The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, thanks to on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Before you start reading today’s edition of Capitals, feel free to take a look at Europe divided over ban on tourists to Russia, but could tighten visa rules by Alexandra Brzozowski.

European news you deserve to read. welcome to Capitals by EURACTIV.

In today’s news from the capitals:

The end of the much-discussed “grand coalitions” between Europe’s centre-right parties and social democrats has led the European People’s Party (EPP) to seek alternatives on the right side of the political spectrum to form governments.

Elections in Sweden and Italy could see traditionally pro-EU centre-right parties form governments and alliances with far-right and Eurosceptic parties to counterbalance progressive governments formed in countries like Spain, Portugal and Germany. But what could this mean for the European project? Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

EU army and energy crisis support fund among new treaty reform proposals. A group of MEPs have drawn up a plan for EU reform, whose proposals include a new European program to support households and businesses in the face of rising energy and food prices and a European army of 5,000 men. Read more.

EU competences to deal with spyware abuse in question. The question of the EU’s competences to control the use of spyware came to the fore during a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday August 30, during which a Europol representative said that the agency’s mandate was limited to supporting Member States choosing to launch an investigation. Read more.

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YOUR CATCH

EU countries that imposed sanctions on Moscow this year are now considering “emergency” solutions to rising electricity prices while scrambling to find alternative fuel suppliers.

The military outcome of the war can, and probably will be, decided on the battlefield. But what about the geopolitical battle? Has Europe lost the war against Russia? Tell us here.

This survey is part of The Capital’s efforts to build a community of readers. We’ll include your views in Friday’s edition of the Editor’s Take.

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PARIS

France is stepping up its efforts on nuclear power and joining calls for an overhaul of the electricity market. The bloc’s electricity market needs a ‘top-down’ overhaul, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has said, adding there is no energy transition without nuclear tuesday. Read more.

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BERLIN

A nursery with Ukrainian children targeted in an attempted arson. The State Protection Office has opened an investigation into an attempted arson that targeted a day care center attended mainly by Ukrainian children in East Germany, investigators said on Tuesday. Read more.

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THE HAGUE

Dutch employees flee the Baghdad embassy amid riots. Dutch embassy staff had to be evacuated from the Iraqi capital on Tuesday as riots in the city sparked political unrest, according to Dutch media LIT reported. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

LONDON

Johnson envisions a lucrative but uncertain future. Boris Johnson may be a week away from leaving 10 Downing Street, but the future ex-Prime Minister has not given up on his political career. Read more.

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DUBLIN

Defense forces monitor Russian warships off the coast of Ireland. The Irish Defense Force is monitoring the activity of Russian warships which turned around off the country’s coast on Tuesday. Read more.

NORDIC AND BALTIC

HELSINKI

Finnish companies switch to night production, on weekends, before the dreary winter. A growing number of Finnish companies are planning to start production at night and at weekends, as they anticipate higher electricity bills and power cuts during peak hours this winter. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

MADRID

Spanish minister warns of further energy price hikes despite falling inflation. Spain could face a further rise in energy prices from September despite a significant drop in inflation in August due to lower fuel prices, Finance Minister Nadia Calviño warned on Tuesday. Read more.

Spain ready to meet Germany’s energy needs. Spain is ready to meet Germany’s energy needs in the face of “blackmail” from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told Chancellor Olaf Scholz near Berlin on Tuesday. Read more.

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LISBON

The Portuguese Costa approves the resignation of the Minister of Health. Prime Minister António Costa on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Health Minister Marta Temido who said she “no longer able” to exercise the function. Read more.

VISEGRAD

BRATISLAVA

The Slovak Foreign Ministry denounces the Russian Embassy for internal interference. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a protest note to the Russian Embassy, ​​calling for the participation of the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors in the celebrations of the Slovak national uprising organized by the former Prime Minister and now head of the opposition Robert Fico. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechia will push for visa liberalization in Kosovo during the presidency. Czechia wants to advance the Western Balkan agenda, such as visa liberalization for Kosovo, during its stint as EU Council Presidency. Read more.

BALKAN NEWS

SOFIA

Gazprom remains silent on Sofia’s invitation to the gas talks. The Russian state gas company Gazprom has still not responded to the Bulgarian authorities’ invitation to resume negotiations to relaunch the country’s gas supply. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

The ruling party candidate withdraws from the Slovenian presidential race. Marta Kos, the presidential candidate of the ruling Freedom Movement, withdrew her candidacy before the October elections, citing “changed circumstances for personal reasons” in a surprise move just as the election campaign begins in earnest. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Lavrov rejects the ministers’ claim of having abused Serbia’s friendship. Moscow is not trying to abuse Serbia’s friendly relations with Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, denying Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlović’s statement about Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Read more.

Russia behind anti-Pride protests in Belgrade, says political analyst. Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency is behind the protests against holding this year’s EuroPride event in Belgrade because the protest was led by the Russian biker association Night Wolves, said political analyst Dusan Janjić on Tuesday. Read more.

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SKOPJE | TIRANA

Most expelled Albanians and Macedonians from Germany in 2022. Some 6,198 foreign citizens were deported from Germany between January and June 2022, with Albanians and Macedonians topping the list of returnees, according to data from the German federal authorities. Read more.

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PRISTINE

Lajçak claims the October deadline for issuing license plates in Kosovo. EU special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak, says there is a two-month deadline for the two countries to find a solution to the issue of vehicle license plates. Read more.

Kosovo’s energy crisis takes another hit as the power plant suffers technical problems. Kosovo’s energy crisis continues to worsen as the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) now only operates with one thermal power plant due to a technical failure. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania’s coffee culture is the latest victim of inflation. In parts of the Albanian capital of Tirana, up to half of all cafes are closing due to rising costs – including energy and products used – and falling spending as Albanians tighten their purse strings, according to the Bar and Restaurant Association. Read more.

15,000 Albanian asylum seekers in the UK and EU in the first half of 2022. UK government data shows that some 4,729 Albanians sought asylum in the UK between January and June 2022, of whom 2,165 arrived illegally by boat while another 9,500 did so in EU member states. EU. Read more.

Agenda

• EU: Informal meeting of foreign ministers, chaired by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.
• European Parliament committee meetings.
• Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev meet for EU-mediated talks.
• Germany:Gthe government cabinet concludes a two-day retreat.
• France: President Emmanuel Macron meets European Council chief Charles Michel on Wednesday morning.
• 25th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
• UK: Last Conservative Party leadership hustings, candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak attend.
• Royal Mail postal workers strike over wages.
• Czech Republic: Forum 2000 International Conference on Ukraine.
• Russia: Nord Stream gas pipeline closed for maintenance work.
• Ukraine: ICRC Director General Robert Mardini holds a press conference.
• Afghanistan: Anniversary of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
• Indonesia: Ministerial meeting of the G20 Environment and Climate.

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