I asked @vestager whether her two wins in the EU's top court today -- against Apple and Google -- were a vindication of her work as the EU's competition commissioner over the past 10 years
Here's what she said 👇
🇱🇧 (EN/FR/NL) I came to Beirut today to show our full support to the Lebanese authorities and to express our deep solidarity with the families affected by the violent conflict opposing Israel to Hezbollah. Just before I was commending President Aoun for offering to open official negotiations with Israel towards a ceasefire, Israel launched, with no previous warning, one of the most massive strikes since the beginning of the hostilities, allegedly causing hundreds of civilian victims. We were at the embassy with my delegation, just a few hundred metres from where the missiles struck. This must stop. The ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran must include Lebanon!
——
Je suis venu aujourd’hui à Beyrouth pour manifester notre soutien total aux autorités libanaises et exprimer notre profonde solidarité avec les familles touchées par le violent conflit qui oppose Israël au Hezbollah. Peu avant de féliciter le président Aoun d’avoir proposé d’entamer des négociations officielles avec Israël en vue d’un cessez-le-feu, Israël a lancé, sans aucun avertissement préalable, l’une des frappes les plus massives depuis le début des hostilités, qui aurait fait des centaines de victimes civiles. Nous étions à l'ambassade avec ma délégation, à quelques centaines de mètres seulement de l'endroit où les missiles ont frappé. Cela doit cesser. Le cessez-le-feu entre les États-Unis, Israël et l'Iran doit inclure le Liban !
——
Ik ben vandaag naar Beiroet gekomen om onze volledige steun te betuigen aan de Libanese autoriteiten en om onze diepe solidariteit te betuigen met de families die getroffen zijn door het gewelddadige conflict tussen Israël en Hezbollah. Net toen ik president Aoun prees voor zijn aanbod om officiële onderhandelingen met Israël te starten met het oog op een staakt-het-vuren, lanceerde Israël zonder enige voorafgaande waarschuwing een van de zwaarste aanvallen sinds het begin van de vijandelijkheden, waarbij naar verluidt honderden burgerslachtoffers zijn gevallen. We waren met mijn delegatie in de ambassade, op slechts een paar honderd meter van de plek waar de raketten insloegen. Dit moet stoppen. Het staakt-het-vuren tussen de VS, Israël en Iran moet ook Libanon omvatten!
@BelgiumMFA@BelgiumLebanon
'the smell of scorched paper fills the air, clinging to your hair and clothes...a small rectangle of paper the size of a driver’s license can cost up to $800'
what an investigation
https://t.co/BGPsD72Hgg
NEW: Documents reviewed by @business show that deep inside Russia’s war machine, the economic pain is real and the situation for many firms is deteriorating fast.
The industry association in Nizhny Novgorod set out a litany of troubles facing companies in a letter, assessment and survey - all reviewed by @business - sent to a top regional official earlier this month, asking for help as it highlighted a sharp fall in investments, profits, orders and production amid a massive rise in borrowing costs and overdue payments.
The situation is described as one of "serious concerns" with several firms now operating in "critical conditions", facing job cuts and depleting reserves.
Not one civilian firm recorded a rise in order compared to a year ago - and the struggles are seeping into Russia's military industrial complex too.
Belgium's defense minister (N-VA) is pulling no punches today:
👉 tells EU leaders (in a tweet about Friedrich Merz) to shut up about the nuclear deterrent
👉 says brussels government is a failure in its first week on the job and the whole system needs to be reviewed
De Brusselse regering is een sof. Geen respect voor de Vlamingen/Nederlandstaligen, geen geloofwaardige budgettaire tabel, geen coherent plan. Gelukkig zijn ze allemaal op tijd kunnen gaan skiën. ⛷️
De PS en de MR gaan 3 jaar ruzie maken op kap van de Brusselaar en al de rest. Het is een verloren gewest. We moeten dat allemaal herbekijken in 2029. Zo kan het niet verder.
The EU keeps its arms embargo on Zimbabwe for exports that could be used for repression... but says it wants deeper ties on trade and investment
https://t.co/zIj6tLXorP
High-tech boats, new methods of concealment to avoid forensic tests and at-sea transfers -- new from me on how Europol thinks cocaine traffickers to Europe are changing their tactics to avoid enhanced scrutiny at the EU's largest ports
https://t.co/48qzI6Iu7g
High-tech boats, new methods of concealment to avoid forensic tests and at-sea transfers -- new from me on how Europol thinks cocaine traffickers to Europe are changing their tactics to avoid enhanced scrutiny at the EU's largest ports
https://t.co/48qzI6Iu7g
🔥 Europe’s trade deal with #Mercosur just hit the brakes — and the political map of the European Parliament looks more fractured than ever. The vote to refer the deal to the EU Court exposed deep cracks across all major groups👇
I have a piece out today about trappist breweries (5 of the 11 remaining are in Belgium, owned by benedictine monks) and what we stand to lose if they disappear
W/@KatRosskopf
🍺👇
https://t.co/9kH0AFFnWt
Things take an unexpected turn...
-- Leaders consider a new plan to use joint debt to loan as much as €90 billion to Ukraine
-- haven't been able to agree a loan backed by frozen Russian assets
-- details according to draft
via @AlbertoNardelli
https://t.co/eGs1vk6nFZ
The EU is doubling down on the pursuit of equality and won't follow the US in its diversity backlash, commissioner @hadjalahbib tells me ahead of the launch of the Commission's new LGBTQ strategy
Full story here:
https://t.co/dgp6d3oUX2