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In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the Spanish VOX party not backing a second von der Leyen bid, EU elections in Estonia kicking off with technical difficulties, and so much more. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday that he would likely be the EU centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) main negotiator after the European elections on 9 June.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has hinted that Sofia may reassess support for Serbia's EU membership because of how Belgrade treats the Bulgarian minority in the country.

Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti (Lega/ID) and EU Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto (Fratelli d'Italia/ECR) have dismissed rumours they are in the running to become the next commissioner for Italy.

The European elections began on Monday in Estonia, with people voting in person and online amid technical problems with the online voting platform.

The French government survived two no-confidence votes in response to its announcement of further budget cuts on Monday, a development that threatens to erode further the already dwindling popularity of President Emmanuel Macron's camp ahead of Sunday's European elections.

The far-right VOX party will not support a second term for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU/EPP), Jorge Buxadé, the lead candidate of the Spanish 'ultra' party, told Spanish public media RNE on Monday, adding her group in the European Parliament almost always sides with the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) on key EU issues.

Latvia's conservative-nationalist party Nacionālā Apvienība (ECR) is leading the polls ahead of the European elections, beating even the ruling coalition Jaunā Vienotība (EPP), but with 16 lists currently vying for at least one of Latvia's nine seats, the results are too close to predict.

Our tour of the EU this time focuses on unfair trade practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain, such as late payments or sales below production costs.

German conservative parties CDU and CSU (EPP) have launched a campaign against the de-facto ban of new combustion engine cars as of 2035, an issue the party says is critical for the EU election.

Austrian diplomats will present a note pushing for quick adoption of the proposal to lower the protection status of wolves at a Council meeting on Monday (27 May) but EU countries are split on the issue, with a group of capitals calling for more data on the level of threat posed by the species.

The Commission said the office is progressing rapidly, but stakeholders are concerned about the timeline and lack of leadership.

After the second EU election debate, everyone talked about von der Leyen leaving the door wide open to Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right Fratelli d’Italia. But does the Commission president also tolerate the party’s questionable stance on LGBTIQ+? Her answer was decidedly ... evasive.

The new European Commission president must not collaborate with far-right forces, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on Friday (24 May), amid signs that the current Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is eyeing closer collaboration with hard-right parties if she wins a second mandate. 

Austria's Greens have been contending with attacks against their lead candidate Lena Schilling, based on leaked chats and statements from former friends and allies, which the party says are orchestrated by left-wing rivals. 

Despite the presentation of a new compromise text from the Belgian presidency, national experts could not find an agreement to unblock one of the agrifood unfinished dossier of the legislature.

Welcome to Euractiv’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.

Two weeks ahead of the European elections, the main EU parties' lead candidates for the next European Commission president met twice this week to discuss their key priorities, with economy featuring prominently - and blurring party lines.

EU specific support to oilseeds production and a joint public-private effort in research are key elements to increase the supply of EU-made proteins for animal feed, the bloc's executive recommended in a study published today (24 May).

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognises the current battlefield lines, four Russian sources told Reuters, saying he is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond.