Irish PM Micheál Martin calls #Belarus actions "appalling and reckless" as he enters #EUCO summit in Brussels.
"We from an Irish perspective will be calling for a very firm and strong response to this action.”
As she enters #EUCO, Germany's Angela Merkel says the Belarusian government's explanations for why the plane was forced to land are "completely implausible".
She says at minimum the leaders will put in place targeted sanctions, and they'll also consider blocking Belavia from EU.
Greek PM Mitsotakis is leading the charge for #EUCO to adopt both an overflight restriction over Belarus and a ban on Belavia entering EU airspace.
They have drafted the text for that which will be debated tonight by the 27 prime ministers and presidents.
Lithuanian President Nausėda says (in English) that #Belarus has committed a “state terrorism action against the European Community".
The time for rhetoric is over, he says. Now "we need clear actions in order to change the pattern of behaviour of this very dangerous regime".
"Clearly, we will propose that rapid, swift and severe measures are being taken to make it very clear that something like this is not being accepted," says Belgian PM Dee Croo.
"This was a flight between two European capitals where European citizens have been used as hostages"
President @vonderleyen: "There will be a very strong answer because it is outrageous behaviour and Lukashenko and his regime have to understand this will have severe consequences”
A €3bn EU investment package for Belarus is on hold until Belarus “turns democratic" she says
EU foreign affairs chief @JosepBorrellF says the #Belarus situation is “the most important aspect to discuss and I hope that there will be some important guidelines in order to take measures against Belarus.”
He cannot act without unanimous consent of all 27 EU countries.
The big question is whether #Hungary will veto action against #Belarus tonight.
Viktor #Orban didn't speak to the press coming into #EUCO. But he published a video on Facebook where he didn't mention the Belarus situation at all. facebook.com/watch/?v=28847…
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The outcome of the #ClimateChange discussion at #EUCO summit is frankly a disgrace.
Absolutely no progress. Poland's demand to dilute EU targets with burden-sharing based on GDP just kicked into the long grass. Whole paragraphs on non-ETS sectors dropped from draft conclusions.
In place of the deleted climate text in the conclusions, this has been added:
"The European Council will revert to the matter at an appropriate time after the Commission’s proposals have been submitted.”
But this discussion was supposed to guide the Commission's proposals.
It's clear that the #Belarus situation hijacked this #EUCO summit. The planned robust debate on EU climate policy didn't happen.
And this keeps happening, over and over. There will always be something more immediate and pressing that kicks climate off the agenda.
I'm in #Rotterdam for tonight's #Eurovision Song Contest - the 1st major live television event of the pandemic (last year was cancelled).
I've covered many ESCs over the years but this one is surreal. Here's what it's like to be here as press at the Covid Eurovision (🧵1/10 )
This week is a big test. There will be lessons learned for upcoming international events like #Euro2020 & #TokyoOlympics.
Performers getting Covid and isolating has gotten headlines. But everyone here is constantly tested and something like 0.6% have been positive I'm told.
Testing is required every 48 hours for all performers, crew, press and audience members. They're separated into strict bubbles that cannot interact.
Some press have been kicked out because they attended semi-finals as audience members. Covid status is linked to entry badge.
Today's #Eurovision fun fact: yesterday we talked about next year's launch of an American version, but also #EurovisionAsia has been been planned by #Australia since 2016.
Australia became the first non-EBU member to participate in the contest when they were invited to participate in 2015 as a one-off 'gift' to celebrate the contest's 60th anniversary.
Australians are obsessed with the song contest, and there was huge excitement there about it.
In 2016, it was announced that the European Broadcasting Union had reached an agreement with Australian network SBS to launch a Eurovision for Asia-Pacific countries.
While that gets underway, Australia is participating in European Eurovision. But that expires in 2023.
Today's #Eurovision fun fact: NBC has just bought the rights to air an American version of the contest with the 50 states (following the success of #FireSaga) that is scheduled to start next year.
As Hong writes, "There are many reasons to protect Eurovision from the Americans. For decades, the song contest has been one of very few symbols of continental unity to arise from popular culture"
Europe imports so much pop culture from US. #Eurovision has been the big exception
Reasons 'Americavision' won't work:
🇺🇸There isn't enough state identity
🎸There isn't enough regional musical diversity
👨🎤There's nothing special about a national contest
💰It will be too slick and too commercial (and thus boring)
Today's Eurovision fun fact: each year the majority of songs are in English, and that has been the case since 1999 when language freedom was introduced.
Before that all countries had to sing in their national language (a rule introduced in '66 but suspended from '72 to '77).
Use of non-English is actually increasing from a low in 2015.
Before '66 it was just assumed everyone would sing in their own language. And everyone did until Sweden did a song in English and the French flipped out.