EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT – North Korea behind global network of businesses. KKG projects range from taxis to oil. Part of regime’s secretive Office 39.

WSJE – Greece faces fund crunch, few options. Greece’s increasingly fragile banking system is limiting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ room to bargain for better bailout terms and, more than anything, has shoved him towards compromise, Greek officials say.

INYT – Debt talks are defining moment for Merkel. Beyond Greek finances, failure may risk unity and security of Europe.

FRANCE

Le Monde – American espionage: why the French response remains symbolic. According to NSA documents released by WikiLeaks, Messrs Hollande, Sarkozy and Chirac were listened to by the United States until 2012.

Les Echos – Unemployment: François Hollande’s heavy toll. The number of employed rose once again, by 16,200 in May. Three years after the Head of State’s election, the increase reached 630,000.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ) – Hollande outraged by US bugging operations. France expects “precise and verifiable” explanations from the US on its surveillance activities, after WikiLeaks documents reveal the NSA wiretapped French Presidents between 2006 and 2012.

Suedeutsche Zeitung –  France shocked by US spying activities. In reaction to the revelations of the NSA’s wiretapping of French Presidents, some French politicians are demanding the suspension of TTIP negotiations. Hollande has called Obama.

ITALY

La Repubblica – Government: The Constitutional Council unfreezes contracts and saves the budget. The Constitutional Council declared unconstitutional the freeze on public sector salaries implemented in 2011. However this decision is not retroactive, meaning the government is “saved” from having to pay back €35 billion.

Il Sole 24 Ore – Last chance for Athens, still no agreement on pensions and taxes. In a last ditch effort, the Greek government and the Eurozone countries are trying to find a solution to the Greek crisis. There is still no solution concerning the main points of friction, Greek pensions and fiscal policy, as Tsipras accuses the eurozone of excessive demands and claims it does not want a solution to be found.

POLAND

Gazeta – Quick revolution on the roads. Yesterday, Vice-Minister of Infrastructure and Development and the Government’s proxy for roads safety Paweł Olszewski announced changes to the Highway Code. Under the new regulations Members of Polish Parliament will no longer enjoy the unpunished status for speeding, pedestrians’ rights will be strengthened and road signs reorganized and put in the right order.

SPAIN

El Pais – Most regional leaders ask Rajoy to bring forward the elections. The government is studying the possibility to present the budgets to the Parliament before the end of the office’s term.

Expansion – Rajoy is planning an income tax reduction. Incentive plan before the election.

UK

The Times – SNP forces Palace to back down in clash over funding. Buckingham Palace made a humiliating climb-down last night, insisting that it had not intended to criticise Scotland over concerns about cuts to funding for the monarchy.

The Guardian – “You’ve got to carry this burden to the end.” Nick Clegg discussed resigning as Liberal Democrat leader in the wake of the party’s humiliating reverses in the European and local elections in 2014, asking colleagues if he had become a barrier to the party’s message being heard.

©europeanunion2015