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In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Poland negotiating exemptions from Green Deal provisions, a Czech MEP challenging the EU Commission over the controversial appointment of an SME envoy, and so much more.

The political balance of power that will emerge after the EU elections in June will be a “straightforward call” for the EU centre-right to keep key EU policy portfolios under its helm, Thanasis Bakolas, Secretary General of the European People’s Party, Europe’s largest political family, told Euractiv in an interview ahead of the party’s congress on 6-7 March in Bucharest.

The European Central Bank is expected to freeze interest rates again this week, with officials wary of starting to cut before they see more evidence that recent falls in inflation will be sustained.

Turkey hopes talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine will start soon, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday (3 March), at the end of a diplomatic forum in the southern city of Antalya.

The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) made two key policy changes in its final EU elections manifesto compared to the draft leaked last month, a source familiar with the matter told Euractiv.

Croatia must recognise the Palestinian state as it would send a message that the nation and the EU support the de-escalation of the conflict, the Croatian left-green opposition party Možemo said on Friday, adding that it would include the demand in its programme for the European and national elections.

Czech MEP Martina Dlabajová has challenged the European Commission over its controversial appointment of an EU SME envoy, questioning whether the selection process was based on merit and equal opportunities.

Leaders from Southeast Asian nations and Australia gathered in Melbourne on Monday (4 March) are expected to denounce the "threat or use of force" to settle disputes in the region, a collective swipe at China.

The Polish government is negotiating with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the country to be exempted from some provisions of the European Green Deal, a minister has confirmed to the media.

Draped in an unusual veil of gray, Marseille played host to the Rassemblement National's European election campaign kick-off meeting on Sunday (March 3). Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen emphasized the civilizational aspects of the Europe.

Irina Varlan (Managing Director, GIGAEurope) shares lessons learnt when entering the Brussels Bubble, offers tips for women pursuing careers in predominately male sectors, and inspires us all to challenge ourselves by stepping outside of our comfort zone.

The European Social Democrats elected European Labour Commissioner Nicolas Schmit to be their lead candidate for the upcoming European elections with a large majority on Saturday.

German police briefly detained several people on Sunday (3 March) in Berlin during a manhunt for two members of the far-left militant Baader-Meinhof gang, who have been on the run for more than 30 years.

The Venice Commission, a constitutional advisory body of the Council of Europe (COE), would support Spain’s amnesty law, although it suggests improvements to the text and calls for calm dialogue before approval, according to a draft report seen by Euractiv’s partner EFE.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned on Sunday of the growing threat of a Russian information war after a phone conversation between German officials was intercepted and leaked to Russian media.

Since the start of 2024, farmers have been demonstrating in almost every European country, winning concessions from national governments and opening the debate on measures at the EU level. 

Turkish Cypriots will not sit at any negotiating table unless their sovereignty and equal status is recognised, the leader of the breakaway self-declared state in northern Cyprus told AFP Sunday (3 March).

In this week's edition: European ammo plans take shape, EU defence strategy preview and more.

A senior member of Slovakia's government met his Russian counterpart on Saturday (2 March) in a rare high-level encounter between a European Union member state and a country the EU has sought to isolate.

Mediators expected to reconvene in Cairo as soon as Sunday (3 March) and search for a formula acceptable to Israel and Hamas for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, sources with knowledge of the talks said, after foreign governments resorted to airdrops to aid desperate civilians in the Palestinian enclave.