Inside EU ambassadors’ crisis ‘bunker’

Brussels is adjusting to a shifting geopolitical landscape.

Coreper meetings — regular gatherings of EU ambassadors — are becoming more frequent and offer clear evidence of how the bloc is adapting. What was once largely preparatory now plays a central role in shaping negotiations before leaders ever sit down.

Then, the energy saga continues. The European Commission, responding to Hungary’s warnings over disruptions to Russian oil flows through Ukraine’s Druzhba pipeline, says there is no immediate supply risk and that alternative routes are available. So is this a genuine squeeze — or a political ploy ahead of elections in Hungary?

And finally: The former tech commissioner, Thierry Breton, who faces U.S. sanctions over his role in drafting the Digital Services Act, makes his case before the European Parliament. Lawmakers have largely rallied behind him, framing the dispute as a test of Europe’s digital sovereignty and of the bloc’s complex relationship with Washington. But not everyone agrees — some argue the sanctions were predictable, given Breton’s earlier warnings to U.S. platforms.

Plus: a cleansing confession from a Swedish minister.

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