Summary of the day
The French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said “there is and there must be a French agricultural exception.”
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said “we have asked to have clear measures on imports from Ukraine.”
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán reiterated that his government it is now open to providing Ukraine aid from the EU budget, as long as a unanimous decision would be taken every year to allow assistance to continue – effectively giving Budapest an annual veto.
Frustration deepened in EU capitals over Hungary’s position on long-term financial assistance to Kyiv, ahead of a key leaders’ summit scheduled for this Thursday.
The centre-right European People’s party group spokesman on budgets, the Portuguese MEP José Manuel Fernandes, said today that leaders should not give in to “blackmail” from Hungary’s leadership.
Daniel Freund, a German Green member of the European parliament, has cautioned that the EU should not link its quest to bring Orbán onboard with the Ukrainian aid package to rule of law sanctioning mechanisms.
The 20-nation eurozone has narrowly avoided recession after the region’s economy flatlined at the end of 2023, official figures show.
Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, said today “we need to press ahead with using Russia’s frozen assets for Ukraine.”
Alexander Stubb, a centre-right former prime minister, is the favourite to win the second round of Finland’s presidential election, according to a new poll.
Attal calls for 'French agricultural exception'
Speaking before the National Assembly today, the French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said that farmers should be subject to exceptions, Reuters reported.
He said:
Our agriculture is a strength and our pride as well. So, I solemnly say it here, there is and there must be a French agricultural exception.
The prime minister added:
I am lucid in the face of the accumulation of standards, decisions that come from above and sometimes fall we don’t know where (...) Farmers also have doubts and await answers and solutions.
