Europe Today: Russia hits Kyiv as Merz visits; Bolsonaro wins Brazil's first round election

Good morning, it is Monday the 5th of October. I'm Maeve McMahon and this is Europe Today. Your morning update of European news and analysis live here on Euronews. Coming up in elections closely watched here in Brussels that saw 159 million people eligible to vote, the right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has won the first round in Brazil. All eyes on the second round of votes on the 25th of October when he'll face off against left-wing incumbent president Lula da Silva. Meanwhile over in Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez looks increasingly likely to call a snap election with the 29th of November a potential date after his government suffered a defeat in parliament on Friday with lawmakers rejecting two key housing decrees. Tens of thousands of people have been on the streets of Spain calling for more action to tackle the mounting housing crisis. And in Latvia, Prime Minister Andrius Kulberg and his centrist pro-Ukraine United List party have won parliamentary elections by a wide margin. On the campaign trail, Kulberg's pledged to keep defence spending at 5% of GDP. That's one of the highest levels in NATO. This as student blockades continue to grip France with up to 500 high schools entirely or partially closed today. Since the protests began last week in Paris with students staging sit-ins over overcrowding, teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings, over 5,000 people have been arrested and dozens of both students and teachers injured. But first to Ukraine where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit this weekend pledging a major new 1.3 billion defence and energy package. There was also major damage to Kiev's northern bridge hitting seriously important infrastructure. For more we can bring in now Charles Michel, the former EU Council President and of course the former Prime Minister of Belgium. You're also just back from New York where you met President Zelensky. Tell us about the significance of this attack that took place this very weekend as Friedrich Merz was visiting. There's no doubt that Russia is trying to increase the pressure against Ukraine and against the European Union and there's only one possible answer in my view that's more support for Ukraine. We know from day one that the Ukraine are brave, they are fighting for the future but also for our principles and for our freedoms and it's why I think that we need to be clear, we need to be strong. It means more financial support, more military collaboration with Ukraine. And how significant is it this 1.3 billion euro package from the Germans? It's very good that Germany is making a clear choice and I have no doubt that in the months to come and certainly next year with a lot of elections within the EU it will be very important to send a very clear signal that we do not give up, that we know what is at stake and it's important that the political leaders all across the EU are clear with the voters, with the citizens, explaining that what we do for Ukraine is not something for Ukraine, it's for Ukraine and it's for our common future. And we've been hearing that the Americans are trying to broker some sort of deal again between Kyiv and Moscow. What are you hearing? Were you hearing any signs of progress in New York last week? No, I'm very doubtful. I think there are a lot of ambiguities coming from the United States, ambiguities towards Russia. I do not feel reassured, I don't feel represented by the Americans when it is about the future of Ukraine and the future of the European continent. That's why you know there's no doubt in my opinion that this ambition of European sovereignty, that's not something on paper, that's not something in theory. It means that we need to make decisions for our economic basis because that's the key condition but also for more European capabilities in the field of defence so that we have a seat around the table and if you are not just on the menu. And what was the message that Zelensky made to you? He's strong and I have to say that I'm really impressed by his courage. I think that he's leading the country, he's running the country in extremely difficult conditions and that's why he deserves our support without any hesitation. Okay, Charles-Michel, stay with us here on set as we move on to another story. Of course that's a situation in the Middle East. We've seen Iran's say that Washington has replied to Tehran's proposal to end the US war on Iran and that the response is now under internal review. We'll keep a close eye on that because of course it comes as G7 leaders agreed Friday to take control of the spiralling energy crisis. For more on that we can head over now to Doha where Euronews' Adil Khalim is standing by for us. Good morning, Adil. So we've seen on Friday the G7 releasing 100 million barrels from emergency reserves. Will that be enough though to bring energy prices down? Probably not for long, Maeve. What this really does is buy government some time. The pressure we're seeing on energy markets is tied to what's happening in this region. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the start of this war and according to Reuters Europe has lost a quarter of its diesel and jet fuel supplies since Iran started blocking the Strait. Now diesel matters because it keeps trucks running, it keeps farms moving and goods being delivered. So when that price goes up we all feel the pinch. The G7 really should also take some pressure off prices but again these are temporary measures. These are emergency reserves and they don't fix the underlying problem. So this does buy Europe some breathing space but it doesn't end the energy crunch, Maeve. And Adil, with tensions still high across the region how much worse do you think this energy crisis could get? Well there's actually some encouraging news this morning, Maeve. New shipping data from Kepler shows Middle East oil experts excluding Iran have now returned to around pre-war levels. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been able to move more oil through pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Around 40 percent is now avoiding the Strait altogether. But it's still a very fragile situation. Iran continues to threaten unauthorized shipping through the Strait. We are seeing vessels being targeted and the situation in Yemen is complicating another key waterway through the Red Sea. And OPEC plus has decided to keep production steady through November with Brent still trading around above $100 a barrel. So the oil is getting out but through more complicated and risky network of routes and any further disruption could quickly put pressure on prices, Maeve. And that's why of course European leaders as well are feeling the pressure. Adil thank you so much for that live broadcast there from Doha and Charmichael is still with us here on set and you know what it's like to sit in a room and deal with a crisis and this war in Iran it's impacting our pockets here in Europe but we've no say over the direction it's taking. Yeah I think it's absolutely important to have more ambition from a European perspective in the Middle East. We are not seen as a decisive player, as a decisive actor but maybe that's also because of our responsibility. And if I look at the situation in that region there is an issue with Iran for many years. The people of Iran they've suffered two dictatorships, the Shah dictatorship, the Moulas dictatorship. You know when you repeat systematically the same behaviour, don't be surprised that you get the same result. And this is what is going on in Iran. On the one hand we have tried diplomacy, we have tried political engagement, we found substantial results. More terrorism, more support for proxies by the regime in Iran, the nuclear threat, the use of hostages, foreign hostages to put pressure on governments within the EU. And on the other hand we can see that the military intervention launched by Israel and United States it doesn't lead to the result that we would like to get. So the Europeans are not doing enough to put pressure on the Americans who of course have the say here. Look it's absolutely clear that we need to make some choices. And today together with more than 20 former head of state, head of government, head of international organizations, we launched a call, a call on the EU to explore new options. We have tried appeasement and diplomatic engagement. We are observing that a military intervention is tried by the United States and Israel. We think that other options should be developed with the ambition to put the people of Iran at the heart. What kind of options? If you're sitting there at the council table what kind of options? With the experience I have over the last years I'm observing that too often in the past we have accepted collectively to consider the people of Iran as the collateral victim of our political decisions. And it's not acceptable anymore in my opinion. That's why I think it's more support to the people of Iran. There are a lot of people within the country with hopes and with the hope for a better future, to be in charge of the future, to be more master of our destiny. I don't think those people today they feel a support coming from outside. And those people in Iran they face a double punishment. The consequences of the military intervention on the one hand but also the oppression by the regime. And how could that support to those people look like? I think there are a lot of options, a lot of possibilities. The simple fact is from a political point of view we sent a clear signal that we are hearing their suffering, that we are considering more options in terms of tangible political, maybe financial support in some circumstances. It would be a very powerful signal and it could be a third path, a third way. And once again Iran and this regime is the source of a lot of uncertainties. That's a threat, a threat against global security, a threat against global economy. We can see the consequences in terms of freedom of navigation and what it means for all of us in terms of economic consequences. And what should European governments be doing now to soften the blow of that energy crisis this winter? The situation is grim as we've seen on Friday with the G7 meeting. Yeah, there is one very powerful signal. It means that in the future we need to be less dependent. We need to be more sovereign, more resilient and that's needed to develop our own capabilities. But of course a certain interaction with the rest of the world will be always needed in my opinion. And that's why we need to be much more ambitious in terms of providing stability in that region. The Middle East, that's not an area that has to be settled by Mr. Kushner and by the Americans only. The European diplomats, the European leaders, they have a role to play. Why? Because we are at the front line to suffer the consequences. If there is more stability in that region, it will be good for us, it will be good for our economic development. When that's not the case, we suffer the consequences and we can see today in the daily life of our citizens what are the concrete consequences of the situation. People are suffering and we're hearing messages from, for example, the Energy Commissioner here in Brussels saying that we need to use less fuel this winter. Is that sufficient though when people are really working? Yeah, but it shows our failure. If we are in such a position, that's because we were not able to manage to be around the table. Once again, there's the same in Ukraine, there's the same in the Middle East. In my view, the destiny of the EU is not to be the vassal of anyone. The destiny of the EU is to promote our values and to defend our legitimate interests. Today, we understand that economy and security, it goes together. These are not two separate topics or two separate areas. That's why I hope that the European Council next week will make strong decisions in relationship with Ukraine, of course, but also in relationship with the Middle East and with this purpose to have much more influence to protect much better our fundamental interests. And as of course you mentioned, next year will be a fascinating year for Europe with so many elections taking place. Have you followed the scandal going on in France regarding Jordan Bardella? What's your view here? I do not want to comment on the recent developments in relationship with Jordan Bardella, but one thing is absolutely clear. The choice for voters in France, but also in some other European countries, will be a choice for more European integration, more common sense. That's my personal opinion. Or on the contrary, a choice for fragmentation and a choice for some ambiguities in relationship with Russia. On my side, there is no doubt that what we need is more EU, more effectiveness. And we need also to be very clear that going in the direction of more fragmentation, more nationalism, more polarisation is the wrong choice and it will lead to more poverty and less influence for the EU. It will be detrimental for the citizens all across the EU. Okay, Jean-Michel, thank you so much for coming in. Take care and see you very soon. Of course, we'll stick to that topic of France, where Jordan Bardella, the popular young leader of the French far-right national rally, is gripped in scandal just months ahead of the presidential elections. He is denied writing anti-Semitic messages back in 2013 after an investigation by the left-leaning outlet, Mediapart, alleged that he did. For more on this story that we're watching closely, we're joined now by our French politics expert, Maya Delavaux. Good morning, Maya. Good morning, Maeve. So look, these allegations came out a while ago, but the story is evolving every day. Tell us more. Yes, so the investigative website Mediapart revealed a few weeks ago that Jordan Bardella, who could be France's next prime minister, had an exchange of private messages on Facebook in 2013, so he was 17 years old at the time, and these messages were directed against Jews. Those messages were authenticated by Facebook itself and by Mediapart last week. So we can have on screen an extract of these messaging. So Bardella wrote that the Jew must dominate other peoples, crush them and rub them. All banks are held by the Jews. And what have the reactions been, Maya? Will this impact the campaign? So there was a huge political backlash after these revelations. You know, Maeve, that we are seven months ahead of the next presidential elections in France. Jordan Bardella, but also Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, are the clear frontrunners in this campaign. And the reactions from the national rally has been to massively rally around Bardella. We can see it also on screen here. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the RN, said you won't get anyone to believe that. It's just madness. I have complete confidence in Jordan. So there was also an interesting reaction from the opposition leaders in France. Many of them said that there is still an undercurrent of anti-Semitism in the national rally. And as you know, this has been a problem inside the RN with Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the RN, who was sued many times for his anti-Semitic comments. So all in all, what is exactly the impact of this scandal? I think that it will be limited. And the reason is very clear. The polls are very high when it comes to the national rally. They're riding very high. And that's the main point, isn't it, Maia Delevaux? Thank you so much for your analysis there. And now to Brazil, where Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, who's behind bars, has won the very first round of Brazil's presidential elections, beating the incumbent left-wing president Lula da Silva. But he didn't obtain more than 50% of the votes that are required to win outright. A second round will be taking place at the end of October. For analysis, we can bring in now João Albuquerque, Portuguese political analyst and former MEP. Good morning, João. Great to see you and have you here in the studio. What is your reaction to this outcome? Well, I would say that it's a sad morning. It's a worrying morning. We haven't seen in Brazil since 1989 that the first winner, the winner of the first round, does not win the second round. So there is a high chance that Bolsonaro can win again on the 25th of October. So what will that mean for the world and, of course, for Europe? I would say that has a significant impact on the shifts in South America. You will have the two biggest countries in the South America region now governed, if Bolsonaro wins, by right-wing conservative majorities with a different agenda, very close to Donald Trump and moving further away. And this is the particular point that I want to make, potentially moving further away from the European Union, which Lula has managed to do and to bridge in the recent years. Indeed, there was lots of prospects there for various different deals when it came to trade, the climate, of course. Absolutely. Lula has had a very significant impact in approving the Mercosur agreement, but also in making sure that we have on cultural issues, on progressive and democratic issues, there was an approximation between the two sides. And I think it was very important that the two sides managed to come together. And I think this is at risk now with the election of Bolsonaro. But it's interesting because the figures show that growth improved under Lula, but voters, I guess, felt very much crushed by debt. There is a significant social movement in the last few years that has put a lot of pressure on the lower class population in Brazil, specifically because of debts, in terms of credit debts, but also in terms of the bets. Lula has tried to target this on the last days of the campaign, but it was significantly not enough and not enough to convince the voters to vote for him after what he tried to do. And as you say, Flavio Bolsonaro, if elected, he will represent a sharp hardline shift to the right. What kind of radical policy overhaul should we embrace for here in Europe? I think you will follow the tendency that you see with Millet in Argentina, but a very close-minded partner to Donald Trump. It's this right that is very conservative in terms of values, in terms of social and cultural values, but at the same time, very liberal in terms of the economic policy. So trying to cut down on government funding, on government spending, on a population that, of course, heavily depends on the social benefits that the state provides, this can have significant impacts in the social elevator and the way that people can come out of poverty. So that's why, of course, this election has been very closely watched here in the de facto EU capital here in Brussels. Raúl Bukarka, thank you so much for your analysis. And that brings Monday's edition of Europe Today to an end. Thank you so much for your company, as always. Any comments, do reach out to us, europetoday at euronews.com. That is our email address. For now, take care and stay with us here on Euronews.