POWER LOSS: EDF published bleak financials yesterday, with the fallout of how the French govt handled the energy crisis resulting in them showing a nearly β¬18bn loss in 2022, giving them a total debt of nearly β¬65bn.
FLUG ZONK: An airport workers strike in Germany resulted in more than 2,300 flights having to be cancelled, and over 300,000 passengers travel plans ruined.
The workers in strike are wanting a 10.5% pay increase.
EUROZO-NO GO: Bulgaria has decided to not rollout the use of the Euro currency in 2024 as planned, with high inflation listed as one of the reasons for the delay.
Croatians, who adopted the currency in January, have complained of price rises due to it.
4/?
MT π²πΉ - Times of Malta
SAUSAGE FEST: For the first time in recorded history in Malta, census data has shown that there are more men than women in the country, at over 52% of the population.
The shift in demographic is attributed to an influx of foreign nationals.
5/?
β’ β’ β’
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
About a year ago, I was asked to provide 10 "Tangible Benefits" of leaving the EU. So over the course of a lunchbreak I wrote a list of 10 and sent it over.
Since then it has been shared thousands of time, and even made the press.
1/?
Over the year, as more benefits came to fruition, I have done the research - and those where I was able to confidently demonstrate and verify a true Brexit benefit as existing, I added to the list.
Today I added the 20th item onto the list. Double the original challenge.
2/?
So to celebrate the task having been delivered twice over, and to reflect that time has passed and some items in the list needed updating as to current status, I have decided to rewrite the full 20 items in a new post - so please, sit back and enjoy.
Here's a selection of the front page stories across the EU.
1/?
GR π¬π· - Kathimerini
LABOR DAY: The Greek Labor Ministry is expanding its Digital Labour Card scheme to two new sectors, which tracks the clocking in and out times of all employees in companies with a 250+ headcount.
Yes, the govt are tracking their working hours.
2/?
ES πͺπΈ - La RazΓ³n
EQUALITY?: New and controversial amendments to abortion and trans laws in Spain have been approved by Congress, despite warnings from judges that they may have unintended and unwanted impacts.
The article looks to what happened in Scotland as a case study.
Since some of these things drop off the radar when they are not actively discussed, thought I would do a quick 𧡠to run through some of the negotiations that are known to be under way between the UK and other countries around the world
1/?
To summarise all the negotiations that I know about:
Canada FTA Upgrade
CPTPP Accession
GCC FTA
Greenland FTA
India FTA
Israel FTA Upgrade
Mexico FTA Upgrade
Singapore Green Economy Agmt
Switzerland Fin Svs Agmt
USA Critical Minerals Agmt
USA State Specific MoUs
2/?
UK π¬π§ - π¨π¦ Canada FTA Upgrade
β Kickoff: March 2022
β 1st Round: 28 Mar - 8 Apr
β 2nd Round: 20 - 24 Jun
β 3rd Round: 12 - 16 Sep
β 4th Round: 28 Nov - 4 Dec
π 5th Round: March 2023
MINOR INCREASE: France has seen a significant increase in unaccompanied foreign minors crossing the French-Italian border illegally in recent years - from 174 in 2014, to over 5,000 in 2022.
Some are putting this down to the "Meloni Effect"
2/?
FR π«π· - Le Monde
JOBS HIGH: France recorded a further fall in unemployment in Q4 2022 to 7.2%, which is the lowest it has been since Q4 2008.
As covered by The Spectator, the recent partnership on cancer treatment R&D between the UK govt and BioNTech, is only possible due to the post-Brexit regulatory environment that we have been able to foster and develop.
Which could benefit all of humanity.
16/10
Bonus Item 17
Outside of the EU CAP, which mainly benefitted very large landowners with subsidies, the UK system is being changed to encourage better stewardship of farmland as animal habitats, and will spread the subsidies better amongst smaller farms.