Presented by Planet
Brussels Playbook
By SUZANNE LYNCH
with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING and welcome to Brussels Playbook. Suzanne Lynch here in the hot seat today and Thursday, bringing you up to speed on what’s driving the day.
Happening overnight: Voters in Greenland delivered their verdict on the direction of the territory, Portugal is headed for another election after the collapse of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government, and Ukraine backed a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States. We’ve got the full details below. But first, breaking news this morning …
DRIVING THE DAY: TARIFFS HIT Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his promise to impose a new 25 percent tariff on all imported steel and aluminum products, with the measures kicking in at 5:01 a.m. Brussels time.
EU strikes back: Within the last hour, the European Commission responded with a suite of counter-measures: Firstly, the EU will on April 1 reimpose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods such as motorcycles, bourbon and boats dating back to Trump’s first term in the White House, which are currently suspended. Secondly, Brussels announced a new package of additional measures.
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The details: The EU’s new tariffs will target around €18 billion worth of American goods, with a two-week consultation process beginning today to identify what to hit in order to minimize disruption to European businesses and consumers. They’ll kick in by mid-April, per the Commission.
“The objective is to ensure that the total value of the EU measures corresponds to the increased value of trade impacted by the new US tariffs,” the Commission said this morning.
Don’t make us do this, Donald: In a pointed message to Trump, the Commission’s statement notes that “the EU remains ready to work with the US administration to find a negotiated solution,” and that the “measures can be reversed at any time should such a solution be found.”
What‘s next: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to deliver a press statement at 8 a.m. in Strasbourg, while EU ambassadors are due to be briefed by Commission officials over breakfast. The final decision on the new tariffs will be taken by qualified majority in the Council.
Economic impact: The Commission reckons Washington’s new tariffs will hit €26 billion of EU exports, corresponding to about 5 percent of the EU’s total exports to the U.S. As a result, American importers will have to stump up €6 billion in additional import tariffs. More on the EU’s “sledgehammer” here.
More to come: Today’s tariffs may just be the opening salvo in a much deeper tit-for-tat. We’re just three weeks away from April 2, when Trump will reveal proposals for broader reciprocal tariffs.
Canadian reprieve: In his latest flip-flop on economic policy, Trump backed off on the threat to double tariffs on Canadian metals when Ontario reversed a planned export tax on electricity flows to the U.S. But there was no reprieve for the Aussies, who were also hit by the tariffs despite previous indications from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that they would be exempt.
Top of the morning to you: It’s against this deepening transatlantic trade rift that Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin will become the latest European leader to meet Trump in the Oval Office later today. (He’s also the first European leader to meet Trump since Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s now infamous clash with the American president and his veep JD Vance.)
What’s the craic: Martin will meet Vance for breakfast at the vice president’s official residence this morning, before traveling to Capitol Hill and the White House as part of the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Breaking the bad news: As well as meeting Trump just hours after the EU’s announcement of trade counter-measures, Martin will have to tread a difficult line on foreign policy in his bilateral meeting before presenting Trump with the traditional bowl of shamrock at the White House. Ireland’s traditionally pro-Palestinian stance has been a rare sore point in its relationship with the U.S. for years.
Greenbacks vs. Emerald Isle: Lurking behind all the misty-eyed chatter about the enduring ties between Ireland and America that will likely dominate proceedings today is Ireland’s whopping trade surplus in goods with the U.S., driven by pharmaceutical exports. As a long-established magnet for American multinationals — many of which have their European headquarters in Ireland — Ireland, along with Germany, will be at the forefront of any protectionist measures taken by Washington. Shawn Pogatchnik has more on Martin’s diplomatic balancing act.
MEANWHILE, IN BRUSSELS: The EU’s industry ministers meet this morning, just hours after the U.S. tariffs kicked in. On the agenda are various competitiveness ideas that were pushed out in recent weeks, including the Clean Industrial Deal, two omnibus simplification packages and a single market strategy, Aude van den Hove, Francesca Micheletti and Aoife White report. But the meeting is at risk of being overshadowed by a push by six countries for a “critical chemicals act.” Full details in this morning’s Fair Play newsletter.
UKRAINE LATEST Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
JEDDAH BREAKTHROUGHS: The U.S. agreed to resume military aid to Ukraine and lift a pause on intelligence sharing, after Kyiv signaled its support for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia following talks in Saudi Arabia.
Over to you, Moscow: The breakthrough could be viewed as a boon for Trump, whose hardball tactics with Kyiv appear to have paid off despite no deal being reached on critical minerals. Ukraine rowed in behind American demands in exchange for the resumption of military and intelligence help. But the ball is now in the Kremlin’s court, with all eyes on how President Vladimir Putin responds, amid reports Trump envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow on Thursday. Tim Ross has everything we know about the ceasefire so far.
Indication of travel: Bloomberg has more details of Putin’s demands from the negotiations, as briefed by Western security officials. He’s seeking a Ukrainian commitment to neutrality, international recognition of Moscow’s claim to annexed land, and is against European peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine. The officials told Bloomberg the Kremlin sees little incentive to back off from these positions.
G7 debrief: Meanwhile, G7 foreign ministers — including from France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. — will be in Quebec today, where they’re expected to be debriefed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Saudi Arabia talks. At least he plans to show up this time — Rubio skipped last month’s G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa.
Will he, won’t he: The gathering offers EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with Rubio. While the two held what was by all accounts a cordial call in January, Rubio snubbed the high rep during her recent visit to Washington. Speaking in New York Tuesday evening after addressing the U.N. Security Council, Kallas said she agreed with Trump that the killing in Ukraine must stop but warned that “Russia’s track record of broken treaties leaves no room for trust.”
Also happening today … the E5 group of defense ministers will meet at Val-de-Grâce in Paris to discuss the latest on Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. The meeting between ministers from France, Italy, Germany, Poland and the U.K. follows Wednesday’s gathering of more than 30 military chiefs in Paris.
Berlin warning: Meanwhile, Germany’s armed forces are in trouble, according to a closely watched annual report released Tuesday. The Bundeswehr is shrinking, aging and still lacks essential equipment despite a considerable increase in defense spending, POLITICO’s Chris Lunday reports. It comes as European Council President António Costa meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today in Berlin.
Virkkunen no-show: Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen is no longer traveling to the U.S. on Thursday and Friday, her cabinet and the Commission spokespersons’ service confirmed to my colleague Pieter Haeck. More on the mystery cancelation in Morning Tech.
MIGRATION FALLOUT Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
RETURNS PROPOSAL: As Sarah Wheaton previewed in Tuesday’s Playbook, Commissioner Magnus Brunner unveiled a new proposal aimed at toughening up the EU’s migration rules by ensuring the swift deportation of people who are in the bloc illegally.
The new plan ramps up the EU’s ability to deport migrants, and also opens the door to establish “return hubs” outside the bloc, prompting comparisons with the U.K.’s controversial scheme to fly migrants to Rwanda. Bartosz Brzeziński, Max Griera and Hanne Cokelaere have all the details.
Reaction to the new initiative … came thick and fast Tuesday, and varied wildly. Many on the right of the political spectrum applauded the move, while NGOs blasted the Commission for abandoning its commitment to a more humane approach to migrants.
Dystopian detention: The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants said the proposal was rushed through under political pressure, “with no meaningful consultation of civil society or impact assessments.” The group said it turns deportation into the “default option” for people (including children) who are found in an irregular situation.
Balanced proposal: But the Vienna-based International Centre for Migration Policy Development welcomed the proposal as “an important step towards creating clarity and offering a balanced perspective for action.” It highlighted the new obligation on third-country nationals to cooperate with authorities or face sanctions such as entry bans.
Next steps: The proposal now needs to be agreed by the Council and the European Parliament, where left-leaning groups are already crying foul about return hubs. “We hope that the co-legislators, the European Parliament and the member states, go through the process very, very fast, and that we will find common agreement — and strong majorities — behind this proposal,” Commissioner Virkkunen told journalists in Strasbourg.
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ELECTION UPDATES Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
PORTUGAL GOES TO THE POLLS (AGAIN): Portugal’s center-right minority government lost a vote of confidence Tuesday evening, setting the country on course for its third parliamentary election in as many years. Social Democrat Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who took office less than a year ago, has been embroiled in a conflict-of-interest scandal involving a data protection firm owned by his family. Elections are expected in May. Aitor Hernández-Morales explains the political crisis here.
GREENLAND SWINGS RIGHT: The center-right Democrats pulled off a surprise victory in Greenland’s election, beating the governing left-wing coalition, signaling that Greenlanders want to take a slower route to independence.
GEORGESCU BAN UPHELD IN ROMANIA: The Constitutional Court last night barred far-right populist Călin Georgescu from competing in a rerun of Romania’s presidential election in May. The judges unanimously upheld a decision by Romania’s election authority on Sunday to reject Georgescu’s candidacy because of alleged violations of election rules when he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential vote in November. Carmen Paun has more.
AGENDA Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
— Competitiveness Council. Arrivals and doorsteps at 8:30 a.m. … press conference after. Watch.
— EU ambassadors meet in Coreper II at 8:30 a.m.
— European Council President António Costa is in Berlin. Meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at noon, followed by a press conference … speaks at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung at 3 p.m. Full agenda of the event.
— High Representative Kaja Kallas is in Charlevoix, Canada, for the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting.
— European Parliament President Roberta Metsola receives France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad.
— European Parliament plenary session continues in Strasbourg. Debate on 100 days of the new Commission at 1 p.m. … debate on Russian frozen assets at 5 p.m. … debate on accelerating the phase-out of Russian gas in Europe… debate on media freedom. Full agenda. Watch.
— NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Šekerinska meets President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.
— Defense ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the U.K. meet in Paris in the E5 format. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius participates. Press conference at 6:30 p.m. Agenda.
— Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof is in Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
— Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib is in New York to attend the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
— International Partnerships Commissioner Jozef Síkela is in Turkmenistan, where he meets government representatives.
— Conference on EU-NATO relations takes place in Warsaw, Poland.
BRUSSELS CORNER Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Handclap
WEATHER: High of 8C, cloudy with occasional rain showers.
SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE: Another shooting took place Monday night in Forest, leaving one person hurt, Brussels-Midi police said on Tuesday. At least 30 shell casings were found at the scene, and the perpetrator, who is still on the run, used a military-style weapon, BX1 reported.
COURT ACQUITS FLEMISH WRITER: The Ghent criminal court on Tuesday ruled that Flemish novelist Herman Brusselmans is not guilty of antisemitism and incitement to hatred after he published a column saying he wanted to “shove a knife down the throat of every Jew” he meets. Ketrin Jochecová has more details.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT STRIKE: Fewer buses and trams will be running throughout Flanders today because of strike action at De Lijn. Details here.
MILES AWAY: Car-sharing service Miles is pulling out of Belgium due to vandalism, misuse of vehicles and attempted theft, particularly in the Brussels region, the company said.
RIVER JAZZ FESTIVAL: A Thomas Leleu concert will kick off the River Jazz Festival tonight at 8 p.m. The spring jazz festival continues until March 29.
BIRTHDAYS: MEPs Marc Angel and Javier Moreno Sánchez; former MEPs Pernille Weiss-Ehler, Sylvie Brunet and Janina Ochojska; Fortum’s Maiju Daniel-Huhtaniska; the Washington Post’s Peter Spiegel; the New European’s James Ball; DEIK’s Selma Bardakcı; Anton Bunia from the German Federal Foreign Office; pop star and POLITICO 28 alum Stromae.
THANKS TO: Camille Gijs, Koen Verhelst; Playbook reporter Ketrin Jochecová, editor Alex Spence and producer Dean Southwell.
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