The EU’s Next Crop of Leaders, Tanks in D.C.: Weekend Reads

(Bloomberg) --

The European Union grappled with its future during a marathon summit to tap its new leadership, U.S. President Donald Trump remade Washington’s annual July 4 celebration in his own image and Hong Kong protesters stormed the city’s legislative building.

Dig deeper on these and other key events from the past seven days with the latest edition of Weekend Reads. 

How Macron Got the German He Wanted to Run the European Union
Few people believed Emmanuel Macron when he insisted he wanted someone with the right qualities – and not necessarily the right passport – to lead the European Commission. But the result of this week’s marathon horsetrading session showed that the French president has a more subtle way to advance his interests than simply jamming his countrymen into key jobs, Gregory Viscusi, Arne Delfs and Raymond Colitt report. 

Lagarde Is First Woman to Lead ECB But Men Rule Rest of Eurozone
Christine Lagarde is set to join what remains a minority of women in senior roles at euro-area central banks. Milda Seputyte and Aaron Eglitis take a closer look at why female representation in high-ranking positions is still lacking at the Frankfurt-based institution and most of the national monetary authorities.

Harris Woos Iowans Sore That She's Been Absent From Key State
Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou reports from Iowa on Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris’s new efforts to woo the key state’s voters after having focused her attention elsewhere. 

Beijing’s Message to Hong Kong: Get in Line or Face Irrelevance
After a week of turbulence in Hong Kong, Beijing appeared to have settled on its message to the city: continued protests risk throwing away everything that makes it special. That approach plays into widespread anxiety fomenting among residents: that the former British colony risks irrelevance as it is slowly swallowed up by an increasingly wealthy and powerful China. 

Libya Uncovers Alleged Russian Plot to Meddle in African Votes
Libyan security forces have arrested two men accused of working for a Russian troll farm seeking to influence elections in the oil exporter and other African countries, Samer Khalil Al-Atrush, Ilya Arkhipov and Henry Meyer exclusively report. 

Europe Tamed a Populist Leader and Now He’s Paying the Price
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras shot to power during Greece’s financial crisis with a message of hope. He’s ended up winning more friends abroad than at home. Eleni Chrepa and Paul Tugwell take a closer look ahead of tomorrow’s elections. 

The Next Democratic President Is Coming for Your Monopoly
Democratic presidential candidates are coming out in force against the rapid pace of corporate consolidation, expanding their pledges to take on big tech – including Facebook and Alphabet – to other industries. As Mike Dorning reports, attacking big corporations is both a political message and a policy prescription.

Feel Good With Johnson or Be Good With Hunt? U.K. Tories Decide
It’s hard to think of a more damaging story to hit a candidate for British prime minister than one claiming he had been judged a security risk. But, as Robert Hutton writes, it’s hard to think of any candidate except Boris Johnson who could make a joke out of it.

And finally… While Spanish police hunt for the thief who allegedly robbed an Azeri tourist of a $1.3 million Richard Mille watch in Ibiza, back home the tourist’s countrymen are asking who the victim is. Azeri opposition parties and human rights activists have said he’s the son of Rovnaq Abdullayev, the head of State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic since 2005 and a member of parliament. Torrey Clark and Thomas Gualtieri unwind the tale.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nikos Chrysoloras at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.net, Andrew Davis

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