| Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. EU foreign ministers will today likely double the number of those blacklisted in Belarus by adding more than 70 people and organizations to the bloc's sanctions measures. Those to be reprimanded over the ongoing political repression in the country include judges, lawmakers, companies linked to the regime, business executives and several people tied to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and the arrest of a journalist in Minsk last month. Ministers are also expected to signal support for broader sanctions over the incident, targeting entire sectors of the country's economy. The proposals, which include restrictions on the soil nutrient potash and some activities in the petroleum sector, as well as a ban on new lending, are expected to be adopted this month and are being coordinated with allies. — Alberto Nardelli and Nikos Chrysoloras What's HappeningElusive Deal | World powers and Iran failed after a sixth round of talks to revive a nuclear deal that would lift U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for it scaling back its atomic activities. The EU representative, Enrique Mora, who has twice predicted that the next set of negotiations would be the last, said he hoped the upcoming round will seal the deal. French Losers | President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen fared worse than expected in the first round of France's regional election, in a disappointing twist for the two main contenders in the country's 2022 presidential race. Amid record-low turnout of 34%, strong results for the left-wing and Green parties might not translate into national politics when voters head to the polls again next April to choose a president. But they could help these movements unite behind a candidate, something they've so far failed to do. German Campaign | Angela Merkel's conservative bloc presents its election program today, with opinion polls showing that the chancellor's successor, Armin Laschet, may secure another term in office for the center-right. Support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavaria-based CSU ally increased one point to 28%, while the Greens stagnated in second place at 20%, a new poll showed. Swedish Wobbles | An unlikely alliance between Sweden's Left party and the conservative and nationalist opposition may topple the country's prime minister, Stefan Lofven, in a no-confidence vote today. Lofven, who has a history of surviving seemingly intractable conflicts, would have a week to resign or announce snap elections if ousted today. In Case You Missed ItNarrower Gap | The U.K. remains Europe's most attractive destination for financial services investment but its lead has narrowed, according to a survey by consultants EY. The U.K. attracted 56 financial services projects last year, still the highest in Europe, yet down 43 from 2019; France overtook Germany for the number two position with 49 projects, 11 more than in 2019. Travel Curbs | In what is poised to be a major hit for southern Europe's tourism-dependent economies, the U.K. government signaled it will keep restrictions on overseas travel in place for now to control a surge in coronavirus infections and the risk of new variants of the virus taking hold. That's even though the link between infection numbers and deaths appears to be diminishing in countries with advanced vaccination campaigns. Putin's Failure | Russia secured orders for hundreds of millions of doses of Sputnik V after Vladimir Putin boasted of developing the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. But a slow start to production means only a fraction has been delivered, leaving Russia trailing far behind China as a global provider. At home, an underwhelming vaccination rollout has led to a flare-up in infections and Putin's success story is unraveling. Land Reform | It was known as the bread basket of the Soviet Union, and now Ukraine might finally start living up to its agricultural potential in an era when the world appears to need it most. The introduction of long-awaited land reforms next month comes just as global food prices rise to the highest in almost a decade. Here's how Ukraine plans to feed the world. Chart of the Day The EU's decision on Friday to lift travel restrictions for U.S. residents will help restore traffic in the most profitable route for the airline industry. Flights between North America and Europe comprise the world's biggest market for business and first class long-haul travel. Today's AgendaAll times CET. - 9 a.m. EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg to decide on Belarus sanctions
- 1 p.m. German Chancellor Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc presents election program
- 2 p.m. NATO's Stoltenberg, ECB's Lagarde, France's Macron, Italy's Draghi, EU's von der Leyen speak at women political leaders summit
- 4:15 p.m. Lagarde addresses European Parliament
- 6:15 p.m. EU Parliament hearing with Eurogroup President Donohoe
- 6:35 p.m. Merkel and Italy's Draghi statements after talks in Berlin
- Sweden's opposition to hold a no-confidence vote in Premier Lofven
- European Commission President von der Leyen visits Austria and Slovakia for the next legs of her NextGenerationEU pan-European tour
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