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ITS FRIDAY. Playbook colleague Nick Vinocur will be with you as usual on Monday.

MENAGERIE TROIS: The far-right Slovak MEP Miroslav Radaovsk, who in April released a dove in the Strasbourg hemicycle in a Moscow-flavored call for peace, keeps three pet birds in his parliamentary office in Brussels, he told Playbook.

UNWELCOME VILLAGE: The far-left faction in the European Parliament has issued safety advice to staff after incidents in which angry individuals got riled up about a cardboard Free Palestine sign on display at its stand at the so-called Welcome Village for new MEPs. One woman would only stop when our MEP [Marc] Botenga arrived and told her to leave, she was banging on [at] my colleagues for 15 minutes, a spokesperson said.

DONALD ON DONALDS: Polish PM Donald Tusk paid tribute to the late actor Donald Sutherland as the best of all Donalds. His least favorite? Its not Donald Duck.

IRATXE RUNNING: Socialists and Democrats President Iratxe Garca, an MEP since 2004, will stand again as group leader, a spokesperson said. And shell almost certainly run unopposed. Playbook hears the Italians have backed off and the weakened German Social Democrats wont challenge either. Garca is rumored also to have an eye on the Parliament presidency between 2024 and 2026.

**A message from Full Beam Media: To all new MEPs: congratulations, you inherit a remarkable legacy. A clear majority of voters want Europe to look to the centre - a Focaldata poll conducted on EU election week shows. Civil society is asking: Stand for Europe's values. Dont let far-right forces shape our destiny.**

RUTTE AND MACRONS EU PROJECT FACES RECKONING: Unforgivable, was how one of French President Emmanuel Macrons most senior MEPs last month described their Dutch liberal allies leap into bed with Geert Wilders. Renew Europe Chair Valrie Hayer threatened to expel them the natural conclusion of her predecessor Stphane Sjourn telling journalists for years that Renew were the only real bulwark against the far right in the EU.

And then? Nothing. After a crushing election, Hayer fudged it, and now with Renew eclipsed by the hard-right ECR group, the pragmatists who want to keep the groups numbers from collapsing further are winning. Renew survives, but at what cost?

Strategic ambiguity: At home, Macron has done the opposite of Mark Ruttes VVD party and risked it all to combat the far right. But in Brussels, his MEPs sit with those who opened the door to them.

Hayer on the way down: When Playbook spotted Hayer coming out of a meeting with other group leaders and Council President Charles Michel in Parliament on Thursday, she urgently pressed a button to call an elevator and descended without answering questions from the gathering journalists. She could face a challenge for the group leadership next week, potentially terminating the French grip on Renew.

Emmanuel Macr-off: Macrons stuttering Renew project in the European Parliament is in some ways a foreshadowing of the process accelerating in the French National Assembly: Instead of obliterating the center-left and center-right in the EP and ruling as kingmakers, as they managed for a time, Renew MEPs deeply divided among themselves now risk being reduced to relative serfdom, summoned by others for key votes but never indispensable.

Volts shock: After dropping from third- to fourth-largest group, Renew triumphantly announced the addition of a single new MEP to its grouping only for the five MEPs it had been negotiating with from Volt to say they preferred the Greens. Volt cast aspersions on Renews credibility on fighting right-wing populists, pointing out that the populist Czech former PM Andrej Babi is a Renew member.In fact, Babi only has three MEPs fewer than Macron now.

Renew, a va: At next weeks European Council summit, the liberals could nab a top job for Estonian PM Kaja Kallas, but there will also be a valedictory vibe in the air as Rutte bids farewell to EU summits after 14 years as the Dutch PM and heads north to NATO. For all his smiles, culinary metaphors and insistence that Renew a va, Macron is now damaged goods, and so is the group, which will have fewer choice jobs in Parliament if its still in fourth place in a couple of weeks.

And it could get worse. ECR Co-Chair Nicola Procaccini told reporters: We are talking with some other delegations.

Renew-new? There is so little glue holding it together, said outgoing Renew MEP Sophie in t Veld. I hope that means there is going to be an opportunity to create a truly liberal progressive pro-European centrist group when the whole thing falls apart.

Can kicked: Last night Euronews scooped that the liberals wont kick out the Dutch but will send observers to the Netherlands to find out what they already know about the VVDs coalition with Wilders. Will it be debated in Vilnius, where the liberals head for their annual council meeting today?

For-Guetta-bout it: And what about the Macron ally, Bernard Guetta, who characterized the Dutch move as unforgivable? Its obviously a bit of an artificial idea but its not a bad idea to want to wait and reflect before getting into a big argument, Guetta said over the phone.

We cant all Guetta-long: Today in all the political groups without exception, people with different visions cohabit. Its true in the EPP, its true with the Social Democrats, its true in Renew. And its not more true in Renew than elsewhere. Its the same, Guetta said.

Playbook fun fact: Bernard is the half-brother of French DJ David Guetta.

TOP QUESTIONS, TOP ANSWERS: The week between Mondays inconclusive top EU jobs summit and the EU leaders meeting next week raises a lot of questions: Will Ursula von der Leyen make it over the line? What does Giorgia Meloni want? Will eastern member countries be disappointed? Barbara Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi answer them here.

WHAT GREENS ARE THINKING WHILE EPP IGNORES THEM: Until now, no, was how Green veteran Philippe Lamberts answered my colleague Elisa Brans question about whether the EPP had shown any willingness to invite them into the coalition needed to elect the next Commission president, at an event organized by EU Changer last night. But were not there yet, he added.

Inside Manfreds mind: Lamberts said he figured EPP chief Manfred Weber would think it strange for the new von der Leyen majority to shift to the left when Parliament shifts right. One can understand the argument, he said, cautioning too that the Greens votes if sought wont come for free.

RUTTE GETS NUKES AND PROBLEMS: When Mark Rutte moves into his office at NATO, he wont get much of a honeymoon period, from dealing with the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House to pushing allies to pay more into the defense budget. Stuart Lau outlines Ruttes five challenges here. Meanwhile, Miles Herszenhorn has the details of how NATOs hopes to Trump-proof the alliance via Rutte could backfire.

OMBUDSMAN CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF: Jonas Grimheden, a Swede heading Frontexs fundamental rights office, wants to use his experience with border management to springboard a campaign to be the EU institutions in-house watchdog, Sarah Wheaton emails in to report. MEPs will choose a successor to European Ombudsman Emily OReilly in December, and Grimheden is the first to raise his hand for a race thats likely to draw candidates from civil society and legal circles.

WANNABE MEMBERS JOSTLE AS HUNGARY TAKES OVER: Countries seeking EU membership are lining up for an intense set of negotiations in the final week before Hungary takes over the presidency of the EU.

Big meets: EU ministers will today pave the way for high-stakes political meetings on June 25 in Luxembourg to kick off accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. On June 26, Montenegro will hold another intergovernmental conference (as these meetings are known in EU jargon) in Brussels to advance its accession process.

Under the radar: Low-key but firmly pro-EU, Montenegro, the smallest Western Balkans country, is making swift progress on its aim to join the club by 2028. Despite that, the Montenegro most talked about in Brussels is probably Portugals new prime minister Lus.

Buzz lacking: I feel that there hasnt been enough buzz in this town about what we feel is the biggest accomplishment in EU enlargement policy of the outgoing institutions, Montenegro (the country) Ambassador to the EU Petar Markovic told Playbook. I believe Budapest and the commissioner from Hungary have equally realized that as a presidency they can achieve a lot with Montenegro. Theyve been very cooperative and ready to help.

Not everyone feels that way: Moldovas biggest champion in the European Parliament, Romanian EPP lawmaker Siegfried Murean, on Thursday slammed Hungarys Commissioner Olivr Vrhelyi, who has been in charge of enlargement since 2019. I think Hungary should not continue to significantly influence the EU enlargement policy, he said at a press conference, arguing Hungary should not get the same portfolio in the next Commission. I hope this mistake will not be repeated by the institutions of the Union for the next five years, Murean said.

BACK TO UKRAINE: The U.S. told Kyiv it can use American-supplied weapons to hit any Russian forces attacking from across the border not just those in the region near Kharkiv, our Stateside colleagues report.

US AMBASSADOR CHALLENGES ORBN ON LGBTQ+ RIGHTS: Nearly 1,000 guests have been invited to the residency of the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman this weekend for a picnic celebrating LGBTQ+ values, in an unmistakable message to Viktor Orbns conservative government: Stop being nasty to those who arent straight.

Budapest chill: In an interview with my colleague Stuart Lau, Pressman, a prominent gay diplomat and human rights advocate, described the situation in Budapest as very difficult.

He listed the problems: This year, we have seen museum exhibits cordoned off with rope; bookstores fined for openly selling books with gay characters; museum directors fired for displaying internationally acclaimed photojournalists work that happened to show gay people; government media targeting gay Hungarians as pedophiles when they speak up and express a view that disagrees with their government.

Not getting better: Without going into detail about his conversation with local officials, Pressman said: The United States is not satisfied with the Hungarian governments response to serious concerns expressed by the United States and our partners and allies about the deteriorating human rights situation for LGBT people in Hungary. He said he had invited Hungarian officials to attend his picnic will they dare show up?

HAPPENING TODAY ORBN IN BERLIN: Orbn will visit German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this afternoon, to discuss his countrys EU presidency. The reception the Hungarian PM will get will be decidedly frosty, our Berlin Playbook colleagues report: there will be no military honors, and no press conference.

WILL HUNGARY SANCTION SANCTIONS? The EU approved its 14th Russian sanctions package this week but that could be the final squeeze for a good six months, as Russia-friendly Hungary takes over the EUs rotating presidency, Camille Gijs reports. Fresh sanctions on Putins ally Belarus are unfinished, and will probably be handed off to Budapest, which is likely to stall progress for the rest of 2024.

THE EUS WTF MOMENT: This weeks EU Confidential podcast considers the MEGA weird flip in the EUs balance of power. Reminder: Hungarys slogan for its EU presidency is Make Europe Great Again. Our reporters delve into the latest on the top jobs race and the upheaval in German politics. Host Sarah Wheaton is also joined by Polityka Insights Andrzej Bobiski and POLITICOs Jan Cienski for a look at the triumphant return of Donald Tusk in Poland. Listen here.

ECR DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM SOCIALISTS: Giorgia Melonis most senior MEP Nicola Procaccini said he would withdraw legal action he has started against the Socialists President Iratxe Garca if she says sorry. (Playbook summarized the beef over Garcas allegation Procaccini had been caught by undercover journalists doing a fascist salute here).

In a tight spot: Theres no picture showing me doing the so-called fascist salute because Ive never done it in my entire life, Procaccini told huddled journalists on the sixth floor of the Parliaments Paul Henri-Spaak building on Thursday. The Italian said someone unknown to him squeezed my arm and insisted that even if it resembled a gladiators salute, in which people grab each others forearms, it was unintentional and he was unaware of it even being a thing.

Procaccini also said Fanpage, the Italian site that released the footage, did not accuse him of doing a fascist salute something he condemned others for doing in the video. What Fanpage says: The gestures, seeing the moving images, are quite evident.

Hey, thats no way to say hello: Garca said she wont stop denouncing fascist attitudes and told Procaccini he is trying todistract from denouncing what should be denounced, which is what appears in the documentary, according to her spokesperson.

READY, SET, HIRE! Assistants in the European Parliament are racing to meet a deadline today to find an MEP to hire them. Only by getting a contract sorted today can they ensure seamless administrative passage into the next mandate. The groups that took big losses, such as Renew and the Greens, are said to be particularly competitive.

Playbook job center: Since mentioning this on X, Playbook has received CVs from APAs looking for new MEPs. Alas, Playbook is not a job agency. But here are some anonymized highlights that give a flavor of the job market: APA, 9 years of experience looking for a Member. No harassers, said one. I have a hard-working, energetic profile with managing experience (budget and personnel), said another.

Tara Hadviger, the assistant for Tiemo Wlken (Germany, S&D) who runs a committee representing assistants, told Playbook she was launching a database of 300 affected assistants. This database of experienced assistants ready to be recruited for the new term will be an offer to the new incoming MEP, searching for a team. MEPs can email here to signal their interest.

**As the U.K. gears up for a general election on July 4, stay on top of the latest news, polls and key players to watch. Read all about it here.**

1. Are Israel and Hezbollah about to square up? Jamie Dettmer considers the risk of an expanding conflict in the Middle East.

2. French women voters are swinging sharply to the far right, report Hanne Cokelaere and Victor Goury-Laffont.

3. Why Washington is waiting on Super Mario Draghi, by Victoria Guida.

4. Meet Germanys Lord of the Drones, by Gian Volpicelli.

5. Former U.S. President Barack Obamas one-time campaign chief Jim Messina has some advice for Emmanuel Macron on this weeks Power Play podcast.

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health) in Luxembourg. Arrivals and doorsteps at 9 a.m. press conference at 3.40 p.m. Watch.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture; attends the ceremony for the presentation of the letters of credence of third countries ambassadors.

High Representative Josep Borrell is in Austria; travels to Wachau for the annual Europa Forum, where he will receive the Dr. Alois Mock Europe Prize and hold bilateral meetings with Western Balkans representatives.

Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Luxembourg; doorstep Belgian presidency at 7.45 a.m. arrivals and doorsteps at 9 a.m. press conference at 2 p.m. Watch.

Jobs Commissioner Nicolas Schmit is in Luxembourg, where he participates in a working lunch with EU officials.

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton is in Nicosia, Cyprus; meets Cyprus Energy Minister George Papanastasiou, Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas and President Nikos Christodoulides.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is in Bruges, where he will give a speech at the closing ceremony of the College of Europe at 3.10 p.m.

European Economic and Social Committee President Oliver Rpke is in Lisbon, Portugal, where he meets former Prime Minister of Portugal Antnio Costa, Secretary of State for Labor Adriano Rafael Moreira, Secretary-General of the Socialist Party Pedro Nuno Santos, and former Minister for Labor Ana Mendes Godinho.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz receives Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orbn in Berlin at 4:30 p.m.

WEATHER: High of 20C, rainy.

FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY: Spotted, proudly watching Slovenias Euro 2024 match against Serbia in Munich: Ljubljanas Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, wearing the teams white jersey, alongside her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. The game finished on 1-1 after the Serbs equalized in stoppage time. Baerbock shared a selfie of the pair on X with the caption: United by football home game for Europe.

In other Euro 2024 results on Thursday, England drew 1-1 with Denmark in Group C, while Spain beat Italy 1-0 in Group B.

Euros fixtures today: In Group E, Slovakia plays Ukraine at 3 p.m.; in Group D, Poland faces Austria at 6 p.m. and the Netherlands plays France at 9 p.m.

SPOTTED AGAIN: Maltese Labor Party MEP Alfred Sant enjoying a beer on his own in the Parliaments Mickey Mouse bar (as he was on Wednesday). This time it was 12:30 p.m. and he was reading a German newspaper, though.

NEW JOB: Jan Knutsson, Swedens state secretary for foreign affairs, has been appointed its ambassador to NATO. He will take up the position in the fall.

FRIDAY FUNNY: Its been a bad week for EU decision-making but a good one for trolling and the War on Jargon, writes Paul Dallison in his latest Declassified humor column.

WHERE TO EAT OUT: POLITICOs Saga Ringmar reviews Mili , a Chinese restaurant offering unabashedly traditional Sichuan dishes in Ixelles. If you cant handle spicy food, beware.

WHAT DO TO THIS WEEKEND: The Alliance Festivaal features a mix of musical genres from experimental techno to hardcore punk at Brasserie Illegaal in Forest on Friday and Saturday. Tonights lineup starts at 6 p.m.

BIRTHDAYS: Former MEP Helga Trpel; French Senator and former MEP Alain Cadec; writer George Jahn; U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden; U.K.s Prince William turns 42; former President of Slovakia Zuzana aputov; Jaroslav Zajek, director of the foreign policy department at the office of the Czech president; Jos Rodrigues de Almeida from Portugals mission to the EU; Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia.

CELEBRATING SATURDAY: MEP Jens Geier; former MEPs Martin Edward Daubney and Krisztina Morvai; Kinda Mohamadieh at the Third World Network; Honey Kohan from BirdLife Europe and Central Asia; SWIFTs Sophia Lyscom; ServiceNows Fabrizio Porrino; Estonian politician Urmas Reinsalu; Geoffrey Harris, a former European Parliament official; Belgian politician Willem-Frederik Schiltz; POLITICOs Riccardo Dugulin; European Parliaments Bruno Dias Pinheiro.

CELEBRATING SUNDAY: Former MEP Isabella De Monte; Tescos Layla Bakker; European Commissions Paulina Dejmek Hack; POLITICOs Kate Day, Ali Walker and Etienne Bauvir; former Greek PM Costas Simitis; One Policy Place Co-Founder Luisa Frumenzi; U.K.s mission to the EU deputy spokesperson John Brunskill.

THANKS TO: Sarah Wheaton, Stuart Lau, Camille Gijs, Elisa Bran, Hans von der Burchard, Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter ejla Ahmatovi and producer Dato Parulava.

**A message from Full Beam Media: A clear majority of voters want Europe to look to the centre - as a Focaldata poll conducted on EU election week shows.Letting the far-right pull the EUs strings is a dangerous game. Recent campaigns lay bare their true nature.Anti-democratic nostalgia is making a comeback. In Italy, Melonis party founder Ignazio La Russa even said we are all heirs of the Duce. Meloni herself failed to condemn fascist salutes by members of her partys youth arm. Far-right parties run disinformation campaigns, like the secret troll factory uncovered by Swedish TV. Russian influence remains a concern. Police are investigating payments to AfD staff at the European Parliament. In France, Le Pen received a large loan from a Russian bank in 2013. Since then, Le Pen and her party members have repeatedly voiced support for the Kremlin. New MEPs and European leaders: Civil society is asking. Dont let far-right forces shape our destiny. Our common future depends on it.**

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Europe's liberals flip-flop on the far right - POLITICO Europe