Good morning and welcome to Euro Express.

Russia’s war in Ukraine not only casts a long shadow over the global economic outlook, but also casts a long shadow on the country’s continued participation, including WTO, causing tension in an already tense body. We’ll give you a quick look at what WTO President Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has to say about how her organization is struggling to overcome difficulties, even when there is little talk among members.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin said diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict he initiated were “back to the dead end”, Western and Ukrainian intelligence continued to warn of a massive influx of weapons and troops through Belarus and Russia in preparation for another potentially devastating offensive against eastern Ukraine. Following the withdrawal of Russian troops from the outskirts of Kyiv, More than 400 civilian corpses It has been retrieved only in the city of Bha.

As for Hungary’s 15 minutes of fame yesterday, when EU affairs ministers discussed rule of law issues In the country, we’ll bring you the latest on what the Hungarian minister has to say, as well as the rebuttal.

awkward membership

World Trade Organization President Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala admitted yesterday that managing a multilateral organization during a war is not easy. The Geneva-based agency forecasts merchandise trade growth of 3 percent in 2022, down from a previous forecast of 4.7 percent, Because Russia invaded UkraineWrite Andy’s border in Brussels.

Okonjo-Iweala also explained to reporters how the agency works when some members barely talk to each other.

The European Union, Canada, the United States, Ukraine and other countries have Repeal of Russia’s most-favored-nation status, which means it has to pay higher tariffs on goods in some cases. She said each meeting began with a statement from Russia or countries opposed to it, justifying their actions.

But she denied that the WTO was “paralysed”. She acknowledged that talks had slowed, but progress was now being made through bilateral consultations or panel discussions. “We now use this method in all negotiations,” she said.

This is not the best preparation for the long-delayed ministerial meeting. The meeting, known as MC12, was postponed twice due to Covid-19, three years after the 164-member trade ministers met to discuss solutions to pressing issues.

The agenda for the week of June 13 is the functioning of the WTO itself. No major multilateral agreement has been reached since its creation in 1995, and even its role in settling disputes is threatened by the rise of unilateral actions such as U.S. steel tariffs and a Chinese boycott of Lithuanian goods.

While Geneva can convene panels to hear disputes, there is no appellate body because the United States refuses to cooperate. So many disputes remain unresolved.

Also on the MC12 agenda are restrictions on fishing and agricultural subsidies, as well as a plan to make it easier for developing countries to ditch intellectual property rules to replicate Covid-19 vaccine designs.

But Okonjo-Iweala admits that she doesn’t yet know whether all the topics will be discussed and conclusions can be drawn. “We’re exploring options about what we can offer. But that’s where we’re at,” she said.

“But we’re actively meeting with them and working on this and WTO reform. It’s really, really important. Almost every minister I’m going to know is chattering about the need to make progress on this.”

But as evidence mounts of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, there are fears that some countries may decide they don’t want to participate in any event that Moscow is also represented.

Daily Chart: Leftist Vote

read more here On why French President Emmanuel Macron needs to enter the group of left-wing voters who supported Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round of elections. Melenchon urged his constituents to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen, but he did not support Macron and his party will consult members on whether to do so.

When Democracy Works Together

Four election victories, the EU’s longest-serving leader and one of the bloc’s fastest-growing economies: Hungary’s justice minister swaggered to yesterday’s General Council, hoping to be the envy of all his colleagues.But few were moved, wrote Henry Foy of Brussels.

In Budapest’s view, this month’s re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban – maintaining the supermajority coveted by other EU leaders – changes the ongoing tension between Hungary and the European Commission over the protection of the rule of law balance of power. nation.

Orban’s justice minister Judit Varga made this clear when the ministers arrived in Luxembourg, saying the “historical mission” showed that “these concerns do not exist in Hungarian democracy”.

But her colleagues on the council have a different conception of how democracy works, arguing that the rule of law reigns supreme and protects minorities, regardless of the scale of ballot box victories.

While Varga was “encouraged and justified” by the election results during parliament, people briefed on the discussions told Euro Express that other ministers took the liberty to say that when the ruling party controls almost all media in the country , winning 52.5% of the vote is not an amazing result.

“The rule of law also means limiting the possibilities of member state authorities, even with access to the vast majority of the population . . . ,” EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders said after the meeting.

Hungary’s long-running saga of compliance with the rule of law and the EU’s efforts to address the issue will reach a milestone this month when a letter from the commission reaches Orban’s desk informing him of its intention to activate a so-called conditional mechanism that will limit access to Some EU funding, as punishment for democratic backsliding.

Hungarian officials said they were optimistic about the current situation and could not comment on the contents and imports of the letter until it arrived.

But Budapest’s defense might echo Varga’s point: most of us have no problem with how we run our country – so why should we listen to you?

what to watch today

1. Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croix visits Moldova

2. Delegation of MEPs holds press conference in Bulgaria after fact-finding investigation into allegations of corruption and misuse of EU funds

3. Euro-Latin American Parliament held in buenos aires

notable, citable

I’m ready [to go to Ukraine]. But obviously, I have to accept this, Kyiv doesn’t want it

• Steinmeier unpopular: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier abandoned plans to visit Kyiv after admitting yesterday He will not be welcomed in the Ukrainian capital, a rare snub to Western politicians.Steinmeier regret lately Because of his pro-Russian policies and insistence on building a second natural gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2.

• The “fantasy” of the ECB: The ECB’s first chief economist, Otmar Issing, told the Financial Times that the central bank was “living in fantasy,” misjudges the factors behind the current price surge and downplays the danger of runaway inflation. His criticism of the ECB’s slow rate hikes comes ahead of tomorrow’s Governing Council meeting in Frankfurt.

• New commander: Russia’s newly appointed Ukrainian commander Alexandr Dvornikov develops his skills Military operations with brutal impact in Syria in 2015. He is the leader of Russia’s southern military district and has been in charge of operations in the Donbass since Russia annexed parts of its territory eight years ago.

• Le Pen anxiety: While Emmanuel Macron’s lead ahead of the April 24 runoff has eased sharply Concerns among Brussels officialsFrance could still elect a president who wants to pull the country out of the NATO military structure, tear up a slew of EU legislation and restore relations with Putin.

• Boris, fine: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak fined As part of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into Covid-19 breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall during the pandemic.