday. Read more.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

The Poles are ready for the Russian closure of the Yamal gas pipeline. The Polish government says it is ready to disconnect Poland from Russian gas, as no Russian gas has arrived since April 27 via the Yamal gas pipeline which crosses the country. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechia’s digital shortcomings could be corrected with EU stimulus funds. EU recovery funds could help Czechia address its broadband connection costs and lack of skilled digital staff. Read more.

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BUDAPEST | PRAGUE

Czechia offers refugees with Hungarian passports a train ride to Budapest. Prague is offering refugees with Hungarian passports a free train ride to Hungary and has asked Budapest to quickly provide information on whether Ukrainian refugees in Czechia have dual citizenship with Hungary, the agency reported. Czech press. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia will develop geothermal energy to reduce Russia’s energy dependence. Efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy are accelerating local geothermal projects in Slovakia that were gaining ground before the invasion of Ukraine. Read more.

BALKAN NEWS

SOFIA

Bulgaria launches in-depth investigation into Turkish Stream. Bulgaria will launch an in-depth investigation into the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project that stretches through Bulgaria, as it shows how Russia is using corruption as a tool of foreign policy, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced on Thursday. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croats protest after non-abortion scandal. Thousands of Croats demonstrated in nine Croatian towns on Thursday to demand “an end to the destruction of public health and the neglect of women’s health”. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

The outgoing Slovenian government signs a mega-defence agreement. Slovenia’s outgoing centre-right government has struck a deal to buy 45 eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers from the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), a move the new liberal government intends to challenge. Read more.

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BELGRADE

The Serbian central bank remains optimistic on economic growth. Serbia’s central bank on Thursday raised its key interest rate by 50 bp to 2%, while the executive board decided to raise the deposit and lending facility rates by 50 bp each, to 1% and 3%, respectively – showing that the central bank remains bullish on economic growth. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania is increasing its imports from Ukraine and Russia. Imports to Albania from Ukraine and Russia have soared, both in value and quantity, according to INSTAT data for March. Read more.

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TIRANE | SARAJEVO | BELGRADE

The Albanian parliament refuses to condemn the Srebrenica genocide. An opposition resolution condemning the Srebrenica genocide committed by Serbian troops in 1995 was rejected by parliament on Thursday amid the ruling party’s growing friendship with Serbia. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Commissioner Didier Reynders meets the Minister of Justice in Sweden. Commissioner Hahn meets the President of Austria. Commission Vice-President Vĕra Jourová speaks at the public hearing in the Latvian Parliament and meets the Latvian Foreign Minister.
• Germany: Meeting of G7 agriculture ministers.
• Greece: Visit to Athens by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani
• Slovenia: Opening session of the Slovenian Parliament after last month’s elections
• Serbia, Kosovo: Negotiations aimed at finding a permanent solution to the issue of motor vehicle license plates between Pristina and Belgrade have entered a new round. President Aleksandar Vučić chairs the session of the National Security Council during which Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe will be discussed.
• Jordan: Visit of King Abdullah II to Washington.
• Tajikistan: Meeting of foreign ministers of CIS countries.
• Mauritania: Press conference by UN Special Rapporteur on Modern Slavery Tomoya Obokata at the end of a 10-day mission.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]