André Rieu lobbied Ursula von der Leyen for €15m for tour
The renowned Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu privately lobbied European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, seeking up to €15 million in funding from the EU to plug a shortfall in a planned world tour, documents show.
The pair met briefly earlier this year during the European elections, when Dr von der Leyen was taking part in a campaign debate in Maastricht, the Dutch city where Mr Rieu lives.
In correspondence sent afterwards, Mr Rieu raised the prospect of the EU executive funding part of a world tour he was planning to stage in 2026.
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- Weather forecast: Thursday will be cold and bright with sunny spells and scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees. Tonight will be cold with a touch of frost possible in the east. Turning cloudier from the west overnight with a few showers for western area. Lowest temperatures ranging between 1 and 5 degrees.
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Opinion
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World
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Life & Style
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Podcast Highlights
Kyran Durnin: a suspect is dead. What clues did he leave behind?
Listen | 17:02
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