Eurosphere agenda: “EU agrees to boost defence and security…”Downing Street dismisses Brexit ‘divisions’ memo…

The EU is to boost its defence role, but a senior official says the bloc does not intend to compete with Nato.

In Bulgaria the Socialist candidate Rumen Radev has won the first round of the presidential election, securing 25 percent of the vote. Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of ruling party Gerb lagged behind with roughly 22 percent. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had said prior to the vote that he and his cabinet would resign if the opposition candidate won, but he has now announced that he will wait for the result of the runoff vote. The press comments on Borisov’s back-pedalling.