Good morning, Brussels. Angela Skujins writing this mid-week bulletin, where a transatlantic turf war is brewing in Ankara that shows no signs of abating.
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But before we get there, a quick update on a major news story gripping Paris: far-right firebrand Marine Le Pen last night vowed to run in France’s 2027 presidential election despite a fraud conviction.
Euronews’ deputy EU news editor Maïa de la Baume breaks down the announcement in this must-read analysis, writing that after an appeals court held up a previous ruling on Tuesday, the presidential hopeful will fight it.
“I want to pursue all available avenues of appeal so that I can defend my innocence in this case,” she told French television last night. (More on that top story below).
French MEP Fabrice Leggeri (Patriots), who hails from Le Pen’s National Rally party, just told Euronews’ flagship daily news programme Europe Today that there is “no mistrust” in the eyes of French people because “they know what it (the case) is about”.
“We are confident again that Marine Le Pen and our colleagues will not be found guilty by the top court,” he said. Watch.
Euronews’ correspondent Shona Murray is on the ground in the Turkish capital covering the second day of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) annual summit.
Green with envy. The summit has only been underway 24-hours but US President Donald Trump has already made waves reviving his desire to claim the autonomous territory of Greenland from the Danish kingdom – threatening to blow the 32-member alliance wide apart.
“Greenland doesn’t help Denmark,” Trump said on Monday to a gaggle of reporters at a press conference. “Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States, and it’s surrounded by China’s ships and Russian ships.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen swiftly replied: “Of course Greenland is not for sale. We have made that clear from the start. The Greenlanders do not want to be part of the USA.”
Big smiles. The drama is far from over, with Trump due to meet Frederiksen at the North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting of heads of state and government at 11:15 a.m. this morning — right after what is claimed to be a “family photo” at 11:00 a.m.
On top of this, Trump also chastised his allies over what he claims was their abandonment of the US in Iran, when some, such as Italy and Spain, denied access to military bases in their countries. All eyes will be on how today’s second day of NATO unfolds after the US has launched fresh strikes on Iran.
Amid the NATO tumult, Europeans are determined to put on a brave face, my colleague Jorge Liboreiro writes in.
Speaking ahead of the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed that NATO needs to be Europeanised to take on more responsibility and reduce its reliance on the US security umbrella.
“We need a much stronger Europe within a stronger NATO,” the secretary-general said. “To stay transatlantic, we have to become more European.”
The Ukraine factor. Euronews’ Ukraine correspondent Sasha Vakulina reports that at the tail-end of the first NATO summit day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his push to join the alliance.
He insists his country has already proved itself a reliable partner and that its membership in the alliance would be “entirely natural”.
Addressing NATO’s Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, he reiterated that Ukraine is no longer a security recipient, but now a provider. Kyiv’s military has become a “source of extraordinary defensive capability” for Europe, Zelenskyy said, due to Ukraine’s rapid technological adaptation.
But he wants something very specific in return. “Those who defend life need more Patriots,” he said, referring to the US-made air defence system, while also urging Europe to develop its own mass-produced alternatives without delay.
On the defence? Tonight, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will break bread with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan while discussing myriad topics, expectantly defence. But in a story out this morning, all eyes will be on where the EU boss sits — and which point of tension she wants to thrash out.
But not all the drama is in Paris and Ankara. Jorge rightly points out the 27 ambassadors have a packed agenda for today’s meeting, including a new attempt to finalise the 21st package of sanctions against Russia.
The clock is ticking ahead of the 15 July deadline, and several friction points remain unresolved. This includes the oil price cap, fisheries, entry ban on Russian soldiers and Patriarch Kirill. The Irish presidency has circulated another revised text to start papering over the differences.
From Brussels to Belgrade. Enlargement is also on the agenda. I reported on Monday that a major clash was brewing over the Commission wanting to kickstart meaningful negotiations to open Cluster 3 of Serbia’s accession process.
One diplomat told me yesterday that the opposition has not shifted since that story. Another had a more sombre forecast. That the “Commission is set up to fail” by putting this on Wednesday’s docket without unanimous support.
Reuters news agency is reporting that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić shares similar scepticism. Speaking at a conference of EU candidate countries on Tuesday, he said he was not optimistic that aspiring new members, such as his, will join the bloc in the near future.
Despite this, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos remains defiant on the country’s merits to join the 27-member club. At the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg last night, she said, “Serbia is an important partner in the region with a clear EU accession perspective.”
“The European Commission therefore continues encouraging Serbia to seize the current opportunity to advance towards membership,” she added.
Enlargement doesn’t stop there. As my eagle-eyed colleague Luca Bertuzzi noticed, Kos will visit North Macedonia today to meet with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, members of parliament and civil society organisations of the Western Balkan country.
While the Commission considers North Macedonia has made significant progress in its accession path, the government remains divisive and has so far resisted the EU’s requirements to introduce constitutional amendments to recognise the Bulgarian minority.
One last thing. The second day of the European Parliament plenary is underway in Strasbourg. Euronews’ parliament correspondent Vincenzo Genovese has three bits of bite-sized news for you.
- MEPs have approved free cabin luggage and delay compensation for air passengers.
- The Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) party, home of far-right political forces across Europe, has been dealt a blow.
- MEPs are circulating a letter calling for an investigation into FIFA’s decision to reverse American striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension at the World Cup.
Marine Le Pen vows to run in France’s 2027 presidential election despite fraud conviction
Marine Le Pen intends to run in France’s 2027 presidential election despite a French court upholding her conviction for embezzling EU funds, the far-right leader announced on French TV channel TF1.
“Tonight, I am a candidate for the presidential election,” Le Pen told the channel, adding that she would refer her case to France’s highest court, the court of cassation. “I want to pursue all available avenues of appeal so that I can defend my innocence in this case.”
Le Pen made clear that the appeal to the Court of Cassation would seek to overturn the first instance ruling which sentenced her to four years in prison, two of which were commuted to wearing an electronic monitoring device, a ban from running for office for five years and a €100,000 fine.
Le Pen’s comments are expected to ease uncertainty over the National Rally leader’s political future after a Paris appeals court on Tuesday upheld her 2025 conviction for embezzling EU funds but also allowed her to run in the 2027 presidential election.
Read more.
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We’re also keeping an eye on
- The second day of the European Parliament plenary kicks off in Strasbourg.
- Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Cypriot Minister for Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos and Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna will deliver a press conference on the concluded Cypriot EU Council Presidency at 10:30 a.m.
That’s it for today. Shona Murray, Jorge Liboreiro, Sasha Vakulina, Vincenzo Genovese and Luca Bertuzzi contributed to this newsletter.
