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03:54almost factor in four months
03:55of money that has been blocked now
03:58for years over very serious
04:00issues that are not easy to
04:02fix overnight and they have to do with
04:03not just allegations of corruption but also the
04:05idea of rule of law and the
04:07judiciary. This is also going to
04:09be politically sensitive for the two of them
04:12because Peter Magyar clearly needs
04:13the money. He clearly has the Hungarian
04:15economy in focus but he also
04:17has to walk a very fine line and that is
04:19not being seen as perceived
04:21as certainly in Hungary as a man who is simply
04:23saying yes to the commission and
04:25as a man who is simply taking orders
04:27from the head of the commission and when it comes
04:29to the European institutions too
04:32this is also delicate because
04:33they need to show that money is not
04:35political and merit. Money
04:38is always political but they
04:40need to also show that there is
04:41merit behind this. That there are real
04:43changes that are going to happen in
04:45Hungary and of course there is a cautionary tale
04:47with Poland because if you go back in
04:49time when Donald Tusk won the
04:51election also promising a reset
04:53with the European Union. The institutions
04:55rush to unlock money but then
04:57of course now the Polish are really
04:59struggling to change fundamental
05:01issues like the judiciary because of the
05:03presidential veto. Magyar does not
05:05have that issue. He has a super
05:07majority but he does have this issue
05:09of the timing, the authority, the
05:11language around this and of course this is
05:13going to be tricky for the two of them
05:15to arrive to this point in August but
05:17obviously that is how a Brussels deal
05:18works. It needs to be seen as difficult
05:20for the deal to happen. Okay Maria
05:22thank you so much for that analysis.
05:25Now weeks before a closely watched EU
05:28China meeting tensions are
05:30threatening to boil over between both
05:32sides. China has publicly criticized
05:34Brussels multiple times in the past week
05:37including over its plans to shield its
05:40homegrown EU industries. So is there a
05:43road back to even-handed diplomacy or more
05:46fighting ahead? From all we're joined in the
05:49studio this morning by our correspondent
05:51Angela Scudgens. Angela great to see you
05:53again. Remind us why are these tensions
05:56boiling up again this week? Good morning
05:59Marid. So like so many of these
06:01international spats it is mostly centered
06:04on trade. Beijing came out with a
06:06statement this week blasting the EU's
06:08push to supercharge industry and support
06:11the local manufacturing of products such
06:13such as cars, solar panels, aluminium and
06:17cement. They stated that spokesperson from
06:20the Chinese Commerce Ministry has stated
06:24that this push could potentially violate
06:26World Trade Organization principles and
06:28hurt foreign investment. It's important
06:31to point out that many see this push as a
06:33way to even out that trade deficit with
06:37300 billion euros. The difference in
06:40in 2024 with European manufacturers paying
06:44the price. I managed to speak to an MEP from
06:47the European Parliament, Sakis Arunotoglu, who
06:50sits on the delegation regarding EU-China
06:54relations. He pointed out that there is a
06:57difference in the dynamics between the duo when
06:59it comes to trade. But maybe finally the EU is
07:02speaking a language that China recognizes.
07:05For many years we believed openness alone was
07:07enough. But today we know resilience matters, too, because
07:12otherwise you cannot survive in this environment. And
07:14China has been very tough. We don't seek any
07:19confrontation, but I think Europe must stop being
07:23vulnerable. And some say we have been a little bit
07:27naive, too.
07:28An MEP speaking there to me about the difference between the
07:33European Union and China, the EU's big push to become more
07:37autonomous when it comes to supply chains and those products. It's
07:41also important to point out that Beijing is furious regarding an EU push
07:45to change the Cybersecurity Act, as well as by placing at least a dozen
07:51defence companies on a sanctions ban. But all eyes will be on an important EU-China
07:57conference expected to take place on May the 12th. The bill, the event is being
08:04billed as an opportunity for a frank discussion among delegates as well as
08:09politicians. So all eyes will be on this to see whether the conversation can
08:13continue or whether it will peter out.
08:16Angela, we'll be keeping an eye on that conference, I'm sure, on May the 12th. Thank
08:20you so much for that. We're turning to Mali now because last weekend armed groups,
08:26including separatist and jihadist militants carried out coordinated attacks
08:30across the country, killing the defence minister. The wider Sahel region has been
08:35experiencing a period of profound instability, with European credibility in the region in
08:40steep decline, as our reporter Estelle Nilsen-Julian explains.
08:46Europe is grappling with strategic security concerns on all fronts, from the Middle East to Russia's
08:53war against Ukraine. But there is another crisis that Europe cannot ignore. The ongoing situation in
08:59the Sahel, where a coup epidemic has been underway since 2020. Over the weekend, an alliance of Al-Qaeda-linked
09:07jihadists and two Oreg separatists staged the largest coordinated attack on Mali in over a decade.
09:13These two groups may have different ideologies, but they share the same opponent, the military
09:19junta that has run Mali since 2020, backed by Russia. France has since urged any citizens currently
09:25in Mali to leave the country. But this isn't just about Mali. The country sits in the Sahel region,
09:31a belt that stretches across West and Central Africa, where coups and jihadist violence have
09:37been rising in recent years. Since 2022, France has been dismantling its military presence in the
09:43region, pushed out by a growing anti-Western sentiment and a shift of support in favour of Russia.
09:50Although Europe has been working to strengthen ties with Mauritania and coastal Western African countries,
09:56countries, it has struggled to implement a unified strategy. The situation has major consequences
10:01for the bloc. Officials have long warned that Sahel terrorism is a threat to European security.
10:07The belt also sits on key migration routes, meaning instability could drive more migrants towards Europe.
10:15Europe is failing to claw back relevance while Russia and China are consolidating their foothold.
10:25Well, yesterday, I sat down with the EU's special representative to the Sahel,
10:30Joao Cravino, and I started by asking him what the most recent uptake in violence in Mali could mean
10:36for the EU's strategy towards the region. Well, firstly, it means very clearly that the situation is
10:43extremely unstable. It is a situation of very precarious stability, meaning that what happened on the
10:52weekend can happen again. So this is really a terrible situation above all for the Malian population.
10:59What it means is very simply that it has become clear that there is no military solution to the
11:08situation in the Sahel as a whole, including Burkina Faso and Niger.
11:13This comes following years of instability, including successive military
11:18coups in many countries in the central Sahel. We also know that the EU has lost real clout and
11:25influence in the region. Do you see the possibility now for it to claw back some of this influence?
11:31And is it possible to do that while Moscow, but also Beijing, Tehran has such a visible presence?
11:39Well, firstly, I think it is absolutely correct and normal for us to acknowledge that we have
11:44no monopoly in the region. This is a region that must be respected for what it is. And it is
11:52perfectly
11:53legitimate for other countries to have partnerships with other parts of the world. However, having said that,
11:59I don't think any other part of the world has the same level of direct interest as Europe does.
12:06What is clear is that over the past few years, we have had a series of monologues between us rather
12:14than a dialogue. We have not been, and it's a mea culpa here, we have not been capable of listening
12:21and understanding properly as we should. We have not really been capable also of explaining what our
12:27interests are in the region. And by the same measure, I think there has been a failure in
12:34terms of dialogue on the other side. So the idea of deepening and making a lot and improving our
12:41dialogue is fundamental. That's a starting point. And we're on the road. We've been doing that over
12:47the last year, year and a half. And I think there's quite a lot of recognition. Our relations with those
12:52regimes now have bridges, which did not exist some time ago. Would you say that the incidents in Mali
13:00could have undermined maybe the reputation or the image of Russia as a security partner? And could that
13:08lead to maybe efforts to diversify security ties from Mali? Well, firstly, I think, of course,
13:15the Malians are going to have to do some reassessment. It's theirs to do. And I can't tell
13:22them what to do. But I think that it's obvious, due to the tremendous security failures of the past
13:29week, that they need to do some reassessment. Secondly, it's very clear that there is no solution
13:37through military means alone. The Russians only offer military support. They offer nothing else.
13:42Do you fear that the Sahel is being neglected? And what could be the cost of that for Europe?
13:48Well, I think it is very evident that there is limited bandwidth from our political deciders.
13:55I have had an interesting experience as a special representative of the European Union. I've been
14:00visiting most European capitals and speaking with ministers. All the ministers tell me the Sahel is
14:07geopolitically strategic. And yet they don't have time. They don't have time because of everything
14:13else that is happening. And the cost of that for Europe? The cost of that is that the situation is
14:18getting worse. But what I do believe is that we are developing the instruments to be able to take
14:26advantage of opportunities when they arise. And I think the opportunities will arise when it becomes
14:32evident that Europe is still the best possible partner for those countries.
14:40Moving on now, there will be no military hardware on show in Russia's Victory Day Parade
14:46next month for the first time in almost 20 years, as Moscow claims it is under threat from Ukraine.
14:53In a phone call with US President Donald Trump yesterday, President Putin also said he would
14:58unilaterally declare a ceasefire in his war against Ukraine for the duration of Victory Day celebrations.
15:05We can cross over now to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and to our correspondent Vincenzo Genovese,
15:11who is there for us this week. And Vincenzo, on this issue of Russia, it also featured prominently
15:16in a debate on EU-Russia ties in the hemicycle last night.
15:23Yes, Mared, indeed. Good morning. Good morning from Strasbourg. It was quite a heated debate yesterday
15:28evening as the topic is highly controversial among MEPs and also for discussion across Europe.
15:34Currently, we know Russian teams are excluded from sports competitions and Russia remains banned from
15:39cultural events such as the Eurovision Song Contest, but not from, for example, Venice Biennale,
15:45the world most renowned Contemporary Art Exhibition. So the question is, should you talk to Russia
15:52through diplomacy or at least through sports and arts or not? Let's put it to Vincenzo,
15:58who is an MEP from the Greens-HIFA Group and chairs the European Parliament Russian delegation.
16:04Good morning. Welcome. Good morning. Good morning.
16:07Should we talk to Russia or not? I think we have to be very clear that Russia uses all
16:13connections or conciliation from our side as a way to show that they would have international
16:19legitimacy for their war crimes in Ukraine and ongoing slaughter of Ukrainians. So Russia has
16:27committed thousands of war crimes, torture of prisoners, rape of Ukrainian women. And these are kind of like
16:37systematics. So we have to remember that as long as the war continues and Putin does not take
16:43responsibility for the war crimes and Russia does not stop invading Ukraine, there is nothing we can
16:50talk about with Russia and we should not give them any legitimacy through sports or culture.
16:54The war continues, as you said, but Putin, Vladimir Putin announced the ceasefire for the victory day.
17:00Do you believe him? Is it a serious offer?
17:02No, it's not. I mean, Putin also feels, Russia feels weaker now than they did a year ago. Ukraine has
17:10done a lot of drone attacks inside of Russia. So they start to feel threatened by those attacks.
17:15So this is also for them to try to create a day where they can show their strength,
17:21but then they want Ukrainians not to intervene.
17:25But some Europeans will go there like Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Is it the right choice?
17:30I think it's a totally wrong choice. We don't want to show any support for the current Russian regime
17:36in their kind of like also reimagining the past. Russia uses the victory day as a way of
17:43strengthening a very nationalistic future for Russia where human rights are not supported.
17:50And meantime, there is also a standoff between Ukraine and Israel for what he says is stolen
17:55grains from occupied territories. What you can do on that?
17:58I think you have to be very clear that that all the support that we have for Ukraine and all
18:03the
18:03conditions and sanctions on Russia and action against Russians using Ukrainian resources elsewhere
18:09has to apply to all countries. So we have to be strict on Israel as well.
18:13And Israel has to pay if they do wrong on here.
18:17Very clear. Thank you very much, Vileninisto. It's last day of plenary session in Strasbourg,
18:22and we will follow it as usual on Euronews. Maren.
18:26Vincenzo there in Strasbourg. Thank you so much for that.
18:29And that's it from us for today and for this week. We'll be back on Monday next week at the
18:35same time
18:36and the same place with the same news and analysis to start your day. In the meanwhile, you can keep
18:41up to
18:42date with more of our reporting on Euronews and Euronews.com. You can also get in touch with us,
18:48email us at Europetoday at Euronews.com with your questions, feedback and tips. And we'll see you again
18:55on Monday next week.
19:53Euronews.
19:55Euronews.
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