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Written by Peter Heck
With Zoya Sheftalovich
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Belgian slugger: Belgium assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union on Monday, sparking the usual uproar on social media.and in a flashy video It was the Minister of Foreign Affairs who posted on social media. Haja Rahbib Who was the star of the show, not the Prime Minister? alexander de croo. “Belgium is ready,” Rahbib promised.
It would be better to do something like this: With European Parliament elections due in June, the country has just over a month to complete its legislative work.
good morning. I’m Peter Heck. I usually work on POLITICO’s technology desk, but as a native of Belgium, I’m also keeping an eye on the country’s council presidentship. This is an opportunity to promote Union-wide solutions to some of Belgium’s problems. More details are provided further below.
Programming notes: POLITICO EU Correspondent barbara moensThe fellow Belgian will be with you on Wednesday with more presidential goodies. He sends her some insight while trying to overcome her New Year’s hangover.
terrorist threat monitoring 
New York is over — no security concerns: Amid rising security threat levels, European capitals are on alert for disaster during the busy holiday season, with crowded shopping streets, Christmas markets and crowds gathering to watch fireworks, which have been identified as potential terrorist targets. It was a huge crowd.
Good news: There were no major accidents. Aside from these (now familiar) New Year’s Eve incidents, in which cars were set on fire and emergency workers attacked with fireworks in cities such as Brussels and Paris, there were concerns about large-scale terrorist attacks. didn’t happen. But authorities are not letting their guard down.
Beware of “unpredictability” Regarding this incident, the head of Europol warned: Asked for her thoughts on what will happen this year, Europol chief Catherine de Bolle said the organization needs to look beyond just focusing on its core business of serious organized crime. said.
“Europol must prepare for unpredictable and rare events that have a significant impact on our society,” she said in a statement shared with Playbook. “Last year there was the war in Ukraine and this year there were terrorist attacks against Israel, which led to an increase in jihadist terrorism within the EU.”
You never know when the threat level will change. Belgium is living under its second-highest security threat level since October 16, when a gunman killed two Swedish soccer fans. The country’s threat analysis department also found problems stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, prompting the government to send additional police forces to Antwerp’s Jewish quarter.
Belgian Interior Minister Anneliese Verlinden told Playbook that while she cannot predict how long the current threat level will last, she assumes the increased police presence “will continue for some time.”
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Verlinden said: “Even if there is a cease-fire, whether it lasts or not, I find that there are flashpoints. I’ve talked to people in the Jewish community and I’ve talked to people in the Palestinian community. Those traumas and emotions are so deep that of course this can last for a long time.”
Giving a platform to terrorism: Belgium plans to highlight the role of online platforms as a “point of focus” during its time as Council President. [that] It doesn’t get much media attention. [These are] “Many young people become radicalized very quickly over a short period of time, often through algorithms and online fake news,” Verlinden said.
Europe’s drug problem
Record year for cocaine seizures in Belgium: Last year was another record-breaking year in the fight against the influx of drugs, especially cocaine, in Belgium. Verlinden said the country had seized at least 120 tons of cocaine.
it can be won The year 2022 was already a massive one, with 110 tons seized, compared to 50 tons seized in 2021. The country’s fight against drug trafficking has paralleled a surge in drug-related violence as gangs fight for control of major trafficking operations. root. These problems go beyond Belgium’s borders, with crackdowns at one port often leading criminals to move their activities to other ports, and the issue is on the EU’s agenda.
Presidency priorities: The war on drugs is one of the priorities of Belgium’s Council Presidency. Verlinden said that on January 24, Belgium will host the launch of the European Ports Union as part of an informal meeting of interior ministers. This is an attempt to involve private port and shipping companies across the bloc in the fight against drug trafficking.
Close collaboration with private companies The Belgian interior minister said this was necessary “in order to have the right information”. “This is already happening today in a pretty decent way between terminal operators and the Federal Judiciary Police. They can very quickly point out which containers did not follow the correct trajectory.”
The launch event was held in Antwerp. Belgium’s second largest city. It is the second largest freight transport hub in Europe. Antwerp saw an increase in drug-related violence, including bombings and shootings, in both 2022 and 2023.
Bergo-Dutch blueprint: Belgium and the Netherlands signed an agreement in February last year with the mayors of Antwerp and Rotterdam to fight “narco-terrorism” with five major shipping companies, paving the way for this month’s launch. Inspired by this move, the European Commission proposed in October to extend this to broader cooperation through the European Ports Union.
People behind the policy: The January 24 event is the latest joint exercise between the Belgian Ministry of the Interior and the European Commission. In February last year, Anneliese Verlinden and Ylva Johansson, Home Affairs Commissioner, called for greater cooperation with countries such as Ecuador and Colombia (known as “source countries”) in Latin America to tackle Europe’s drug problem. We visited together. The two also touched on the basics of the topic at a summit on organized crime they co-hosted with Verlinden in Antwerp last June.
new year, new job
New EIB boss: Spain’s Nadia Calviño officially began her role as head of the European Investment Bank on Monday, winning an epic battle for the top spot. According to an EIB press release, Calviño is the first woman and first Spaniard to lead the bank. She will succeed Werner Heuer, who was praised in the same statement for giving the bank “a higher profile”.
End of story: Mr. Calviño, who was Spain’s deputy prime minister and finance minister at the time, was contacted on December 8 by Margrethe Vestager, vice-president of the European Commission for affairs (who returned to the post after taking leave for campaigning). He defeated a stiff challenge and won his appointment with sufficient support among EU member states. Berlaymont after the loss). Mr Calviño takes up his new role immediately after Spain takes up a key role as president of the EU Council.
fix social: Calvinho’s new profile page on the EIB website invites everyone to “Follow the President on X” — where is her bio She still states that she is Spain’s Minister of Economy, and her profile banner is still that of President of the Spanish Council. It’s time for the social media team to return from vacation.
shuffle: Mr. Calviño’s transfer to the EIB triggered a reshuffle in the Spanish government. Carlos Cuerpo became Spain’s new economy minister, and María Jesus Montero became first deputy prime minister.
middle east
Israel begins partial troop withdrawal from Gaza: The Israeli military has begun withdrawing troops from Gaza, marking the start of a new phase of the war. But officials say the conflict is far from over, POLITICO’s Caleb Larson reports.
Supreme Court invalidates Bibi’s judicial reforms: Meanwhile, Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down key parts of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms. This sparked massive protests last year and threatened to create a constitutional crisis between the judicial and legislative branches of the Israeli government.
Will the rift open again? Although Israel has been united since the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people, kidnapped hundreds and triggered Israel’s devastating attack on the Gaza Strip, the 8-7 court ruling It could reignite tensions even while the country is at war. The Associated Press reports the details.
Britain ready for action in Red Sea: Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday that Britain was “ready to take direct action” against Houthi rebels targeting commercial cargo shipments in the Red Sea.
In other news
Overnight in Korea: Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck in Busan. According to Yonhap News, the injuries are not life-threatening.
German Union latest information: A slim majority of Germany’s Free Democratic Party members voted to remain in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition in a non-binding party vote. Details at Reuters.
Submarine sabotage: Protecting vulnerable undersea infrastructure has become a key priority for Western navies this year as adversaries step up so-called hybrid or gray zone warfare. Our colleague Charlie Duxbury visited Hanko, Finland, where Finnish and British troops were conducting naval training. Charlie and Claudia Chiappa presented this report on how Europe plans to respond to further submarine sabotage.
Biden intray: Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder reflects on the foreign policy challenges facing U.S. President Joe Biden in this election year.
Let’s rebuild together with young people: Have you ever sat around the dinner table with your young relatives over the festive period and found them speaking a different language? POLITICO’s young people have put together a guide to their generation’s lingo. If you read this, you’ll be able to decipher this: “Vladimir Putin gets an L for a subdued performance, showing a maddening lack of flamboyance. But Sass’s handshake Since then, he has chosen me: Viktor Orbán. That leaves no cap on the villain.”
brussels corner
weather: 12℃, rain.
New York fallout: According to local media, thugs fired “horizontal fireworks” at firefighters in Brussels as they went about their mission on New Year’s Eve. “Our firefighters and paramedics are working all night to save people, but they face attacks and violence while on duty. Totally unacceptable,” said Anse Persoon, secretary of state for the Brussels regional government. I mentioned it in the post.
Uninteresting campaign: Belgium’s interior ministry had launched a campaign condemning violence against emergency workers ahead of expected New Year’s unrest. In the Netherlands, dozens of police officers were reportedly attacked with fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
Cultural events of the Belgian Council Presidency: The Belgian Council Presidency has listed several exhibitions in Brussels that can fill the previous last holiday. La Rentre: POWER (about energy sources) and the restoration of the Stocklet Palace 1911 (about Art Nouveau). If you want to take a day trip, there are also exhibitions in Antwerp, Mechelen, Ostend and Ypres. All events will be listed here.
birthday: Member of Parliament Joanna Kopczynska; Dutch Ministry of Finance root mickers.
thanks to: Our producer Seb Starcevic.
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