The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at the in-depth analysis Michel silent over unofficial document mulling border changes in Western Balkans by Alexandra Brzozowski and Vlagyiszlav Makszimov.
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High-level Conference Climate Science from Space: Synergies for a greener innovation economy: With the participation of the European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and the Portuguese Minister for Science, Manuel Heitor, this conference will help building bridges to link space and climate ecosystems, by showing how space-based systems can improve daily life and contribute to the European Green Deal. More here.
Italy’s Northern League will not be supporting a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Roberto Speranza, Riccardo Molinari, leader of the League group in the Chamber of Deputies said on Thursday, despite his party having criticised the health minister almost daily for the way the pandemic has been managed until just a few weeks ago.
The announcement came hours after the right-wing opposition party Brothers of Italy (FdI) said they would be presenting a no-confidence motion against Speranza, who also held the health minister position in the Conte-led government.
According to Italian observers, the no-confidence motion is a move by FdI to challenge the Northern League for the country’s right-wing leadership.
Italy aims to give all over-60s COVID vaccine in Q2: health minister
Italians receive Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, in Rome
MILAN (Reuters) – Italy aims to administer a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to everyone over 60 by the end of the second quarter, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Thursday.
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, Speranza also said he hoped there will soon be clarity over the Johnson&Johnson jab, which has been suspended over side-effect concerns, in order to clear its use.
The AstraZeneca vaccine “like all vaccines marketed in Europe, is safe and effective, it saves lives,” Speranza said.
Europe scrambles as J&J vaccine delay deals another blow
Joseph Wilson
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A box of Johnson & Johnson vaccines are shown by pharmacist Zsolt Szenasi at a warehouse of Hungaropharma, a Hungarian pharmaceutical wholesale company, in Budapest, Hungary. European nations are scrambling Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in the wake of Johnson & Johnsons decision to delay the rollout of its COVID-19 vaccine amid reports of rare blood clots. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP)
BARCELONA – European countries diverged Wednesday on whether they would push ahead with giving their residents Johnson & Johnson s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of very rare blood clots in a handful of recipients in the United States.
AZ US President Ruud Dobber tells Your World studies showed no significant clotting side effects
BARCELONA, Spain – European countries diverged Wednesday on whether they would push ahead with giving their residents Johnson & Johnson s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of very rare blood clots in a handful of recipients in the United States.
While some European Union members put the vaccine on hold as recommended by the American company, Poland, France and Hungary said they would go ahead and administer the doses that had arrived as the EU s 27 nations face continuing pressure to speed up their immunization drives.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, distributed in Europe by its subsidiary Janssen, is a key part of Europe s vaccination campaign, which has been criticized as sluggish. Of the four vaccines currently approved for use in the EU, J&J s is the only one that requires a single dose to be fully effective. That makes it ideal for hard-to-reach, vulnerable groups, such as those w