Hungary
Von der Leyen to confront Hungary’s EU Commissioner over reported espionage attempts in EU institutions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to personally discuss espionage allegations with Hungarian Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi, Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said at a press briefing in Brussels on October 10.
Hungary's forint falls 1% after economy minister criticises interest rates
Hungary's forint falls 1% after Economy Minister Marton Nagy criticises high real interest rates, reigniting debate over possible rate cuts as central bank maintains 6.5% rate unchanged since September 2024 to control inflation.
Austria and Slovenia advocate qualified majority voting to unblock EU enlargement
Dropping unanimity requirement could accelerate the accession process for Ukraine, Moldova and potentially Western Balkans, but faces opposition from within the EU.
Donald Trump nominates Orthodox Jewish businessman as ambassador to Hungary
Landa is the son of parents who emigrated from Czechoslovakia after WWII, where his father had served as a rabbi. In a 2010 speech, he described his family as having Hungarian Hasidic roots.
Leaders of Hungary and Slovakia hail Babiš’ election victory in Czechia
Hungary’s Victor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico have repeatedly clashed with fellow EU members on support for Ukraine and more broadly on the bloc’s values, and hope for an ally in ANO leader Andrej Babiš.
Hungarian PM isolated at EU summit over Ukraine stance
Victor Orban's sharply critical stance on a proposal to finance aid to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets contrasted with the positions of fellow EU leaders.
Hungary has world's second-largest LEGO plant after €140mn expansion
Danish toy maker LEGO's expansion of its Hungarian base boosts production by 30%.
Orban says ‘Hungary can't be circumvented' on Ukraine EU accession
Ukraine's accession procedure to the European Union cannot be opened through "legal tricks" circumventing Hungary, PM Viktor Orban tells journalists at EU summit in Copenhagen.
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EU presses ahead with December signing of divisive Mercosur deal
The European Commission is gearing up to sign its contentious trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur on December 5 in Brazil, possibly sealing the fate of an accord that has languished in negotiations for more than a quarter-century.
VISEGRAD BLOG: Will Czechia drift into Slovak and Hungarian direction after this week’s elections?
Czech populist stalwart Andrej Babiš and his ANO party are projected to make a comeback after this week's elections, raising questions about the country's future direction.
EBRD warns CEE competitiveness at risk as China’s export power grows
China's exports have become more similar to those from Central Europe and Turkey, as its share in global manufacturing exports surges.
Orban dismisses Ukraine drone incursion as “it is not a sovereign state”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dismissed allegations that Hungarian drones violated Ukrainian airspace last week as irrelevant even if they had, as “Ukraine is not an independent, sovereign country”, he said in an interview.
Croatian PM angrily rejects Hungarian accusations of war profiteering
"We're the good guy," says Andrej Plenkovic after Hungarian foreign minister claims Zagreb is profiting from disruptions in Russian supplies.
Hungary's Fidesz on the defensive after paedophile allegations against high-level government officials
Claims senior politicians could have shielded the director of Budapest-based juvenile correctional institution Szolo Street have the potential to become a "Hungarian Epstein case".
European diplomats warn Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot planes over its airspace
European diplomats warned the Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot down any Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace, as military tensions between the EU and Russia continue to mount.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
COMMENT: Trump is preparing a “back door” plan to blame EU for Ukraine’s failure - FT
European officials fear that US President Donald Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Ukraine is a back door plan to shift responsibility for the West’s failure to prevent Ukraine’s defeat in its war with Russia or help it recover afterwards.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
EU launches red-tape cutting reforms seeking to make Europe competitive again
Brussels will start cutting red tape with the so-called omnibus legislation this autumn as it sets out to make Europe competitive again, Politico reported on September 17.
EU finance ministers discuss Ukraine's Reparations Loan but no decision yet
EU finance ministers met in Copenhagen on September 20 to discuss tapping the cash pile of frozen Central Bank of Russia (CBR) money and using it to make a large Reparation Loans to Ukraine, but no final decision has been reached.