Latvia could become the first EU country to withdraw from a landmark international treaty to combat domestic abuse and violence against women following a parliamentary vote Thursday. Lawmakers voted by a margin of 56 to 32, with two abstentions, to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention — a Council of Europe treaty intended to standardize support for women who are victims of violence — just a year after it came into force. “It’s a shameful decision for the parliament,” Andris Šuvajevs, parliamentary group leader for the center-left Progressive Party, told POLITICO shortly after the vote, which took place after an intense 14-hour debate. The legislation to withdraw from the treaty was introduced by a right-wing opposition party, Latvia First, but passed with support from one of the three parties in the ruling coalition. The centrist Union of Greens and Farmers broke ranks with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa to help push the bill through. Ingūna Millere, a representative of Latvia First, told POLITICO in a written comment that the Istanbul Convention was a “product of radical feminism based on the ideology of ‘gender’” and that Latvia’s ratification of the treaty was “political marketing that has nothing to do with the fight against violence.” The push to withdraw from the convention has been sharply criticized by human rights groups, which warned that it would roll back women’s rights in Latvia. A day before the vote, around 5,000 people demonstrated outside the parliament, carrying signs reading “Hands off the Istanbul Convention” and “Latvia is not Russia.” Tamar Dekanosidze, the Eurasia regional representative for women’s rights NGO Equality Now, said the bill attempted to reframe gender equality initiatives as pushing an “LGBTQ agenda,” adopting a Kremlin-style narrative that allows politicians to portray themselves as defenders of “national values” ahead of elections.  “This would mean that, in terms of values, legal systems and governance, Latvia would be more aligned with Russia than with the European Union and Western countries,” she said, adding that this “directly serves Russia’s interests in the country.” Latvia’s withdrawal would require the support of President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who said before the vote that he would review the law and announce his decision within 10 days. Latvia would be only the second country to quit the convention following Turkey’s exit in 2021.

The European Union wants to boost efforts to ban conversion therapy and tackle hate against LGBTQ+ people in the face of an increase in attacks against the community. Around one in four members of the LGBTQ+ community in the EU — including almost half of trans people — have been subjected to some form of conversion therapy, whether in the form of physical or sexual violence, verbal abuse or humiliation, according to data presented by the European Commission on Wednesday. Conversion therapy is the name given to any effort to change, modify or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender. These numbers are “shocking,” Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib said at a press conference. “This must stop.” Lahbib on Wednesday presented the LGBTIQ+ Strategy for 2026-2030 to combat growing attacks against members of the community. “It seems we are moving backwards,” she said, adding that this is a “worrying trend.” Half of EU countries currently have a national strategy for LGBTQ+ equality, and eight countries (Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Spain) have banned conversion therapy, with the Netherlands discussing following suit. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Supreme Court is considering overturning Colorado’s ban on the practice. As part of its new strategy, which is not legally binding, the Commission wants to focus on tackling hate speech against LGBTQ+ people, both online and offline, and will be coming up with a plan to combat cyberbullying. The Commission is also considering drawing up a law to harmonize the definition of online hate offenses. Several European countries have cracked down on the LGBTQ+ community. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico successfully pushed last month to enshrine into his country’s constitution that there are only two genders (male and female), and to ban surrogacy and adoption for same-sex couples. Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orbán, has been in a standoff with Brussels over a series of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and his unsuccessful attempt to ban this year’s Budapest Pride — an event that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. The EU’s top court is expected to rule soon on whether these actions violate EU law, but a recent legal opinion suggests that the court is likely to side with Brussels. “The Commission will not hesitate to take further action,” including going to court, to protect people’s rights, Lahbib said, adding that there are 10 ongoing infringement procedures against Hungary for violating EU fundamental rights. The Commission has also frozen €18 billion in EU funding for Hungary as a result of these breaches. “We don’t want to punish the citizens for the actions taken by their governments,” Lahbib said, adding that in the next EU long-term budget, she proposed that frozen funds for rule of law violations be directly redistributed to civil society organizations.

An EU lawmaker is campaigning to ban the use of the hijab and other Islamic headscarves by people who work for the legislature, according to an email circulated among all members of the European Parliament on Tuesday. Charlie Weimers, head of the Sweden Democrats delegation within the European Conservatives and Reformists group, asked his colleagues to sign a petition to ban wearing “the hijab, niqab, or other Islamic headscarves by civil servants employed by EU institutions, as well as by external service providers contracted to work on EU premises.” Once the signatures are gathered he will send the request to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola by the end of the day on Friday, Oct. 3, according to the email. “The hijab ban would reinforce the impartiality, equality and universality of public service within the Union, send a strong signal of support to empower all females currently living under Islamic oppression and ensure that the European Parliament serves as a neutral example for member states, civil society and other international organisations,” reads the letter, obtained by POLITICO.  “From a practical perspective, garments covering the head and neck complicate security screening and identification, adding operational risks that are absent when smaller religious symbols are worn discreetly,” the letter says.  Other lawmakers are less than impressed with the idea. “This proposal is nothing more than an Islamophobic distraction,” said Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of The Left. “Instead of tackling the real challenges facing Europeans: rising inequality, climate breakdown, housing insecurity, and the erosion of workers’ rights, far-right politicians are targeting Muslim women’s clothing to stoke fear and division.” Hana Jalloul Muro, an MEP for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, said she was “shocked” by the proposal, criticizing the letter for “attacking women workers, filled with hatred, sexism, and Islamophobia. “It is a shame to witness an assault on freedom of religion, a universal right, within the European institutions,” she added. “We are here to set an example — this is definitely not the Europe of values.” The Sweden Democrats have made a practice of campaigning against Islam back home, and have previously called for a ban on new mosques in the country and for existing ones to be demolished. Once the signatures are gathered the MEP will send the request to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola by the end of the day on Friday, Oct. 3, according to the email. | Sebastien Bozon/Getty Images EU countries such as France, the Netherlands and Austria have previously enforced bans on face-covering garments in public buildings. But banning the hijab, which covers the head but not the face, remains controversial in many countries. “This is an individual initiative for now, but I expect broad support,” Weimers told POLITICO when asked whether his ECR group supports his proposal. Metsola’s spokesperson and a spokesperson for the European Parliament declined to comment. A spokesperson for the ECR group wasn’t immediately available for comment.

PARIS — A major test looms for France following the likely collapse of French Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government on Sept. 8. Increasing numbers of people appear to be heeding the calls of a murky, leaderless crusade for a national shutdown on Sept. 10. The movement, initially made up of a constellation of anonymous anti-government accounts of varying political affiliations, began earlier this summer, reaching the general public as anger grew over Bayrou’s plans to lop €43.8 billion from the 2026 budget and slash two bank holidays without offering wage compensation. Bayrou is expected to lose his job after announcing on Monday that he would convene lawmakers for an extraordinary session to hold a high-stakes confidence vote on Sept. 8 over his unpopular spending plans. Barring a major shift, France’s minority government is unlikely to survive the vote. By setting up his own likely exit just two days ahead of the mass protests, Bayrou may have taken the wind out of the movement’s sails — if would-be protesters end up staying home without a government or budget to oppose. If people still show up in large numbers, however, Macron will be left to deal with the aftermath. As of last week, a Toluna Harris Interactive poll commissioned by RTL showed two in three respondents voicing support for “shutting down the country” on Sept. 10, including an overwhelming majority of voters on both the left and the far right. The campaign quickly drew comparisons with the Yellow Vests uprising of 2018–19 — another amorphous mobilization — that snowballed out of Facebook groups. While most French politicians have approached the Sept. 10 movement with caution, given the difficulty of pinning down its origins and demands, three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon was immediately an enthusiastic advocate. Mélenchon, a self-described left-wing populist and advocate for what he calls a “civic revolution,” said in a radio interview on Tuesday that trade unions should back the Sept. 10 initiative and call for a general strike in order to put pressure on Macron. Bayrou could become the second of Macron’s prime ministers to fall in less than a year, if he loses next week’s vote. According to Mélenchon, Macron would then “understand that it would be useless to reappoint a third prime minister, who would of course apply the same policies.” “We can’t negotiate with this administration,” Mélenchon said. “We need to have him impeached.” One of France’s main trade union organizations, the CGT, put out a statement Wednesday calling for strikes wherever possible. Calls for Emmanuel Macron’s resignation extend beyond the radical left. | Pool photo by Aaron Schwartz via EPA Mélenchon’s France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) party has announced that it would submit a long-shot parliamentary motion to remove Macron that seems doomed to fail. Still, if the protesters show up on Sept. 10, talk of Macron’s exit will grow even louder — although the president ultimately holds the key to that decision. Calls for Macron’s resignation extend beyond the radical left. Well-known conservatives from Les Républicains party — which has backed both Bayrou and Barnier as part of a coalition with pro-Macron parties — have come out in support of the president’s resignation. “Emmanuel Macron must make a Gaullian gesture and plan his resignation,” the party’s former leader Jean-François Copé told the conservative daily publication Le Figaro, referring to former President Charles de Gaulle’s 1969 departure, after losing a referendum on constitutional revisions to create new local administrations. Copé had announced during the referendum campaign that he would step down if the vote failed. “Macron must accept that the French people no longer want him and act like a statesman.”

LONDON — The Conservatives might be stuck in the wilderness of opposition. But a host of digital warriors are determined to turn their fortunes around. Wounded by an election rout delivering the party’s worst ever result last year, a band of battle-hardened millennials and Gen Z whizzkids are trying to keep the flame of U.K. conservatism burning bright. Despite languishing in the polls and facing constant threats from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, some Tories are keen to show they’ve not given up the fight by posting snappy, eye-catching social media videos.  “It’s absolutely essential that they bring through some new talent,” argued Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, and author of The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation. Pointing to opinion polling about the last Tory government, Bale argued, “people are not prepared to forgive that generation of politicians.” Party Leader Kemi Badenoch’s position remains insecure ahead of Tory conference this fall, with some Conservatives eying former leadership opponent Robert Jenrick as a possible successor. The shadow justice secretary has garnered a significant following on X by posting videos lambasting the government in a direct, no-nonsense style. Topics include tackling Tube fare dodgers and visiting northern France to meet migrants planning to cross the English Channel. Jenrick, it seems, has inspired others to follow suit. Here, POLITICO runs through the Tory posters keeping the dream of actually governing again alive.  KATIE LAM  The Weald of Kent MP went viral on X in April for a punchy parliamentary speech about grooming gangs.   Lam makes regular appearances on podcasts like the Spectator’s Coffee House Shots and less traditional outlets like football chairman Peter McCormack’s show. Serving as a Home Office whip, an X video last month about migration’s impact on public services — using pink beads to represent immigrants and jars to represent Britain — was praised for explaining a complex policy in an understandable way. Bale speculated whether videos like this aimed to boost the profile of newer MPs with journalists: “Although it seems like going over the heads of the media, actually, to be honest, Twitter is going through the media.” Lam has posted long social media threads on the economy, parliamentary sovereignty, the Equality Act and grooming gangs. Her ubiquity on the think tank and parliamentary circuit even saw a video compiling her appearances to the soundtrack of Blondie’s Atomic. And she met JD Vance during the U.S. vice president’s vacation in Britain. DANNY KRUGER  Kruger was a key figure during the dying days of the last Conservative government. Previously David Cameron’s chief speechwriter and Boris Johnson’s political secretary, Kruger has seen the Tories through highs and lows. He shows no signs of slowing down. Kruger was a key figure during the dying days of the last Conservative government. | Justin Tallos/AFP via Getty Images The East Wiltshire MP led the campaign against the assisted dying bill, with clips of him opposing the proposed change in law widely shared online — and emphasizing that conservatism was built around people’s duty to one another.   A 2023 book “Covenant: The New Politics of Home, Neighbourhood and Nation” was expanded on with a lengthy X thread about religion after MPs approved assisted dying. Kruger’s reach grew even larger with a viral Commons speech in July about restoring Christianity. The chamber was empty — but his comments were viewed millions of times. Kruger also met Vance over the summer.  NICK TIMOTHY  Timothy was only elected last year, but is a political veteran. The West Suffolk MP had a bumpy time as Theresa May’s joint chief of staff in No 10. He resigned after the then PM spectacularly lost her parliamentary majority in 2017 on a manifesto he co-authored.  Entering the Commons seven years later, Timothy has reinvented himself, writing punchy columns on topics as broad as net zero, assisted dying and immigration.   He has made a running arguing that free speech is under attack, and accusing Britain’s politicians of allowing a de facto blasphemy law to take hold. Introducing a private members’ bill on freedom of expression, Timothy attracted attention after questioning whether criticism of Islam is now allowed in modern Britain. He may be an old hand, but he’s shown an adeptness at grabbing attention in the modern age.  Timothy attracted attention for raising concerns about whether criticism of Islam was allowed. | Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA HARRIET CROSS   The Conservatives had few successes last year, but did manage to hold most of their Scottish seats, including the new Gordon and Buchan constituency in north east Scotland, which elected Cross as its MP. The One Nation Tory, who originally backed centrist Tom Tugendhat in the leadership race, has campaigned online strongly on issues that tend to cause Labour trouble.   Labour’s refusal to grant any new oil and gas licences and instead focus on renewable energy was leapt upon by Cross, whose seat is right by fossil fuels hotspot the North Sea. She posted regular videos from parliament defending employment in fossil fuel industries and trying to set a clear dividing line.   Labour’s inheritance tax changes for farmers also attracted her ire, and she was tapped up to introduce Scottish Tory Leader Russell Findlay at the party’s summer conference. Given the tough prospects facing the Tories at next year’s Holyrood elections, expect Cross’ star to rise. JAMES COWLING   Cowling has run Next Gen Tories since November 2022, an organization that puts “tackling the generational divide” at its core. Previously a parliamentary researcher, Cowling regularly posts graphics about modern housing costs.   Alongside working at the London Stock Exchange Group, Cowling has written for free market CapX website, where he suggested that a “vibe shift” backing fiscal responsibility could benefit the Tories. He told City AM that delivering infrastructure projects and lowering taxes was essential to stop young people from backing authoritarianism. Cowling has shown a willingness to debate opponents on the left-wing PoliticsJOE podcast too, which has a sizable young audience.  James Fisk, Next Gen Tories’ social media and content lead, said digital media creators should “enjoy it as much as possible” and not take it “ridiculously seriously, because people will see through it.” But Fisk admitted, “you really win people over in person.”   SIMON CLARKE  Clarke served in Liz Truss’ disastrously short administration, and was among hundreds of Tory MPs ejected from parliament last year, albeit by a tiny margin of 214 votes. However, he’s not opted to retreat from politics, and instead thrown himself into wonk world, heading up the center-right Onward think tank since January. “If you’re not shaping the digital debate, you’re at risk of talking to empty air,” Clarke told POLITICO, stressing the Tories needed to present their ideas confidently. “We’ve often tried to win online arguments with corporate tone and committee lines — and it doesn’t work.”  Clarke has certainly had some fun by answering 20 quickfire questions on an exercise bike, walking and talking around Westminster and (temporarily) becoming the new James Bond with “a license to build” as chair of Conservative YIMBY. Maybe losing your seat isn’t so bad after all? “If you’re not shaping the digital debate, you’re at risk of talking to empty air,” Simon Clarke told POLITICO. | Tolga Akmen/EPA JAMES YUCEL   Yucel directs Conservative YIMBY’s day-to-day operations (as well as working at Onward). An organization existing “to make the Conservative Party the home of the builders once again,” its Yes In My Back Yard approach starkly contrasts with older Tory voters, many of whom oppose new housing.  Conservative YIMBY’s first policy document, which was launched in a Westminster townhouse, outlined eight ways the Planning and Infrastructure Bill could be improved. The group’s denim blue “build baby build” baseball caps, costing £15, have become prolific, with Katie Lam, Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake and even Kemi Badenoch herself persuaded to wear them. Yucel sees former Home Secretary James Cleverly, who now shadows the housing brief, as an ally in his battle and has argued forcefully for the right to back more housing. But he has also defended Badenoch in a separate thread for her skepticism about Labour “overriding local democratic consent” on housing. The Tories want to fundamentally show they’ve got a USP for younger voters. “The Conservative Party has got an existential problem,” Tory peer Daniel Finkelstein warned. “It doesn’t have the support of enough young people, and if it doesn’t win that support, it can’t survive.”

Europe’s crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib on Tuesday issued a grim warning over Israel’s expanding military offensive in the Gaza Strip.  “Gaza is on the brink of famine. Aid is blocked, airdrops are ineffective & new NGO re-registration rules risk worsening the crisis,” Lahbib said, adding that “a full Israeli military takeover would be catastrophic: mass casualties, collapsed services & hostages at risk.” Lahbib is the second EU commissioner in recent days to publicly denounce Israel’s actions. Last Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to push for full control over the Gaza Strip as an “unacceptable provocation.” Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its war on Hamas militants in Gaza, where it has reportedly killed nearly 61,500 people since October 2023. A violent attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and around 250 people were captured by Hamas and other groups and taken into Gaza, triggering retaliation from the Israel Defense Forces. Lahbib has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics among the EU’s College of Commissioners about Israel’s Gaza offensive, previously warning of a “man-made famine,” pressing for a ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access. In recent weeks, the European Commission has adopted a markedly tougher stance toward Israel, proposing to suspend its participation in the Horizon Europe scientific program. Meanwhile, several member countries have pushed for targeted sanctions and the suspension of the trade chapter of the EU–Israel Association Agreement.

CHICAGO — Former President Joe Biden expressed alarm Thursday about attacks on the rule of law and threats to civil rights under President Donald Trump in some of his most pointed criticism about the new administration since leaving office. Biden, speaking to the National Bar Association in Chicago, did not mention Trump by name but his intended target was clear during remarks that only ran about 20 minutes. “You can’t sugarcoat it. These are dark days,” Biden told the crowd of nearly 1,100 members of the predominantly Black legal organization. The remarks echoed, at least in tone, some of his previous comments about Trump, portraying him as a threat to democracy and the rule of law. “We are, in my view, at such a moment in American history, reflected in every cruel executive outreach, every rollback of basic freedoms, every erosion of long-standing, established precedent,” he said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Biden also criticized the administration for trying to “erase truth” and faulted Congress for “sitting on the sidelines” and failing to check the authority of the executive branch. “My friends, we need to face the hard truth of this administration, and that it has been to ease all the gains we’ve made in my administration,” Biden went on. “To erase history rather than making it. To erase fairness, equality, to erase justice itself. And that’s not hyperbole. That’s a fact.” Calling the administration “cruel,” he pointed to “immigrants who are in this country legally … getting dragged away in handcuffs.” And he criticized the administration’s attacks on law firms and media companies. Biden’s remarks were more than political posturing. His remarks were also a mix of memoir and history lesson. In typical fashion, he wove together stories from his past — his early proximity to the Black community in Wilmington, Delaware, his time as a young public defender after the 1968 riots, and the legacy of the mentors who shaped him. He invoked Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, saying, “I didn’t just see the pain. I felt it.” And he hailed former President Lyndon Johnson for signing the Civil Rights Act. Biden also drew attention to his own work appointing more Black women to the bench than any other president, and naming Kamala Harris as his vice president. And he reminded the crowd of his administration’s support of HBCUs, Historically Black College or University. Each of the points drew applause from the crowd that included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was also being honored by the organization. Biden’s speech didn’t meander in the way he has been known to do. There was a through line: America is worth fighting for. “There’s been nothing in the course of our country’s history that we haven’t been able to accomplish,” he said. “We’re the only nation in the world that has come out of every crisis stronger than when we went in.” Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.

LONDON — At least 50,000 officials from inside Iran’s ruling government and military have registered with a secure platform set up to coordinate the ousting of the dictatorship in Tehran, according to a prominent opponent of the regime.  Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, who was deposed in the 1979 revolution, announced a month ago that he was creating the channel for regime defectors to register and receive information on campaign tactics from his opposition movement.  Speaking to POLITICO, he said the numbers still needed to be fully verified but his team were working to establish links with key elements in Iran’s military, paramilitary and security forces, who would play a potential role toppling Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and working to establish a new secular state.  “There’s tens of thousands — the last estimate is over 50,000 at least, maybe more,” Pahlavi, whose supporters refer to him as Iran’s “crown prince,” said in a telephone interview. “Every week we have additional numbers coming. Clearly we have to analyze the data, it’s an arduous process — it will take some time — but the signals are quite strong. We have received [a] tremendous […] response, and of course we are giving top priority to key elements within those designated segments that I mentioned.”  He said a separate website will be launched for ordinary Iranian citizens to register their interest in joining the national campaign against the regime.  Pahlavi was speaking to POLITICO as he prepared to convene a conference of at least 500 opposition supporters, including activists, artists and athletes, in Munich on Saturday. He says the conference will be one of the most diverse gatherings of anti-regime movements ever held outside the country since the revolution.  Speaking to POLITICO, he said the numbers still needed to be fully verified but his team were working to establish links with key elements in Iran’s military, paramilitary and security forces.  | Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA Pahlavi has put himself forward to lead Iran’s transition to democracy if the Islamic Republic regime collapses. His critics say he has not tried hard enough to unify groups within the Iranian opposition during his 46 years outside the country. Some say as an exiled member of Iran’s last royal family he would be the wrong person to take over again.  Saturday’s conference is intended to address some of those concerns and to strengthen the resolve of the regime’s opponents inside Iran, who will be able to follow speeches online via illicit internet services such as Starlink which have been smuggled into the country.  “The goal is to demonstrate that more than ever we have a growing coalition of like-minded people who want to work together — quite diverse, perhaps the largest gathering ever … representing all factions within the Iranian political sphere,” he said. All participants in Saturday’s Convention of National Cooperation conference support three key principles: preserving Iran’s territorial integrity; the protection of individual liberties and the equality of all citizens; and the separation of religion and state. Iran resumed nuclear talks with European powers in Turkey on Thursday, after the United States and Israel bombed the country’s key military and nuclear sites in June. Pahlavi said Iran should not be trusted and warned that negotiations would just allow Tehran to play for time.

National governments and lawmakers in the European Parliament are uniting in pushing against an intended withdrawal of a long-stalled proposal that seeks to crack down on discrimination in the workplace. Fourteen EU countries have sent a letter, dated July 1 and obtained by POLITICO, to Hadja Lahbib, the EU’s equality commissioner, urging the European Commission to reconsider its decision to axe the equal treatment directive.  The EU executive in February proposed to withdraw the 2008 bill aimed at extending protection against discrimination in the workplace on grounds such as race, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation after 17 years of deadlock in the Council of the EU, where EU capitals hash out positions, as further progress was deemed by the Commission to be “unlikely.” But social affairs ministers of Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden want to save the directive from the chopping block. In the letter, they argued that “the support for this directive has never been greater” and urged the Commission to reengage with the remaining holdouts to “clarify what improvements can be made to arrive at the required unanimity.” The move follows another letter from Parliament President Roberta Metsola, dated June 16 and obtained by POLITICO, in which the committee on civil liberties — which handled the file in Parliament — expressed “strong” opposition to the Commission’s plan to axe the file. Lahbib emphasized in May in front of lawmakers that “it has not been possible to reach the required unanimity and there is no indication or clear prospect that unanimity could be reached in the foreseeable future.”  Twenty-four countries supported the file in the Council talks, but three countries — Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy — blocked the directive. “We need unanimity in the Council, and while abstention is enough, objection is not,” Lahbib told lawmakers from the committee.  If those three countries “specify which concerns prevent them from agreeing, or at least abstaining from a vote on the text,” this would allow them to find a compromise, Lahbib said, adding that “engaging with these three member states also has potential.” The Commission in February gave the Parliament and the Council six months to express their — non-binding — opinion to the list of proposals it wanted to withdraw.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Europe baked, the Atomium shut early — and Brussels finally unveiled its long-delayed climate target. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with POLITICO Climate Reporter Louise Guillot, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nick Vinocur and EU Politics Reporter Max Griera about the EU’s new 2040 goal: What a 90 percent emissions cut really means, why critics say it’s already being softened, and how Denmark’s presidency of the Council of the EU plans to juggle climate, migration and more amid stormy politics. We also pull back the curtain on Ursula von der Leyen’s powerful gatekeeper, Bjoern Seibert — and on Viktor Orbán’s crackdown on Budapest Pride. Later, POLITICO’s Cities Correspondent Aitor Hernández-Morales joins to explore how Europe’s cities are navigating the heat — both political and literal — and why so many mayors are now turning to Brussels for help with urgent issues like housing.