But don’t the two go together? How do you get the greens onboard if you split it

Progress on the deal reportedly accelerated after Meloni’s surprise visit to Trump on 4/1, which Musk did not attend but may have helped facilitate. She is only the 2nd EU leader to visit mar-a-lago since the elections and the 3rd to meet Trump 1-on-1 /4

The EU’s flagship low-earth IRIS2 constellation - a potential major competitor to Starlink – won’t be up and running until the 2030s. Still, Italy is a major partner in the project (via Leonardo/Telespazio) and heavily invested in its ultimate success /3

Starlink’s (low earth) capabilities would presumably complement (not substitute) the existing SICRAL (geostationary) system run by Telespazio/Thales – to provide back-up, encryption services, and secure comms in certain areas (the Mediterranean), and for a period of 5 years /2

While much of Europe is busy decrying #Musk's undue interference in national politics, #Meloni is about to hand him the keys to Italy's secure communications system. €1.5bn is no small price to pay for Musk’s good graces and preferential access to Trump 🧵 #starlink #spacex

Eurasia Group | The Top Risks of 2025

it's 2025: what do @eurasiagroup.net and i say is the biggest risk of all?

our flagship #toprisks2025 report is now live. check it out: eurasiagroup.net/TopRisks2025

Bank of Italy Says Economy Probably Grew Just 0.5% This Year Italy’s economy will only see moderate growth this year, according to the country’s central bank.

BoI expects economy to grow at “a stronger pace starting in the second half of next year, thanks above all to the favorable trends in consumption and the recovery in exports.” That’s before Trump tariffs and expected stagnation (recession?) in 🇩🇪 through '25. Per: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Italy’s economy unexpectedly stalls in the third quarter. Bank of Italy sees +0.5% growth in 2024 (vs. 1% official projection). Note the sharp slowdown in investment in ’25 as construction tax credits are withdrawn, only partly offset by EU RRF spending.

www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazion...

Staunch defenders of the debt break will need a better reason @jantechau.bsky.social

Wouldn’t count on it

Ukraine's intelligence service says that Russia is actively retreating its key holdings in Syria.

Russian Il-76 and An-124 heavy lifters are evacuating Khmeimim airbase, while multiple Russian ships are heading towards Tartus to begin a sealift.

Brexit reduces GDP by 4-5%, while the potential benefits of the UK-EU ‘reset’ are around 0.3-0.7%, according to new CER analysis by @johnspringford.bsky.social

Read here: https://buff.ly/3ZJ4Zdp

OTD in 1994: The beginning of the First Chechen War.

Russian forces launch a three-pronged ground attack towards Grozny.

Italy Struggles to Harvest Fruits of EU Recovery Fund Boon It’s olive season in the hills around Rome, where a century-old family business upgrading its machinery showcases both the fruits and shortcomings of Italy’s efforts to spend European Union cash.

Come sta andando il #PNRR? How is the roll-out of Italy’s 194bn in EU #RRF funds advancing? A mixed bag..predictably. An interesting look at the state of play by @bloombergnews.bsky.social. Glad to be part of the effort. #NextgenerationEU @eurasiagroup.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Rwanda redux

Updated list of top accounts on EU politics. Some excellent new folks have joined BlueSky like @nathalietocci.bsky.social