Europe – Central

UPDATED: Czechs, Poles start checks on border with Slovakia, Austria to follow suit

PRAGUE/WARSAW (Reuters) - The Czech Republic and Poland took coordinated action to introduce checks along their borders with Slovakia to curb illegal migration and smuggler activity, prompting Austria to follow…

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Poland’s ruling party leads in opinion poll before October vote

WARSAW, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling nationalists are in the lead ahead of Oct. 15 parliamentary elections, according to a poll published on Monday. The Law and Justice party…

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Slovakia’s Fico: border checks with Hungary a priority for new government

BRATISLAVA, (Reuters) - Slovakia needs to restart border controls with Hungary to stem the flow of illegal migrants, election winner Robert Fico said, flagging the issue as one of his…

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Thousands gather in Warsaw for opposition rally ahead of tight election

By Justyna Pawlak WARSAW, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people gathered for an opposition rally in Warsaw on Sunday, two weeks ahead of an election that the…

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Slovak coalition talks to start after ex-PM Fico’s election win

By Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet BRATISLAVA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Slovakia's Robert Fico, who won an election after pledging to end military aid to Ukraine, was in pole position…

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Pro-Russian ex-PM Fico wins Slovak election, needs allies for government

By Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet BRATISLAVA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Slovakia's leftist former Prime Minister Robert Fico beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election after campaigning to end…

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Slovakia election: what are the main issues?

By Jan Lopatka (Reuters) - Slovakia's three-time prime minister Robert Fico is seeking a return to power in a Sept. 30 election, with final opinion polls showing his SMER-SSD party…

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NATO-member Romania steps up defences near Danube

By Luiza Ilie BUCHAREST, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Romania is moving air defences closer to its Danube villages across the river from Ukraine where Russian drones have been attacking grain…

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Tough issues to clear before EU membership talks with Ukraine -Hungary’s Orban

BUDAPEST, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that "very difficult questions" would need to be answered before the European Union could even start membership…

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Poland says it will uphold its veto on EU migration pact

WARSAW, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Poland will uphold its veto on a European Union migration pact, its prime minister said on Friday, as the bloc searches for agreement on a…

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Slovakia’s liberal PS party edges ahead before Sept 30 election – AKO poll

Sept 27 (Reuters) - The Slovak liberal party Progresivne Slovensko edged marginally ahead of the SMER-SSD of former prime minister Robert Fico in the final poll from AKO agency before…

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Slovak SMER party’s lead shrinks as rival PS jumps before Sept 30 election -IPSOS poll

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Slovak opposition party SMER-SSD, led by former prime minister Robert Fico, held a narrowing lead over its liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko ahead of a Sept. 30…

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Polish minister says grain talks with Ukraine are on track

WARSAW, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Talks with Ukraine about grain imports are on track, the Polish agriculture minister said on Wednesday, after a dispute between the two countries over Warsaw's…

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Poland may introduce checks on German border due to migration fears

WARSAW, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Poland may introduce checks at the border with Germany amid concerns over a surge in illegal migrants, a government spokesperson told Polsat News late on…

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Slovak election hopeful Fico: ‘illusory’ to deal with Ukraine’s EU membership now

Robert Fico, the former Slovak prime minister tipped to win this weekend's election, said neighbouring Ukraine's accession to the European Union was a far-off prospect due to the ongoing war,…

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Polish minister says Germany meddling in election with visas comments

A call by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Warsaw to clarify allegations surrounding migrant visas is an attempt to interfere in the Polish election campaign, Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau…

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Polish PM tells Ukraine’s Zelenskiy ‘never to insult Poles again’

By Alan Charlish WARSAW, (Reuters) - Poland's prime minister told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday not to "insult" Poles, maintaining harsh rhetoric towards Kyiv after the Polish president had…

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Poland’s ruling party leads in opinion poll before Oct vote

WARSAW, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling nationalists are in the lead ahead of Oct. 15 parliamentary elections, according to a poll published on Friday. The Law and Justice party…

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UPDATED: Polish president says Ukrainian grain row won’t significantly affect relations

WARSAW, Sept 22 (Reuters) - A dispute between Poland and Ukraine over grain imports will not significantly affect the countries' good bilateral relations, the Polish president said on Friday, as he moved…

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Polish ruling party condemns critical film as migration dominates election campaign

WARSAW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling party has condemned a new film criticising the country's rejection of migrants from the Middle East and Africa and challenged the opposition to…

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‘Not a single round’: Slovak election could see Kyiv lose staunch ally

By Jan Lopatka and Radovan Stoklasa Slovakia gears up for election after polarising campaign Frontrunner, ex-prime minister Fico, is pro-Russian populist A win could see NATO and EU member turn…

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Slovakia’s SMER party holds lead before Sept. 30 election -poll

Sept 21 (Reuters) - Slovak opposition party SMER-SSD, led by former prime minister Robert Fico, slightly increased its lead over its liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko before a Sept. 30 election,…

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UPDATED: Poland, with election looming, says it isn’t sending new arms to Ukraine

WARSAW, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Poland is only carrying out previously agreed arms deliveries to Ukraine, a government spokesman said on Thursday, amid souring bilateral relations due to a grain…

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Poland may ban more Ukrainian food products if row escalates, says PM

WARSAW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Poland could slap import bans on more Ukrainian food products, the prime minister said on Wednesday, as he warned Kyiv against escalating a row over…

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Hungary parliament speaker flags possible further delay in Swedish NATO ratification

BUDAPEST, Sept 18 (Reuters) - It is "not sure" Hungary needs to approve the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession, the parliament speaker of the ruling Fidesz party told local television…

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Poland bans entry of Russia-registered passenger cars

WARSAW, (Reuters) - Poland will ban the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia from Sunday, state-run Polish news agency PAP reported, citing Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski. "This ban at…

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Poland hikes minimum wage as voters fret over cost of living

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's minimum wage will rise by almost 18% in January, the prime minister announced, ahead of Oct. 15 elections in which the cost of living ranks high…

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Austria’s former foreign minister to move to St. Petersburg

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl will move to St. Petersburg to work at an academic centre there which she heads, the Russian TASS state news agency reported this week.…

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Polish foreign ministry sacks legal chief as visa scandal grows

WARSAW, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Poland's foreign ministry said on Friday it had fired the head of its legal service and cancelled all its contracts for outsourcing visa applications amid…

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Austria strengthens controls at the Brenner Pass

Austria is to intensify monitoring at the Brenner Pass on the border with Italy in response to the uptick in the arrival of migrants and refugees to Lampedusa, the Austrian…

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Slovakia’s SMER party seen with narrowing lead before Sept 30 election -poll

(Reuters) - Slovak opposition party SMER-SDD, led by former prime minister Robert Fico, held a shrinking lead over its liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko before a Sept. 30 election, according to…

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Romania says possible drone fragments found on its territory

Sept 13 (Reuters) - Elements of a possible drone were identified on NATO-member Romania's territory, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, following Russian drone attacks on Izmail in southern Ukraine,…

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NATO does not see indication of intentional Russian attack on Romania

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - NATO does not have any indication that drone debris found on Romanian territory was caused by an intentional attack launched by Moscow against Romania, the…

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Slovaks to send up to 500 soldiers to help control migrants crossing from Hungary

Slovakia will assign up to 500 soldiers to help police control an increasing flow of migrants coming across the border from Hungary, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor announced. Slovakia has seen…

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Russia strikes very close to Romanian border, president says

Sept 6 (Reuters) - Russian air strikes took place less than one kilometre from Romania's border with Ukraine on Tuesday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, amid intense attacks on the…

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Romania denies Russian drones detonated on Romanian territory

BUCHAREST, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Romania's Defence Ministry denied reports on Monday that Russian drones fell and detonated on Romanian territory in an overnight attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure on…

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Hungary calls for security guarantees for Russia for lasting peace in Ukraine

The West should give Russia security guarantees and ban Ukraine from joining NATO, a senior Hungarian minister said on Sunday in comments likely to further strain Budapest’s already rocky relations…

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Legionnaire’s bacteria outbreak in Poland kills 19

An outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in southeastern Poland has killed 19 people, health officials said on Saturday. The outbreak hit the city of Rzeszow and surrounding areas. Rzeszow's health department said…

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Romania asks European Commission to accept higher deficit target

BUCHAREST, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Romania has asked Brussels to accept a higher deficit target of 5.5% of GDP for this year, nearly 1 percentage point higher than initially agreed,…

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Poland asks EU’s top court to cancel three climate policies

Poland has filed legal challenges attempting to annul three of the European Union's main climate change policies, which the Polish government argues would worsen social inequality, documents published on Monday…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Brodnowski Park, Warsaw, Poland

An aerial image made with a drone shows people skating at an open air ice rink at the Brodnowski Park in Warsaw, Poland. Via EPA-EFE/Rafal Guz

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Poland displays military might in huge parade as elections loom

Poland's biggest military parade since the Cold War took place in Warsaw on Tuesday, as the NATO-member country flexed its military muscle in what the government hoped would be both…

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Poland displays military might in huge parade as elections loom

WARSAW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Poland's biggest military parade since the Cold War took place in Warsaw on Tuesday, as the NATO-member country flexed its military muscle in what the…

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Polish government draws up questions for voters, opposition calls foul

WARSAW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Polish government wants to pose questions to voters during a Oct. 15 election that will include whether Poland should take in "thousands of illegal…

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Polish government plans referendum on rejecting ‘thousands of illegal immigrants’

Euronews - Provisionally planned for the same day as this October's election, the referendum is a poke in the eye to another EU-wide policy as Warsaw and Brussels clash over…

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Poland to vote in privatisation referendum, likely alongside October election

Poles will vote on whether they support the privatisation of state companies, Poland's ruling party leader said on Friday, as he announced the first question in a number of referendums…

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Poland plans to send up to 10,000 soldiers to border with Belarus

Poland is planning to move up to 10,000 additional troops to the border with Belarus to support the Border Guard, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Thursday." About 10,000 soldiers…

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Flood-hit Slovenia set to access at least 400 million euros in disaster help-EU

The EU will make at least 400 million euros ($439.16 million) available to Slovenia after devastating floods there killed at least six people and affected tens of thousands of households, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on…

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Central Europe’s arms makers scramble for workers as Ukraine boosts business

By Michael Kahn, Robert Muller and Karol Badohal PRAGUE/WARSAW (Reuters) - From building apartments for new employees to offering retired workers free canteen meals to share their expertise, Central Europe's…

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Slovenia seeks help after fatal floods

Slovenia has sought help from the EU and NATO after a weekend of severe and fatal flash floods. Neighboring Austria also reported one death on Sunday as a person fell…

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Flood damage in Slovenia estimated at over €500M

Two-thirds of Slovenia has been affected by flash floods in the last several days, with the resulting damage likely to exceed half a billion euros, the country's Prime Minister Robert…

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Romanian court releases influencer Andrew Tate from house arrest pending trial

BUCHAREST, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Bucharest court ruled on Friday to release divisive internet personality Andrew Tate from house arrest where he is awaiting trial on charges of human…

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Austrian leader backs far-right idea of enshrining cash in constitution

VIENNA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Austria's conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer wants the right to use cash enshrined in the constitution, he told Austrian media in remarks published on Friday, an…

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US tightens conditions of Visa Waiver Program for Hungary

By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - The United States imposed restrictions for Hungarian passport holders under its Visa Waiver Program, saying Budapest has not addressed security vulnerabilities repeatedly raised by…

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Belarus denies helicopter violation as Poland rushes troops to border

By Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland said it was rushing troops to its eastern border after accusing Belarus, Russia's closest ally, of violating its airspace with military helicopters. …

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Electronic invoicing mandatory in Romania from January

Romanian minister of finance Marcel Boloş recently stated that a decision by the Council of the European Union regarding electronic invoicing represents "a huge step in combating fraud." He also…

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More Wagner fighters move closer to Polish border

WARSAW (Reuters) - A group of a hundred soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister…

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