In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the German opposition leader suggesting a trial period for border rejections, the Socialist group in the European Parliament softening its stance on the Italian executive vice-president pick, and so much more. 

Ukraine accused Russia on Thursday (12 September) of using strategic bombers to strike a civilian grain vessel in a missile attack in Black Sea waters near NATO member Romania, escalating tensions between Moscow and the military alliance.

It hardly goes unnoticed that Chinese companies are stepping up green investments in Europe.

Romania will ask the Council for compensation for the much higher energy prices in its region compared to Western Europe, Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said on Thursday, confirming his Greek counterpart's words that his country had joined forces with Greece and Bulgaria.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Thursday pledged his full support to Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who has been in exile in Spain since Sunday, as he tries to find a way out of the South American country's political crisis.

Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (12 September) that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, a move he said would alter the nature and scope of the conflict.

President Rumen Radev on Thursday insisted on the establishment of a direct flight between Sofia and Beijing and the opening of a Chinese bank branch to boost business ties between the two countries.

Opposition to Rafaele Fitto's bid to become vice-president of the executive in the next European Commission appears to be softening, with the socialist S&D group in the European Parliament, who had previously joined the Greens and Liberals in opposing the move, no longer speaking of 'red lines'.

Conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU-EPP) floated the idea of turning back refugees at the border whose first EU country of entry was not Germany for a three-month trial period - an idea that may sound familiar to the governing parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has strongly reiterated France's opposition to the EU-Mercosur free trade deal and confirmed his desire to seek a 'blocking minority', according to information obtained by Euractiv, dashing hopes of finalising the deal at the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil.

Europe should stop being "naive" and step up efforts to support its faltering industrial base to compete with China and the United States, the newly elected chairman of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee told Euractiv in an interview.

EU farmers must comply with strict production standards, and so should third-country producers if they want to export to the EU, according to the latest vote by the ENVI committee. Does this approach signal the start of a new, more protectionist agricultural policy?

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde praised Mario Draghi’s “formidable” report on Thursday (12 September) but said that the responsibility for boosting Europe’s lagging competitiveness ultimately lies with EU governments rather than monetary policymakers.

Germany’s Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer have confirmed a new attempt to strengthen ‘left-conservative’ ties in the European Parliament, but said a new group is still some way off. 

The new British government and the new Commission will have to sit down at the negotiating table for the revision of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), scheduled for 2026. An overview of the energy issues at stake between London and Brussels.

China poses a fundamental threat to Euro-Atlantic civilisation and is using various channels, including LinkedIn, to establish contacts and gain influence and know-how, the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) has warned.

The Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) has challenged the recommendations of Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi for the EU telecoms industry, in a report released on Thursday (12 September).

Pursuing her goal for gender balance on the EU high table, European Commission President  Ursula von der Leyen has been able to make smaller member states change their mind, as three of them withdrew their male candidate, however, gender balance is unlikely to be achieved.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Poland on Thursday (12 September), did not confirm that the United States will permit Ukraine to fire Western-supplied missiles into Russian territory, but left the possibility open.

Millions of Europeans are depriving themselves of essential goods such as healthcare and food due to lack of money, a new survey published by Ipsos and French charity Secours Populaire on Thursday (12 September) reveals.