Slovakia holds up new EU Sanctions against Russia (again)
Slovakia is once again complicating the EU’s attempt to agree on a new package of sanctions against Russia. PM Robert Fico has linked his approval of the bloc’s 19th sanctions round to fresh demands from Brussels, including stronger support for Europe’s car industry and relief from high energy prices. He…
Trump will meet with Putin in Budapest
‘Great news for peace-loving people’: Orbán says Hungary ready to host Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed plans for the meeting, though neither side provided a date for when it would occur. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday (16 October) to another summit…
Poland’s big win on not taking EU migrants could leave neighbors at a loss
We still don’t know when the European Commission will finally publish its report on which countries are officially “under migratory pressure.” But Poland has been on its victory lap for days. The government says it has secured a one-year relief from relocations and financial contributions under the EU’s migration pact,…
Portugal punches above its weight
The country attracted more than 29 million foreign visitors last year, with tourism accounting for about 12% of GDP. Foreign investment has surged after the government cut bureaucratic hurdles, while labor reforms made hiring and firing easier. Successive governments have struck a fine balance between austerity and growth, earning a…
Hesitating between soft diplomacy and firm demands
The Commission chief urged Serbia to “get concrete” about its EU path but stopped short of confronting Vučić on democratic backsliding and alignment with Russia.When Ursula von der Leyen stepped before the cameras in Belgrade on 15 October, her tone was unmistakably deliberate – poised between encouragement and warning. The…