The Dispatch

Hungary’s PM Orban: EU’s strategy on Ukraine ‘has failed’

BUDAPEST, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The European Union's strategy with regards to the war in Ukraine "has failed" and the bloc should create a plan B as the Ukrainians will…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Slovakia’s Fico will not support more military aid to Ukraine at EU summit

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Slovakia's newly appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico will not back further military aid for Ukraine nor support further sanctions against Russia at his first European Union…

Read More Here

Slovak ex-pm Fico to take government reins for fourth time on Wednesday

(Reuters) - Slovakia's president will appoint a new government on Wednesday led by three-time leftist prime minister Robert Fico, who won a Sept. 30 election with pledges to end military…

Read More Here

Polish opposition ready to take power, says Tusk

Poland's mainstream opposition parties said on Tuesday they are ready to take power, as they seek to increase pressure on the president to make a quick decision on appointing their…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Gorzow Wielkopolski, Poland

A picture taken with a drone shows children playing at a water fountain as they attempt to cool off on a hot day in Gorzow Wielkopolski, western Poland. Via EPA-EFE/LECH…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Bran, Romania

Bran castle, in Bran village, 173 km north from Bucharest, Romania. The Teutonic Knights, a religious Catholic order founded by German crusaders in Palestine in the late twelfth century, received…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Slovenia tightens security at border with Croatia and Hungary

Slovenian police officers check vehicles at the Obrezje-Bregana border between Slovenia and Croatia crossing near Obrezje village, Slovenia, 21 October 2023. Slovenia on Saturday deployed police on border crossings with…

Read More Here

Slovakia president sets condition to appoint ex-PM Fico’s cabinet

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova will only appoint a cabinet led by pro-Russian former prime minister Robert Fico if he changes his nominee to be environment minister, her office said. The…

Read More Here

Austrian ex-chancellor Kurz goes on trial for perjury

VIENNA, (Reuters) - Austria's conservative former chancellor Sebastian Kurz went on trial for perjury on Wednesday in a case separate from the corruption investigation that forced him from office but…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Photo Story: Five-year-old boy stabbed to death in Poznan, Poland

Polish police and medical staff arrive to the scene of a stabbing incident at the Lazarz district in Poznan, western Poland, 18 October 2023. A five-year-old boy was stabbed in…

Read More Here

Poland election: how and when will a new government be formed?

By Marek Strzelecki WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland could face weeks or months of uncertainty following Sunday's election showed the incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) remaining the largest party but losing…

Read More Here

Poland, EU’s biggest poultry producer, reports bird flu outbreak

Poland, the European Union's largest poultry producer, has reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus among poultry in the northern part of the country, the World…

Read More Here

Poland’s ruling nationalists lose majority in election, final results confirm

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won most votes in Sunday's national election but fell short of a majority, final official results showed on Tuesday, confirming that the liberal,…

Read More Here

Slovakia’s populist ex-PM Fico seals coalition deal for new government

Slovak former prime minister Robert Fico and his SMER-SSD party signed a coalition deal on Monday to form a new government expected to go slow on cutting high deficits and…

Read More Here

Polish nationalists PiS on brink of losing power, exit poll shows

Poland's incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) party was narrowly ahead in Sunday's general election, exit polls showed, but the liberal opposition appeared to secure a majority, raising the possibility of…

Read More Here

Poland holds high-stakes election amid rows over democratic rule

By Justyna Pawlak WARSAW, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Poles vote on Sunday in a parliamentary election the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) hopes will earn it an unprecedented third term…

Read More Here

Romanian troops boost NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO said that more than 130 troops from Romania had reinforced its Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission following the worst violence in northern Kosovo for years. The…

Read More Here

Poland set for high-stakes election amid disputes over EU, democracy

By Alan Charlish Poles elect a new parliament on Sunday Ruling nationalists PiS tipped to win but to lack majority Opposition leader says PiS wants to take Poland out of…

Read More Here

As election nears, Polish PM warns of ‘Islamic fighters’ among migrants

WARSAW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Islamic militants will be among migrants heading for Europe as a result of the conflict in Israel, Poland's prime minister said on Thursday, as his…

Read More Here

Poland to extend border controls with Slovakia

WARSAW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Poland will announce on Thursday that it intends to extend temporary controls on its border with Slovakia, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said. "Today we will…

Read More Here

Two dead, six injured as car carrying illegal migrants crashes in Hungary

BUDAPEST, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Two people died and six were injured in southern Hungary near the Serbian border on Thursday when a car carrying illegal migrants hit a tree…

Read More Here

Role of women in society at stake in Polish election

In 2021, a young woman came to a hospital in eastern Poland to get an abortion: she was suffering from severe mental distress because the fetus she was carrying had…

Read More Here

Poland, Hungary evacuate citizens from Israel

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is sending military planes to evacuate its citizens from Israel, Polish President Andrzej Duda said, after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. "We are sending…

Read More Here

Poland election turns Germany into punchbag, straining Western alliance

Ruling Polish nationalists mine old resentment dating to war Fighting for re-election, they accuse Germany of meddling Quarrel hits Western efforts to aid Ukraine against Russia Berlin being careful to…

Read More Here

Undeterred by border checks, illegal migrants arrive in Slovakia

By Krisztina Than NITRA, Slovakia (Reuters) - Illegal migrants kept arriving at a police registration centre in southern Slovakia this week, as border controls imposed by the government appeared not…

Read More Here

Poland election campaign polarised by anxiety over migration

By Marek Strzelecki, Kuba Stezycki and Kacper Pempel Border village grappling with surge in illegal migrants Villager: 'They'll walk in like ants' if vigilance wanes Ruling nationalists mining migration fears…

Read More Here

Slovakia halts Ukraine aid

Slovakia’s caretaker government said it has halted sending further military aid to Ukraine as political parties that oppose such support are in talks to form a coalition following last weekend’s…

Read More Here

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

WARSAW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling nationalists are in the lead ahead of October 15 parliamentary elections, according to a poll published on Wednesday. The Law and Justice party…

Read More Here

Slovakia tightens controls on Hungary border as migrant arrivals rise

By Radovan Stoklasa SKALITE, Slovakia (Reuters) - Slovakia moved on Wednesday to impose temporary controls on its border with Hungary over a rising number of illegal migrants, after Poland, the…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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,…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

‘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…

Read More Here

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,…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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.…

Read More Here