Europe Today: European Commissioner for Housing and Kosovo's President join live

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00:00Good morning, it is Wednesday the 17th of December. I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today,

00:21your news's daily live fix of European news and analysis. Coming up today at a meeting in The Hague,

00:2835 countries signed up to an international commission to compensate Ukraine for hundreds

00:34of billions of dollars in damage from Russia's ongoing war. This, as Ukraine's President Zelensky

00:39says, proposals negotiated with US officials in Berlin this week to end Russia's war in Ukraine

00:46could be finalized within days. For more on this, I'm joined here in the studio by our Ukraine

00:51correspondent, Sasha Bakalina. Good morning, Sasha. Good morning. So Ukrainians sounding a little bit

00:55hopeful. But what have been the reactions from the Kremlin? There's been great progress and

00:59development on the side coming from Berlin talks from Ukraine and the European partners. But from

01:04Moscow, we've heard some radical rejection on some of the points, including those commitments that

01:09were revealed Monday by the European nations, specifically when it comes to the European-led

01:14multinational force Ukraine made up from willing countries to assist securing Ukraine's skies and

01:20sees. Now, this one caused lots of criticism from Moscow. This is what Russia's deputy foreign

01:25minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said about it. He said that the coalition of the willing is the same thing as

01:31NATO and perhaps even worse, because such a decision can be implemented even without the standard NATO

01:36procedures for such cases. You can see they are not taking it and not accepting it. And of course,

01:42one of the most important things that's been here from the very beginning of Russia's full-scale

01:46invasion against Ukraine is the territories of Ukraine. Russia still wants to have full control

01:51of five regions, even the territories it's never controlled. So it feels like we could be back to

01:56square one here because, of course, territorial concessions still the major sticking point, Sasha.

02:01Same as for Ukraine, maybe, because Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when he was in The Hague, he also said that

02:06Ukraine is not willing and is not going to accept any possibility of Russia controlling east of

02:12Ukraine, specifically the region of Donbass. This is two regions, Luhansk region and Donetsk region.

02:18Let's take a listen. Russia has invaded our home. It's destroying our cities, our villages,

02:27killing Ukrainians, our children, and at the same time, demanding that we give up parts of our land

02:35that they haven't even managed to conquer. Going into the latest, Paul Maeve, 63% of Ukrainians said

02:43that they continue to be willing to endure Russia's war against Ukraine for as long as necessary,

02:48instead of accepting territorial concessions and practically, you know, giving it up.

02:53Indeed. OK, Sasha Vakilina, Ukraine correspondent, thank you so much for all those details and bringing

02:57us up to speed. Well, ending Russia's war in Ukraine is top of the wishlist of MEPs gathering

03:03this week in Strasbourg. And that's where we can go now, as our Maria Tadeo is standing by for us

03:08this morning. Good morning, Maria. Great to see you. Very busy schedule in Strasbourg.

03:13What do we need to know? Well, it's a monster day and it was a monster day yesterday in the

03:19European Parliament. It's a monster week of decision making in Europe, too, with that European Council

03:24scheduled for yesterday. In terms of the vote, well, three major topics were debated yesterday.

03:30We did see new safeguards for Mercosur. Remember, that is a major trade deal with Latin America,

03:35including Brazil. New safeguards were approved. But this is now a deal that depends entirely

03:41on the member states. And we should note, in particular, in the hands of the Italian Prime

03:44Minister, Giorgia Meloni, of course, there was also that scrapping on the combustion engine cars

03:50by 2035. That was a big win for the German carmakers. And then, of course, housing. But let me now turn to

03:57the Housing Commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, because we are going to debrief with you live yesterday.

04:03Commissioner, you're putting now measures forward to make housing more available and more affordable

04:08for Europeans. It's a big concern. But what can you really do? This is, for the most part,

04:13a national competence.

04:15Well, yes, it is true that it is a big concern. We are in a housing crisis and thereby a social crisis.

04:21So we've put forward a whole range of different measures that we will introduce in the months

04:27and years to come. One is, for instance, short-term rentals. So not that short-term rental as such

04:33is a bad idea. They can be good. But some places we've seen how they push the prices up on housing

04:39and sometimes even crowd out normal people from their homes. And we need to do something to remedy that.

04:45And, of course, is there speculation when it comes to both rent and buying houses? There's a generation

04:51of Europeans, and you could argue this is a big societal failure, who believe, I will never be

04:56able to buy a house.

04:57It's also the case, actually, unfortunately, that young people are not able to leave their parents' house.

05:03So I think the average age is more than 26 now. In some countries, it's more than 30. Sometimes it's

05:09because they want to buy a house and they can't. Other times it's because there simply is no

05:12renting available. So we need to build more houses. We need to also use the buildings that

05:17we have better. So in some cities, even cities where they're experiencing big problems with not

05:23having enough houses, there are also a lot of vacant houses and a lot of vacant buildings. So we need to

05:27find ways of using these buildings better, renovating them. And we're also telling countries,

05:33look at the rules that you have, because maybe you can actually regulate this yourself

05:37so that, indeed, these buildings will be available for housing.

05:41And, Commissioner, just to help us understand, of course, Europe is very complex at times,

05:46and the situation in every country is different. But is this an issue of speculation in the

05:50market? Is this an issue of permits that are not given, a lack of construction stock? What

05:55is the issue now in this market?

05:58Yeah, well, it's many different things. And one thing, certainly, is that there's a lot of

06:01bureaucracy and red tape that we need to deal with. So permitting needs to be easier.

06:05We also need standardization for different types of goods and services in the building industry so

06:13that the internal market will start working here, also in the construction industry. And finally,

06:19speculation you mentioned. Well, yes, some are arguing, some experts are arguing that this is

06:24indeed a problem. Others are saying probably not so much. So what we'll do is we will start an

06:28analysis, and then we will present next year our take on that, because we do need more transparency

06:34if we are to deal with it.

06:35And this is the first time the Commission tackles this issue. Some argue it's very difficult to

06:41change things from the Commission's perspective, because this is really a national competence,

06:45and you're just trying to do politics. So how are you going to prove critics, Ron? And what do

06:50you think is going to be achievable in the short term?

06:53Well, it is true that there are many things that need to be done on a local and national level.

06:57But what we can and will do on a European level is, for instance, state aid rules. So today,

07:02they are blocking countries helping support affordable housing, the building of affordable

07:07housing, so that we will change. We can provide funding. So, for instance, a pan-European

07:14investment platform has been set up together with EIB. That will provide a lot of funding for

07:19building of new houses, renovating of old ones. And we are also allocating funding on our own

07:24budget to help boost the supply.

07:26Okay. So you say this is not just optics and politics. There will be changes coming from the

07:31executive. But I have to ask you now a final question, perhaps a broader politics and the

07:36geopolitics. This is a very important week for Europe, a very important European Council slated

07:40for tomorrow, reparations loan for Ukraine. What do you hope will come, and what do you wish

07:46to see from European leaders by the end of Thursday?

07:49We obviously hope for agreement. This is, as you say, a very turbulent time. It's also a time where

07:55we need to stand together in Europe to show decisive action.

08:00So, yes to reparations loan.

08:02We hope, of course, that what has been proposed by the European Commission will be supported.

08:06Well, thank you so much, Commissioner. And, of course, Maeve, that was Housing Commissioner,

08:11and also Energy, it's a double portfolio. Dan Jorgensen joining us on Euronews. Of course,

08:15the session continues in Strasbourg. And tomorrow, we take you back to Brussels.

08:19Indeed. Maria Tadeo, Euronews' EU News Editor. Thank you so much for joining us for that live update

08:24from Strasbourg, and, of course, to your guest, Dan Jorgensen, the Danish Commissioner.

08:28But now, since the war in Ukraine and the geopolitical turmoil around us, EU enlargement

08:33is back on the political agenda. Today, Brussels is rolling out the red carpet for aspiring EU

08:39members from the Western Balkans. For the day that's in it, our Jakob Janis has been taking

08:43a look at European attitudes towards this expansion.

08:46Once, there were just six. Not long ago, there were 28. Today, there are 27. These are not

08:57lottery numbers. It is the story of our European Union. And that story is set to gain a new chapter.

09:04But should it? Europeans are cautiously supportive. The latest Eurobarometer shows 56% are in favour

09:12of a bigger union. Nine countries are in the queue, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western

09:18Balkan states. For them, it means locking in democracy and prosperity. For us, it means growing

09:24our influence. Combine that with some delicious borscht and ayvar, and it's a richer table for

09:31everyone. But it's not that simple. EU citizens are concerned, demanding candidates should first

09:37tackle corruption and uphold the rule of law. These are critical conditions that cannot be ignored.

09:44At the same time, leaving these countries in grey zone risks ceding influence to Russia or China.

09:51And while Ukraine is a large nation, most other candidates are small, like Montenegro, with its

09:58600,000 people, which can be compared to the size of Anthrop. But as they say, it's not always about

10:05size. It's about securing the European family. The question isn't if the EU will grow, but how it

10:12will manage it. And you, would you support it?

10:20Do let us know your view. You can write to us at europetoday at yournews.com or reach out to us

10:25on social media. But now, coming up, we'll be joined by Vyosa Osmani, the president of Kosovo,

10:30elected on a promise to tackle corruption and normalise relations between Kosovo and

10:36Serbia. President Osmani has been in Paris since 2021. And she's in Brussels today for

10:41the EU Western Balkan Summit. Good morning, President.

10:44Good morning.

10:45Lovely to have you with us here on Europe Today. So, of course, Kosovo is not yet a candidate

10:49country for EU membership. It's not recognised by five EU countries. Will it ever be a member

10:54of the EU, do you think? Absolutely. It's our destiny. It's something that we've worked for

11:00for a very long time. And while, practically speaking, we've only applied a few years ago,

11:05and we're hoping for our application to be on the table of the members of the Council very,

11:10very soon. In fact, as an identity, as a country, as a nation, we've been contributing to the values

11:16on which the European Union stands for centuries. So, we strongly believe that while it's a very

11:22complex process, if the merit-based criteria is used, Kosovo actually would have been a front

11:27runner by now. But it's complex in our case, additionally, because of the five non-recognisers

11:32who we truly do hope will understand that having Kosovo as a member of the Union, it's not just at

11:37the benefit of the people of Kosovo, but it's a strategic imperative. It's a security imperative

11:41for the entire continent. And as you say, it's a very complex process. How would you rate perhaps

11:46your progress towards getting in line with EU standards and making sure that reforms are done,

11:51the most urgent ones? Well, if we look at what the EU says about that progress, Kosovo is right now

11:57at a 100% alignment with the common foreign and security policy of the European Union. Every

12:02single decision in these areas is completely aligned, whether it's sanctions against Russia

12:07or against other adversaries of the Western world and what the EU represents today. In terms of values,

12:14Kosovo is also entirely aligned. In terms of rule of law reforms, we are a front runner,

12:19and based on international indices such as Gallup International, which was recently

12:24published, Kosovo is actually number one in Europe in terms of the rule of law index. It's stopping

12:30all of the European countries, and it's third in the world when it comes to fighting crime and

12:35corruption. This has been the top priority of our institutions. And right now, in terms of the

12:41corruption perception index, we have the lowest in the region. So these are some of the issues that

12:45we worked on hard in terms of economic reforms. Again, according to the European Union reports that

12:52we get yearly, we are the best in the region. In terms of administrative reforms, we're the best in

12:57the region. Obviously, there are still some things and some homework that we have to complete. But I

13:02think if there were no political complications that have nothing to do with reforms, we would have

13:07absolutely been the top country in the region so far.

13:10Because now, of course, Ukraine is the top, if you like, because, of course, the situation there,

13:14it was speedily given candidate status. How does that make Kosovo feel?

13:18We do support Ukraine's membership in the European Union. As I said, this is beyond just the internal

13:25reforms in a certain country. If we want Europe to be whole, free and at peace, which was the dream of

13:31the founders, we need to understand that we need to be given a chance to move forward. And while,

13:37of course, we would want Ukraine to complete all of the reforms that are required of the rest of us

13:41too, it is a security imperative as well. Look, adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran do not

13:50leave any space without having it used. So there's no vacuum. If the European Union,

13:56if the transatlantic relationship is not, of course, having its influence in the Western Balkans,

14:02someone else will come, not for charity, but because they have strategic interests there.

14:07So we need to make sure that whether it's Ukraine or the Western Balkans, again,

14:11on a merit-based process, move forward.

14:13That is your destiny, as you say. President Osmani, thank you so much for coming into us today

14:17on Europe Today and all the best for your long, busy day here in Brussels. But that,

14:21in fact, does bring this edition of Europe Today to an end. Thank you so much for tuning in.

14:26For more on those votes in Strasbourg today or the EU Western Balkans summit,

14:29do visit our website, euronews.com, for longer reads. And join us again tomorrow morning

14:33as the EU summit gets underway. We'll be joined by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg,

14:38Luke Frieden. So don't miss that. See you soon on Euronews.

14:59Euronews.

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